Emergency numbers are also key. Were definitely not experts in the potty training arena, but this potty training book has been super helpful with the potty training learning curve. It works especially well if you dont have a toddler potty seat with you, or if your child has a fear of public restrooms. While youre stopped, do some sort of game that gets the kids moving, like seeing how fast they can run to a nearby tree or moving like animals (hop like a bunny, fly like a bird, pounce like a lion). It is very tempting and easy to eat poorly in transit, and this can lead to meltdowns not just for kids, but for adults, too! We also always have a cooler on hand for drinks and cold snacks, even if we arent packing meals. 10 Tips for Completing a Road Trip with a Toddler (Without The occasional sweet snack doesnt go astray; however, remember, when kids are consuming a lot of carbs, theyve got to have somewhere to burn them! Car sick bags within reach. Weve tried a variety of road trip with toddler activities over several car rides. (NB most of these tips will work pretty effectively with your older kids too!). Like this post? 9 am (This will put you in rush hour traffic)12pm (You can avoid morning rush hour) 8 Hour Drive. Hand sanitizer Bring some travel-sized hand sanitizer for cleaning little hands before eating. Here are some tips for making this happen: Always make sure everyone has empty bladders, full stomachs, and that you have a full tank of gas before settling in for nap. See this post for ideas. 7. For overnight or early morning drives, have them stay in (or change into) PJs to get comfy. In addition, some of our readers were kind enough to write about their road trips with a baby as well! Our favorite snack to give our babies on road trips were Gerber Puffs, which we loved due to their slow dissolving properties. I would put them in the car then. I think its important to give them the space to come up with their own ideas, rather than constantly feed them data with DVDs and video games. Just use the DVD player and iPad a little more judiciously, and consider playing some classic, electronic-free games instead. Its, in fact, one great American road trip! These are all great tips. I like to bring a small spray bottle of stain and odor remover just in case there is a potty or vomit incident. Change of clothes- Make sure to bring a change of clothes for your toddler. The Ultimate Guide to Yellowstone with Kids, The Ultimate Mexico Packing List- Don't Forget These, Road Trip Activities for Toddlers (That They Will Really. Distraction is the name of the game here (and its why playing road games is one of the most widely recommended hacks for road trips with kids). Road Trip If you get going early in the morning, make sure you have an energy snack and a coffee for you, too, as well as plenty of water for hydration. Well get the lions share of the days driving done if we can before lunch, allow a good long break somewhere at this time of day, then leave ourselves a shorter leg to complete in the afternoon. For larger families, a bag per type of item (all swimsuits together since youd likely use a hotel pool at the same time; all jammies together if you plan to conk out about the same time; all bulky hiking shoes together if youre stopping along the way at a trail; one dirty clothes bag to share, etc). Dry cereal We make this snack more fun by adding a variety of dry cereals. Counting Games. Some food ideas for a road trip with babies are snacks that are good for distraction. Honestly I think its harder to do a road trip with a baby than with a toddler, but that could just be me. I know the whole point of your road trip is to expose your children to new things but trust me, weve done long stints of nothing but trees and dirt for hours on end. These baby travel toys are popular with parents traveling with infants: For additional ideas, you can check out our list of 1 year old travel toys. Setting off on 6 Expert Tips for a Road Trip with a Toddler - Baby Can Travel Its not a race. Audible offers new members one free audiobook (sometimes more), so at a minimum, sign up for Audible and get a free audiobook for your road trip. Related: 9 Tech-Free Distractions for Your Next Family Road Trip, Craft supplies are super easy to pack and can keep kids occupied for hours. Regardless of your child's internal time clock, you can strategize to make trips more enjoyable for everyone. Another helpful tool is a sunshade placed on your toddlers window. So how do you do it? Best Disclosures: We are members of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. It should go without saying the most important thing you need for a great road trip with toddlers is the right car seat. Road Trip Games For Kids | POPSUGAR Smart Living How to Prepare Your Kids for Their First Solo Trip, 45 Essentials For a Family Road Trip + Packing List. We have. I live near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with my husband, toddler, baby and a huge dog named Sydney. because youll have a better idea on the amount of travel toys needed, how much and what types of food to pack, or if you need overnight bags packed separately. Of course, weve learned that things rarely go strictly to plan when you travel with a baby, but its never a bad idea to have a base plan to optimize around. For off-the-beaten-path camping and extended road trips* we use this one. Some families are comfortable putting their toddler back in diapers or pull-ups and then just working for a few days afterwards to get them back on track. (We realized the hard way that our son couldnt have too much yogurt, milk, or other dairy products before a long car ride. However, anyone who has road-tripped with a toddler will assure you this is the trickiest age! How are you going to store your food? As mentioned above, listening to audiobooks is also a good baby road trip sleep strategy. Road Trip Essentials: Things to Pack for your Ultimate Road Trip. Keep an empty trash bag or large ziplock bag in the car for trash. We did this a lot when taking a 1/2 day off from work. With any luck theyd go right back to sleep once the car started moving, and if not, theyd be groggy and quiet for a couple of hours. Check out these 10 insanely fun road trip activities for toddlers! Dont pack sugary snacks. Dont forget to SUBSCRIBE for updates and to follow along with us! Theres a ton of bedtime storybooks for kids on. You may wish to leave a little earlier to compensate. My son, along with my love for travel, is the inspiration for this blog and Im excited to share our adventures with you as we learn a few things along the way. And more snacks! I also I always recommend these snack catchers because they are collapsible, making them perfect for travel. 2 Comfort items. Heres a summary of some of the items we recommend to bring on a road trip with a toddler. One of the big keys to successful travel with a toddler is snacks. As your child gets older, itll become more important for them to burn off energy during a long car ride. 6 Things You Must Know Before a Road Trip with a Baby (0 Persevere, itll be okay! You never know if they might have an accident, get covered in food, fall in a mud puddle at a rest stop, etc. I boil eggs, slice apples, bake bread and make honey-rosemary roasted pecans the night before a long trip, says Sarah Sloboda, a frequent traveler. We are a family of five that loves traveling the world together. 2. Don't overdo it. Visit Family Vacation Critic on Instagram! The #1 app for tracking pregnancy and baby growth. Find interesting places to stop for breaks, like historic sites, museums, charming towns, and also beautiful places for picnics, including state parks, lakes, and waterfalls, says Lia Batkin of In The Know Experiences, a travel consulting agency. If you feel the driving days are simply too long (and your accommodation can be flexed) can you reduce your driving days down once youre underway and slow the journey down? Anyone with multiple children will know EXACTLY what were talking about! Were going to share with you here all our favourite tips that have gotten us through many, many days of road tripping with toddlers, so you can start making your family memories on the road too. Strategies we used to get our babies to sleep in the car on a road trip were: How do you entertain a baby on a long car ride? Leave in the evening after an early dinner and take a quick break before bed time. If you have any additional road trip with toddler hacks, please share in the comments! But let me assure you, you really can have a successful road trip with a toddler. Yes, send me expert advice, handpicked recommendations, and tips for my family. Be sure to check out this list of tried and tested toddler road trip activities! If youre doing a long road trip with a toddler, youre bound to be driving during the night or nap time at some point. Breaks are also necessary for your child to have a chance to run around and get some energy out. You can trust that youll get the best advice on traveling with a baby or toddler here! pretzels. Road Trip Weve made the 8-hour road trip with our kids to see their grandparents more times than we can count. 3 Snacks & drinks. Were talking here about what comes into the car with you I like to call it my grab bag! Often being in the car will lull kids to sleep, but there are also some steps you can take to help them out. If you follow these tips and bring some great toddler road trip activities, hopefully your drive with your toddler will be smooth sailing! In fact, years later, wet wipes are still my number one line of defence in the car! As babies enter toddlerhood, they typically move from taking two naps to one, longer nap in the afternoon. But as you might know it, toddlers have a mind of their own. Before you hit the road with your kids, consider these tips for road trips with kids to keep everyone (including you) happy. As you plan your car trip with baby, keep in mind the my kids were always hit or miss with car sleeping, so hard to plan around that. Those countless hours of your own childhood playing Tetris were not wasted! If you need assistance, there are car seat technicians who can check it out for you, just do a quick search for a technician in your area. Easy Road Trip Snacks for Toddlers Summary: The more miles you can drive with a sleeping child, the easier your long road trip with a baby will seem. Each family road trip had its unique challenges, especially because neither of our babies liked sitting in a car seat and they would rarely sleep in it for any length of time. raisins. Sitting at a restaurant after sitting in the car for hours doesnt always cut it! Prepare Your Car. Others not so used to breaking their routine could find this aspect of road tripping tough. Distract babies and They dont quite nap for as long as a baby; they definitely want more entertaining, and they definitely DONT wish to be strapped in their seat for hours and hours on end. Dont skimp on the small print when it comes to travelling with toddlers! fruit pouches eg Ellas Kitchen, GoGo Squeez. Southwest USA Road Trip with Kids - The Ultimate Its easy for your car to quickly become a mess on a road trip. Celine also writes about family travel on the site FamilyCanTravel.com, which she co-owns with her husband. You are also not on a see-it-all mission; you do not need to stop at every single roadside attraction. That depends on whether your child has a "best" or "worst" time of day. If leaving early in the morning before the sun is up, turn off your vehicles dome light so it doesnt shine as you transfer your sleepy little one to the car seat. We love using both seat back organizers and a floor car organizer when were road tripping to have a structured place to keep road trip food. Its not the most exciting breakfast, but its portable and it takes a long time to eat; all those minutes of a happy, occupied baby on a road trip really add up! Just take a deep breath, use these tips, and go for it! While driving, portable snacks are great road trip snacks for babies as they work as both nourishment and distraction. Even with all your preparedness for your road trip with a baby or toddler, there will probably still be some inconsolable crying. Chalk it all up to an experience. Getting yourself sorted with a Spotify playlist in advance is another great idea. Just as when we talk about jet lag, give some deep thought to the eat, activity, sleep cycle when youre travelling with toddlers. Lisa Twyman Bessone is a writer for and former editor of Outside Kids magazine. Family road trips can be either amazing or super stressful. How to Have a Successful Road Trip with a Toddler The poor kid is stuck in a car seat. Frequent breaks are a great way to preempt meltdowns and whininess. My son usually does better driving into the night like that than leaving crazy early. A s I was planning my familys year-long road trip, I asked a group of parents in a playground for their top tips for travelling with children on long days of driving. 4 Nappies, wipes & first aid kit. A late-night flight, on the other hand, may find your child either sleeping peacefully or overly tired, just as he might be at home. Combating boredom with a number of different toddler road trip activities is best thing you can do for a smooth road trip with a toddler. Dont leave your rest stops to chance. Plan extra time and stops with the babies and toddlers along. Each and every road trip, my kids always look forward to seeing what is in their surprise box. The boxes are just lunchboxes I found at a garage sale. 1. If another person is going along on your road trip with a toddler, one person should sit in the backseat with your child. 3. Weve been there. Driving Through Southwest USA is Simply Transcendental Southwest America is one of the best destinations for road-tripping. Being determined to reach X by a specific time will only make you all fractious. Florida best time to leave - Road Trips Forum 4am. The important thing is that the kids burn off some energy. Before taking road trips with our kiddo became the norm, it sounded like a torturous ordeal. Examples could be: cheerio necklaces, or trail mix poured into a divided container (like ice cube tray or bead box) to be sorted while getting snacked on. Reaching your arm behind you to try and calm crying tots whilst your other hand is on the wheel can be far more dangerous for everyone. I remember those days lots of toys, LOTS of snacks and of course when to leave. Keep your eyes on the road, and if the crying and discomfort does not stop, find somewhere safe to pull over. I almost always pack a in these reusable sandwich containers that are great for road trips with toddlers. Just like all things toddler travel, be it long flights, hiking with your toddler or taking a long car trip. Yes, incredibly upsetting for you all, as well as frustrating, but should an outburst commence while you are full pelt on the interstate, stay focused on the road. Theyll continue to sleep for a while, allowing us to get in several hours of peaceful driving in before everyone is up. If we stop for a meal, we eat while our daughter plays. Weve had road trips go amazingly well and others resulting in crying and whining 50% of the way. Thank you! on Frozen Wonders And Wildlife: Reasons To Take Your Kids On An Antarctic Expedition, on Unlocking the Best Ways to Book Your Train Ticket: Tips and Tricks for a Hassle-Free Journey, You can see our complete guide to toddler travel pillows here, games you can try in the car with young kids, 20 Epic Road Trips you need to take with your kids, Inspiring road trip quotes to encourage you to hit the road with your kids, our top potty training while travelling tips, Toddler Flying Mistakes weve made (and I bet you have too! In that spirit, I like to bring a bottle of stain and odor removing spray for any accidents or vomit that could (but hopefully wont) happen. So many snacks haha. First of all, youre exhausted by the time you arrive at your destination, which isnt necessarily the best way to start off a trip. 9. Our Globetrotters | Features Images CanvaPro, Your email address will not be published. You dont want to find out about needed repairs halfway into your drive. This, Load a tablet with shows and movies (Note: We often save the tablet until weve exhausted the other road trip activities), Fruit: Apples, clementines and grapes all travel well. Your preference on driving at night or early in the morning and c.) The length of the car ride. Were not just talking about an emergency stash of lollipops for a sugar crash. The Best Day to Leave Ours have all been ardent world travellers since the day they were born and are easily adaptable to new sleeping conditions. a sit-down restaurant as this is just more sitting. Make sure you have a good hand held vacuum for the car. Looking for more road trip ideas for toddlers and babies? When my daughter has absolutely nothing to do in the car, its amazing the way her imagination kicks in and she spins all kinds of imaginary scenarios for herself. Below are some of our favorite toys and mess free activities for a road trip with toddlers. Then if they do have an accident, it wont get the seat wet and its a much easier clean up. advance. When youre in the early stages of potty training, however, it will take a bit of practice. Be sure the required blankets or stuffed animals are not packed in luggage! Stain and Odor Remover- I always like to plan for the worst and hope for the best. If your planned departure time is at the crack of dawn, be sure to pack breakfast for the kids so they have something to eat when they wake. Join us to learn tips and tricks to making travel with kids a rewarding and enjoyable experience for the whole family! Weve got everything you need for an epic road trip- from how to prepare ahead of time, to the gear you need to have a fun road trip. jerky. Or we try to see if there are fun activities our kids will enjoy along our route, such as a childrens museum or park. Another one of our favorite toddler road trip ideas these road trip goody bags. Another favorite of ours, regardless of the kids age, was to play kid-friendly audiobooks in the car. Count the blue cars, count the Toyotas, count the cars with two people in them, count the speed limit signs count anything. In the end, you have to decide what makes the most sense for your family and your trip. Not only does she have years of experience traveling with babies & toddlers, but she's been helping new parents travel with their babies and toddlers for over a decade. Check your car seat owners manual. You can see all our family car hire money-saving tips here. More frequent, shorter stops are always an option, especially if you have a newly potty trained toddler who always has to pee. If not in the same bag, somewhere easy to grab in the car, you should keep some instant picnic supplies too a picnic mat, sunscreen, sun hats, maybe a ball and a few outdoor tools make sure these items dont strategically disappear in the depths of the trunk! One recommendation that has worked for us for potty training while traveling is to use a plastic cup for potty training on the go. WebUsually, picking a time when your toddler is fast asleep is the best to consider traveling a long-distance road trip. Every baby is unique and hopefully youll have a good idea of what conditions make your baby sleep in the car. There are a few things we never start a road trip without! Road Trip While having your partner in the passenger seat is nice for navigation and company, it might be better to put an adult in the back for at least part of the trip. We always have water in. Leave the house really early (between 3 and 5am) if your child typically sleeps until a reasonable hour and will fall back asleep in the car. Here are a few preparation tips to make sure that you are prepared and ready for your drive. My first tip to successfully road trip with a toddler is to start small. Must-Have Baby & Toddler Beach Essentials. Adding a bunch of sugar to that will create a whiny toddler who is really difficult to be around! I know I get uncomfortable driving unfamiliar roads in the dark, but when its a route I know well like the 4-hour hike from Perth Airport to my parents place I feel confident to tackle this of an evening whilst the kids sleep off some of their jet lag. First of all, youll want frequent breaks for your child to go to the bathroom. No matter what happens on your first road trip with your infant, youll make it through fully intact with more parental confidence and a brand-new set of family memories. On our way home from Sandbridge Beach, Virginia, for example, we stopped at a large park in Maryland and walked the trails while hunting for bugs. If your itinerary will allow it, no more than a few hours a day in a car. Keeping babies or toddlers occupied for even a couple hours at a time is never easy. I want to help you travel with your baby or toddler.I created Baby Can Travel as a way to not only inspire parents to travel with babies and toddlers, but to help them be less stressed about it. Those newly trained toddlers dont always give much warning. Your childs sleep schedule and ability to sleep in the car, b.) Pro Tip: We usually use Instacart or Target Drive-Up to save time on shopping for snacks, drinks and road trip activities before a big family vacation. We also break up our days where we can too. 7am. This is a compilation of all of the best road trip tips and tricks weve learned to help you survive your next road trip with your toddler or baby. Make sure you have a roadside emergency kit stocked with extra food, water, and blankets, especially during winter travel. Getting your car ready: If its your own car, get all your safety checks done in advance of loading up the car; consider oil, coolant, battery, air pressure and of course, a full tank of fuel! (And if Im being completely honest, sometimes my favorite part about a toddler road trip is when theyre sleeping!). Contents hide. To help you have the best road trip with your baby, weve shared the six most important things we learned about taking road trips with a baby. Have a system for how you want to organize your toys, food, etc to keep them accessible. Depending on the age, weight, and height of your toddler, you may have her forward facing in a convertible car seat but still be able to safely turn her rear facing and slightly reclined for sleep. Also make sure your child is staying hydrated by bringing them their own spill-proof bottle and offering them drinks frequently. Some more games you can try in the car with young kids include: Another beauty of an activity that I cant believe took us so long to discover was listening to audiobooks in the car. If you sign up to our mailing list you can immediately access our full library of road trip games you can print out ahead of your trip. For tips for road tripping with a baby, see this post and for more helpful travel items, see our ultimate list of toddler travel essentials! When returning from travel, Monday noon to 3 p.m. and Tuesday 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. will be the most congested. On our blog we share tips for traveling with young kids, travel gear recommendations, and destination guides for the places weve been. Always have a list of contact numbers pediatricians, relatives, and roadside assistance in the car, she says. Road trips are a rite of passage, but the inevitable Are we there yet? from the back seat doesnt have to be a part of the scenario. 6 Tips for a Successful Road Trip with a Baby, 1. Tip: Have an accessible place to put everyones shoes while driving. Telling your kid about where youre going, asking about what they liked and didnt on the way back, letting them ask questions or express whats on their mind can be a good way of learning about whats going on with your child at the moment, and can also be highly entertaining., Skip the drive-thru restaurants and go for healthier homemade food for this road trip tip. We like to pack all of our snacks to avoid pricey and junkie gas station food, as well as the food for many of the meals well need for the trip to avoid the allure of multiple fast-food stops. But, like anything else, road trips with babies and toddlers get easier the more you take them - and weve taken A LOT. You've even picked out the music that will act as the soundtrack to your adventure on the road. Frozen Squeezable Yogurt Tubes We pack these in our kids lunches during the week. Quickly pulling over anywhere to use the always available, convenient, and as-clean-as-you-keep-it potty chair is much easier than always finding a gas station to trudge into. Go shorter and dont over plan or get over ambitious on distances. Being from the Canadian Rockies, she shares her passion about her home and travel to Banff National Park and area on their site TravelBanffCanada.com. All rights reserved. Start the next leg of the trip right before nap time. Travel toys within an adults reach (but out of any younger childs sight - in order to extend focus and play time with whatever theyre currently occupied by). Wipes and large Ziplock bags make for easier cleanup on the road. Wet wipes- Extremely useful for wiping hands and faces after eating, Paper towels- Wipe up messes from food or any other accident that might happen, Road trip food Pack some awesome snacks and meals to keep your kiddo full and entertained.