Friday Five: Toddler Travel Essentials

One question I get quite often is "How do you get through a 15 hour car ride with a baby/toddler?" First and foremost, I am extremely blessed with a fairly easy going kiddo. He has always loved being in the car going somewhere. Often he points to the garage and exclaims "GO! GO! GO!"

Also, instead of worrying about how he will do, I just went for it! I loaded him up when he was 2.5 months old and headed out. Those were the easy days because he slept a lot and only needed breast milk and diaper changes every few hours along the way.

Now that he is older and is awake for most of the trip, it takes a little bit more to keep him happy. Today, I am sharing five things outside of standard stuff (food, diapers, wipes, clothes) that make our trips not only doable but enjoyable for both of us.

Friday Five: Toddler Travel by ashleyamak 

Carter's Swaddle Blankets // Munchkin Snack Catcher // 360 Cup // Music // Books and Toys

Cuddly Blankets // My little one loves to snuggle blankets. He has always had two options in the car for long car rides. First is the blanket I made him while I was pregnant. Second is a super soft Carter's brand swaddle blanket. They usually come in two-packs and are a great quality and he loves them. 

Snack Catchers // These things are awesome! These little snack cups have a perforated silicone lid that allows for little hands to get in and grab snacks but prevents them from spilling them (mostly). I allow him to have a handful of small, easy to eat snacks. It tides him over between meal stops and keeps him occupied. 

360 Cup // These cups have a unique screw on lid and silicone lip, where kids can drink off any edge of the cup. My little loves drinking water throughout the day, so these cups are great because he can have them back in the car seat with him but I don't have to worry about him popping the lid off. 

Music // My little one LOVES music. In fact, most days start with him asking to dance. Having music specifically for him can be a huge help. Most of the time, I can find decent stations, but our usual trip has a couple long stretches of desert with few radio stations. We don't have a fancy car with a fancy stereo so for us I always pack my iPod with a couple different playlists for him. 

Favorite Toys and Books // Lastly, I make sure to have a couple of his favorite toys and board books in a basket or tote that is easy for him to reach. Right now, the toy collection includes a soft cuddly bunny, Kiki the elephant, a Manhattan Toys skwish, and a rattle ball. What comes along changes every few months based on what his preferences at the time. 

So there it is. My list of things that help us make it through our many. many, 10+ hour car rides. These are just things that work for us, and I hope this list can give you an idea on what may help you get through your own long trip.