Here are all the travel accessories that I pack in my bag for a local day out with my kids. All your traveling must haves in one place!
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Traveling with A Toddler
Let me begin by saying, I have two kids, Roman who is 4 and Eden who is 2. One potty trained and the other not. Depending on the ages of your kids, this list may get a little longer or a little shorter. Now, if you are traveling with a toddler like me then this is your traveling must haves list. Since let’s face it, we need to keep it as light and on the go as possible. Here is my full packing list for traveling. Subscribe for the free printable version.
Traveling Must Haves
- Baby Bib
Roman was our first baby, and you always learn a lot with your first. So, when it came to bibs, we had at least 50, but probably more. We had cloth bibs, silicone bibs, plastic bibs, polyester bibs, and bandana bibs. You name it, we had it. And did we need it all? No. So with Eden, we kept it simple with one type of bib, silicone. Our silicone bib in a couple of different colors was all we needed. The silicone baby bib is the best! They are so easy to clean and dry even in a restaurant bathroom, less messy cause it catches everything that falls, keeps clothes clean, and rolls up small to be so easy to travel with. Do not waste your time or money with any other bib other than this baby bib.
- Disposable Placemats
With Roman, I went through about 4 different types of placemats before finding the best fit. Now, I’m not always one for disposable things. Because the cost can add up quickly and it just seems wasteful most of the time. But there are definitely times, where disposable just makes sense, and this is it. Anytime we go to a restaurant these go on the table. It’s just part of the routine. So, rather than try to disinfect the table with small toddlers that are hungry, we just use these disposable placemats or these travel themed ones. Then I don’t have to worry about what they are touching. And when their food falls off the plate (which it inevitably will), they can still eat it because it stayed clean. At the end of the meal when literally everything is a mess, we just pull it up and toss it. Easy clean up!
- Travel Cutlery Set
Even though they make a lot of noise, those toddler mouths are very small. So, the restaurant forks and spoons aren’t really my first choice for little ones. While sometimes a plastic set is slightly smaller, those fall apart pretty easily, and we certainly don’t want them to swallow any tiny shards that break off. This is why I love to have a travel cutlery set. These are definitely a traveling must have.
- High Chair Cover
Have you ever gone to a restaurant and the high chair was sticky? How gross is that? You know it can be any number of things like snot, diaper leakage, or chewed up food. And again, when you are going into a restaurant with a hungry toddler, the last thing you want is to be doing is cleaning. There are a few great things about this high chair cover in particular. One, it’s machine washable, a bonus for obvious reasons. And two, it rolls up like a ball into a bag with a clip, perfect for travel.
- Baby Changing Station
Dirty diapers, yuck. You can’t escape them, so that’s why I love this baby changing station. It’s super easy to clean by either wiping it down with cleaner or just throwing it in the washer. Folding it up is a breeze and gets small enough for travel. There are just enough compartments to keep everything that you need handy. And there is a wrist strap and clip for on the go.
- Best Kids Water Bottle
Kids water bottles drive me crazy. They make them so complicated to clean and sometimes complicated even to drink. There were a few water bottles that we had with a weird vent in the straw that the kids have to bite in order to suck the water out from. And they are made so complex that you can’t even take all the pieces apart to clean. To me if I can’t clean every piece then it can harbor mold. Don’t waste your money on any type of water bottles like that. With that in mind, I only buy Thermos water bottles which to me are the best kids water bottle. The pieces all come apart to be easily cleaned and I’ve never had an issue with mold because of that. Plus, the straw is simple for kids to use. Due to the vent, they can leak when the top is open and tilted over, but once it’s closed, I’ve never had any leaking. And in the Florida heat, they keep water colder longer. Bonus, they have a ton of color options and character options to be the best fit for your little one.
- Traveling Activities for Kids
No trip to any restaurant is complete without some sort of traveling activities for kids. And other than using our cell phone as a small TV, here are some other things I like to bring. With a focus on keeping it compact and mess-free, I like these water reveal pads (which both come in all different options) or these magic ink coloring books (for boys and girls), or these fidget poppers.
- Small Travel Backpack
With this traveling must haves list that I gave you, how are you going to carry it all? For me, I find that a small travel backpack works best. Before that, I used a diaper bag which was for the shoulder and would constantly fall off. Not good when your hands are full with busy toddlers. Your regular school sized backpacks can be a little too big and I reserve those for Disney days. But for your local day out, I opt for a small travel backpack. It’s the perfect size to keep all the things you need and some extras like snacks and a change of clothes.
Travel Stroller
Best Travel Stroller
- Baby Jogger City Select
Baby Jogger is my go-to through and through. I even talked about it in my Montreal blog post. For a single to double to even triple stroller, the Baby Jogger City Select (and Lux version) wins it hands down. It works with a car seat and with a regular seat, has tons of interchangeable positions, and the double stroller is set up to be lengthwise and not widthwise. It’s the perfect stroller for a day at Disney or really any location with large crowds.
- Baby Jogger City Tour
If you are looking for a single stroller that is easy to fold up, then Baby Jogger still wins it. We looked for hours at travel strollers and the best travel stroller was the Baby Jogger City Tour. I also talk about this in my Montreal blog post. It had the best canopy coverage, was the easiest to fold up, and was the most comfortable for Roman to sit in. We also made sure that whatever stroller we purchased had 4 wheels. There is more stability for cobblestone streets or any bumpy and uneven ground than if it just has 3, so keep that in mind too.
- Best Baby Carrier
Now that my two little ones are mobile, I don’t need this anymore. But when they weren’t mobile and we traveled, I always had this with me. It was perfect for them to see out and feel like they are walking with us and could be used for naptime too. I also had a baby wrap, but I feel like that sagged quite a bit and so I used that mainly for home. For traveling, this BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Mini was super easy to clip them into and could be thrown right in the wash for fast clean up.
Was this traveling must haves list helpful? Is there any traveling must haves that I missed? Comment below. Thank you as always for following along on our adventures.
Disclaimer: There are some links in this article that are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, we receive a small commission. This is never an extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.
The toddler cutlery set is pure brilliance! I think of all the traveling I did with my twins when they were toddlers, and that would have REALLY come in handy!
Yes!! Sometimes it’s the little things that make such a big difference.
Having the right accessories can make or break travel with children!! I absolutely loved our baby carrier, made travel much easier! Even with my 10 year old I still carry a notebook and pen/pencils so we can draw while waiting for food etc.
Exactly. Even we get bored, always good to have something handy.
This is a very thorough list. There’s certainly a lot of considerations when packing for kiddos! I think adults can take a few tips from this list too!
Thank you so much. Yes, absolutely!