We recently had our first family vacation to Florida which was also our first trip traveling with a toddler! Here are nine tips when traveling with a toddler, including flying with a toddler! As this was our first time away, I tried to prepare as much as possible and I hope these tips help to make your future trips one to remember- for the right reasons!
Travel with low expectations
- Set expectations low
When traveling with a toddler, unpredictability can be a worst enemy. Three tips for easier travel include having an outline or plan for the week for non-negotiable activities or ‘must’ see locations to visit, allow long for extra travel time and avoiding a packed day which skips all naps.- To have a routine similar to being at home, have a plan. Perhaps, ‘we are going to spend Wednesday at the beach’ or ‘we are going to arrive at Disney upon opening so we can leave before bedtime’.
- Take it down a notch on how many activities fill the day or a full day of travel. This will help everyone know what to expect throughout the day and allow for additional spontaneous activities.
- Have grace knowing activities (and the process to get there) will likely take longer than predicted.
- Anyone else feel like their little one always has to go to the bathroom before leaving the house or has to say ‘goodbye’ to their lovey one more time?
- Try not to skip all the naps and have at least one in a location which feels comfortable – allowing little one to feel well rested.
- This might be a time to stick to the big guns if car naps or stroller naps help make the rest of the day run smooth or alternately cause a meltdown making everyone on edge.
Travel with Extra Clothes
2. Pack an Extra Outfit
There is nothing worse than having an unexpected outfit change and the back up outfits are tucked away in a non-accessible location.
- Pack a full outfit (shirt, pants, underwear and socks) and an extra diaper or two in an accessible location like a diaper bag or backpack.
- Do not forget to pack an extra shirt and pants for both caregivers as well. Sometimes snacks or car blowouts can be messier than expected.
Plan a trip with others
3. Travel with family or friends
If traveling with family or friends is enjoyable, more hands to gather toddlers or miscellaneous items can be beneficial when getting out the door faster. It also adds extra entertainment and distraction on flights and car rides as well as allowing for more relaxation for the caregivers.
- For our most recent trip we had a wonderful ratio of six adults to one toddler. I truly believe this was what contributed to a peaceful flight and speed when getting to our activities (IE gathering all the items to float down the lazy river!).
- Before getting on the airplane, we passed out a few different toys between our family members. Whenever little one needed something new to pass time, she would sit on the lap of the next adult. Make sure you read tip number four to learn about what items we had available on the plane.
- For the daily nap trap, Spencer and I alternated who stayed back. Usually, one of us would stay in the room to relax while the other went to the pool for some ‘toddler free’ sun time.
Bring new toys and yummy snacks
4. New Toys and Snacks
To keep a toddler in one place a little longer, try having new toys and snacks prepared in advance.
- This was our favorite #momhack for traveling with a toddler. The GoBe Snack Spinner is a power combo as it held different snacks and doubled as a new toy. The GoBe rotates upon pressing the center button. This allows a toddler to think about what snack they want and challenges them to get there as only one compartment can be opened at a time. We put the following snacks in each compartment: freeze dried strawberries, Original Cherrios, freeze dried yogurt bites and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
- We kept specific toys set aside for the plane ride only. After the first plane ride, we put the toys away until we took a flight home so they stayed ‘special’. To prepare for our most recent trip, we visited our local Dollar Tree and picked up a few different toys. We had a pink squeeze stress ball, fidget spinners, teething sword, a silly animal face book, jumbo crayons, a new coloring book, stickers and a child’s book we found in the little lending library in the airport.
The Yoto Player is an alternate screen free audio player. It also functions as a white noise machine and an “ok-to-wake” alarm clock.
- Dragons Love Tacos (Book)
- James and the Giant Peach (Book)
- Iron Man (Book Series)
- Kidz Bop (Music)
Read airline guidelines for traveling with children
5. Know Your Rights and Available Resources in the Airport
There are a variety of resources set up to help parents have a successful flight. Some of our favorites included pumping / breastfeeding stations throughout the airport, the Little Free Library, wearing little one through security in a carrier and no questions asked about pumping equipment.
- Our favorite hack was walking throughout the airport with little one strapped to our chest in a baby carrier. We can not say enough positive notes about our Ergo Baby Omni 360 carrier! While we did have her run around and explore the airport before boarding the plane, she stayed attached to us in a carrier when going through security or in other high traffic areas. It was comforting to have little one close by and secure as airport safety was on the top of our minds.
- Mamava is a designated lactation station for moms. It is a quiet, distraction free ‘pod’. Additionally, it locks internally, for a caregiver to feed a little one in silences. If we would have had a layover, this would have been something I would have used on our trip! The one we found was located at the Orlando International Airport.
- The Little Free Library’s are my favorite free resource within airports. These libraries allow you to grab a book or leave a book for free. Today these can be found around many towns as well as in major airports. We gave little one the choice between a few different books and she chose ‘Dear Dragon Goes to the Beach’. It kept her entertained for close to 20 minutes on the plane! After our trip we returned it to the library for another child to enjoy.
- Did you know many airlines allow caregivers to to travel with strollers and car seats free of charge? Many airlines require items are checked at the gate which saves money renting or buying equipment at a final destination. As a bonus money saver, store extra diapers in the car seat to avoid purchasing them or adding them to a checked bag – #momhack!
- Finally, know lactation/formula rights including having an additional bag for a breast pump or needing milk storage/transportation. While each airline is different, some allow a separate ‘medical bag’ to transport a nursing pump. For those who are using formula or pumped milk, many airlines allow bottles to pass through security – no questions asked.
Navigate breastfeeding in public
6. Breastfeeding in Public
Breastfeeding on the go requires a little additional thought before heading out for the day when traveling with a toddler. My favorite travel items which made breastfeeding comfortable included a mesh nursing cover, a portable fan and a head pillow.
- My favorite nursing cover is the ‘Cocoon’ nursing cover by ‘AMMA’ due to the weight, color and style variation. The Cocoon nursing cover is light weight, breathable and comes in a variety of different colors. It can be used as a blanket and canopy to block out light on the plane or stroller. Though pricey, the cover is absolutely worth it!
- We brought this rechargeable portable fan to keep cool while nursing at the pool and stroller walks. For additional uses, some mamas use these fans during labor and delivery!
- To help avoid arm fatigue from the weight of a tired toddler I used a basic head pillow for additional support while nursing or contact naps.
Travel on a familiar schedule to home
7. Make Routines Familiar
If we learned anything on this trip, little one thrives on routine. The ‘routines’ we tried our best to kept the same included sleeping, eating / weaning and elimination communication.
- Sleep: To keep Little one’s sleep routine familiar we set cooler bedroom temperatures during naps and bedtime, kept our wind-down routine the same and used the same comfort techniques during night time wakings. Items we brought for a ‘home’ sleep environment included our baby monitor and camera, this night light and a sleep sack. Check out our shop page to see some of our first few year favorites.
- Eating and Weaning: We stayed on a schedule with quality food and regular nursing sessions similar to what we do at home. A few things which differed included offering more packaged food, meals on the go and an additional snack before bedtime.
- Elimination Communication: The only item we had to change with our elimination communication routine was the type of potty we used. At home we use the Oxo potty and while traveling we used the Jool travel potty as a seat reducer. The portable Jool travel potty folds into fourths and has a carrying bag. We kept daytime and nighttime potty sessions the same, however we tried to give ourselves grace when potty-tunities were missed.
Research amenities for sleep and food
8. Reserve Housing Amenities in Advance
From a fellow hotelier, I would highly recommend reserving amenities needed within a hotel (Airbnb or VBRO) in advance when traveling with a toddler.
- Reserve items like a pack-n-play and high chair in advance. If using a pack-n-play bring along a fitted sheet to make the mattress cozier.
- If co-sleeping or utilizing a floor bed, make sure to list the accurate amount of people staying in the hotel room. This will hopefully ensure the originally reserved room type is not moved based on availability (IE from a queen/queen to a king). Unfortunately, people do have hotel rooms moved if a hotel is sold out because one person is listed as an occupant as opposed to a family with four occupants.
Keep travel fun
9. Have Fun!
Remember to take lots of pictures while sitting back, relaxing and chasing a curious toddler!
Do you have any tips which made traveling with a toddler enjoyable? If so, share them in comments!
