7 Holiday Road Trip Tips for Traveling with a Toddler

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Around Thanksgiving last year I wrote a post detailing the holiday road trip we took with Everett when he was only 2 months old.  At the time, I was starting to gear up for our yearly road trip and it felt like I had so much information that I could share with others about to travel with newborn babies.  So this year, I decided not to wait until the holidays are upon us to share how we made our road trip with Everett as a toddler.  While much of what I wrote for infants last year will apply to toddlers, here are a few specific things to keep in mind if you’re traveling with a toddler this holiday season.

If possible, break up your trip.  We did our entire 600 mile trip in one day when Everett was an infant two years ago, but I’m grateful that we decided to split it up last year when he was a toddler.  Instead, we drove 200 miles the first day, took a day off of driving to do a little sight seeing, and then finishing the remaining 400 miles of the trip.  This isn’t always possible, but if there’s a landmark that you can make a day of somewhere in the middle of your journey (for us it was Disney World), I highly recommend it.  Everett sat much better for 200 and 400 mile increments on the way there, than he did when we attempted to do the entire 600 mile trip on the way home.

Plan for play.  With an infant, you need to plan to stop for feeding, diaper changing, and cuddling, but with a toddler, it’s all about play.  They need to stretch their legs as often as possible.  Plan stops at restaurants with playgrounds, or, of you’re packing your own food to eat on the road, look for park signs so the kids can play on the playground while you eat.  Expect it to be difficult to get them corralled back into the car, but hopefully, with 30 minutes of play under their belts, they’ll consider taking a nap when the car gets going.

Busy bags can save your sanity.  I’ve written about this before, but I can’t stress how helpful Busy Bags are on a long road trip.  They can easily be made by throwing board books, figurines, individual size snacks, stickers, and just about anything that your toddler likes into a canvas or Ziploc bag.  Offering your child their busy bag as you try to get them off the playground can make it easier to get them in the car, too!

Download apps for your tablet before you go…and don’t forget the case.  Normally, I don’t let Everett have a tablet, there’s just too much that can go wrong, but there are times (like in a car for multiple hours) where it can’t be avoided.  Before you leave on your trip, download toddler games and entertainment (think Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger, and the like) to use on your trip.  Then offer the tablet to your child in small quantities to break up the monotony of the trip…and before handing ever handing a tablet or any electronics over to your toddler make sure the device is in a fully enclosed hard shell or rubber case and the window locks are on.

Pack snacks.  Lots and lots of snacks.  Last year I recommended keeping certain items in arms reach, but when you have a toddler, the number one item to keep in arms reach is snacks.  Select a variety of foods your toddler likes and pack a ton of them.  Great road trip snacks for toddlers include pretzels, popcorn, fruit pouches, chips, gold fish, crackers, cookies, and fruit.  Your floor mats will be messy by the end of the trip, but your toddler won’t go hungry!

Keep diaper changing kids handy.  Instead of carting an entire diaper bag full of snacks, toys, clothes, and everything else a toddler needs through a restaurant or gas station, I created 2 diaper changing kits which I kept in the front and back of the car.  Each kit included a Huggies Clutch ‘n Clean wipes, diapers, and diaper cream.

Besides having a a really stylish on-the-go carry case that I could easily slip around my wrist and carry in, Huggies Clutch ‘n Clean wipes are dermatologically tested and mom approved.Huggies brand wipes are actually the #1 Branded Choice of Moms!  And they make the holidays oh so much easier.I first found these wipes during our road trip last year at a CVS during a stop and picked them up on a whim.  Little did I know how much easier they were going to make the trip.  You can find them in the baby wipe section at your local CVS or when you’re on the road.

Make the most of nap time.  If your toddler is anything like mine, stopping the car is pretty much guaranteed to wake them up.  Plan to stop and get gas and/or food before your child’s regularly scheduled nap time, so you can drive as much as possible while they sleep.  While we ordinarily have to stop every 1 1/2 – 2 hours while Everett is awake, we can easily drive a 3 hour stretch when he sleeps…the key is being prepared and not having to stop the car.

What are your road trip tips for traveling with a toddler?  Leave me a comment and let me know!