Theres a McDonalds with a PlayPlace we like to stop at we can grab a quick bite and a coffee and the kids can play in the area for smaller kids. Set them up with a cozy little spot in their car seat with a blanket in case they get cold. Even with mixed age ranges, weve found a great way to keep them all equally engaged is with audiobooks. If you do start early in the day, be prepared to stop early, too. You can trust that youll get the best advice on traveling with a baby or toddler here! I swear by origami paper folding kits (weve filled the back seats with paper cranes and cats), but any kind of crafts from paper and crayons to beading and pipe cleaner sculptures will work. Road trips with toddlers and babies can be REALLY fun! That usually means working with your child on recognizing when they have to go, getting over fears of public toilets, and other common potty training issues. Whatever way you like to travel with your toddlers, weve got several guides to help you through the early toddler travel years. See my affiliate policy here. 9 am (This will put you in rush hour traffic)12pm (You can avoid morning rush hour) 8 Hour Drive. It usually ends up sitting in the footwell of the passenger seat. If your kids sleep well in the car, you might want to plan for part of the drive to be while they are asleep. Like this post? One of our favorite ways to road trip with toddlers is to leave early in the morning and transfer them to the car while they are sleeping. If theres going to be a troublemaker in the back, its almost certainly your toddler. For more toddler road trip toys, check out our favorite baby and toddler travel toys. 9. Letting them crawl or move around for a while does wonders for their mood. Go shorter and dont over plan or get over ambitious on distances. When packing road trip snacks for toddlers, either purchase individual bags or break them out into smaller, Watch out for foods that make your toddler sick in the car. Keeping babies or toddlers occupied for even a couple hours at a time is never easy. Thanks for joining us! I'm Amanda Emmerling, the creator and content writer of Toddling Traveler, a family travel blog. Keep a seat open next to the car seat/s when possible for some face-to-face play time with whoever isnt driving, Have a designated spot for a potty chair or diaper changing space. Road Trip Activities for Toddlers (That They Will Really Love!). For off-the-beaten-path camping and extended road trips* we use this one. When returning from travel, Monday noon to 3 p.m. and Tuesday 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. will be the most congested. Then if they do have an accident, it wont get the seat wet and its a much easier clean up. A properly installed car seat is essential for your childs safety, especially when youre going to be in the car for a long time. We used to do this when our kids were the 2 Qualifying purchases made using our affiliate links will earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. Plan for success! 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? This information might prove invaluable, especially in the event of an accident., Related:Ouch! Filling a thermos of coffee can be a time and money saver. Were definitely not experts in the potty training arena, but this potty training book has been super helpful with the potty training learning curve. Having realistic expectations of yourself, your spouse, your kids, and the amount of time everything takes can make for a much more relaxed and enjoyable road trip with your baby or toddler. Tip: Have an accessible place to put everyones shoes while driving. A common rule of thumb is that babies who cannot sit up on their own need to be taken out of their car seats every hour or two. Have a system for how you want to organize your toys, food, etc to keep them accessible. They use their ipads the whole time or watch movies. 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. Remove your kids shoes and winter or summer gear (sun hat, jacket, etc) and put them in a designated spot so you wont have to search out where theyve been tossed at each stop. Plan some activities when you stop to expend some of your childs energy. There are a few things we never start a road trip without! Now that weve gotten through potty training with our first child, we learned a few things potty training while traveling. Snack catcher Perfect for keeping snacks contained on the road. WebTraveling during your child's usual nap time can make your journey smoother, although you should take plenty of breaks for fresh air and stretching when he's awake. If you havent noticed the pattern yet, weve discovered that sleeping and eating are two super important elements to an easier road trip with a baby. You've no doubt taken the trip already, but for those looking for advice in the future, here's my two bits. Wed wake our baby, quickly feed them and change their diaper, then put them directly in the car in their PJs with a cozy blanket on top. If they are blissfully sleeping in the back, it may be your opportunity to keep on driving through to the next opportunity. Now speaking of food, snacks! Required fields are marked *. I do remember some late night drives where we would go until like midnight and carry them into a hotel. Its a great way to get several hours into your trip without too much fuss. (And if Im being completely honest, sometimes my favorite part about a toddler road trip is when theyre sleeping!). If you follow these tips and bring some great toddler road trip activities, hopefully your drive with your toddler will be smooth sailing! If this is not possible, be incredibly cautious of driving by yourself overtired; I know how hard it is to drive as a solo parent. Being trapped in a car with a toddler for an extended period of time might sound like some cruel form of torture. I like these reusable bags*. What to Do If Your Child Gets Sick of Injured on Vacation. If you do plan to drive at night, we recommend that instead of setting big goals on how far youll get, just pay attention to your body and pull over when needed. You never know if they might have an accident, get covered in food, fall in a mud puddle at a rest stop, etc. We have. These car seat trays are great for toddlers on a road trip because you can use the pockets to have activities accessible whenever they want them. Contents hide. Block the sun! Always have toilet paper on hand, especially if youre traveling with girls while potty training and need to make a roadside stop. In this grab bag, you want easy-to-locate items such as: You can never have enough wipes, tissues and cleaning equipment on a road trip with toddlers! In the summer months, parks and nature areas are perfect to get some fresh air and run around. This usually depends on the familys interest as some may want Flying or driving in the evening can have advantages, too. The key for a Think carrot sticks over that entire family sized bag of peanut m&ms you know youll power through at 2am. Its not everyones favourite method of road-tripping, but we certainly found the more we could drive when they were already sleepy, the quicker they fell asleep in their car seats. toddler trail mix (dried cereal, m&ms, raisins, Cheerios etc) These are great fun road trip snacks for kids! As your child gets older, itll become more important for them to burn off energy during a long car ride. Then give them a new bag every hour of the drive for on-going entertainment. One small overnight bag per person (pajamas, next days clothes). These are all great tips. 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. To avoid permanent stains on your car floor, its better to get durable waterproof car mats to protect your vehicles interior. Wed 100% recommend bringing a few of your toddlers favourite toys with them when tackling a road trip a lovie/cuddly toy for comfort, as well as a few more hands-on toys to keep hands busy. Heres a summary of some of the items we recommend to bring on a road trip with a toddler. See this post for ideas. Have a potty station in the vehicle. Our Master J decided just before our Jordan Road Trip where things like comfortable roadside stops and public toilets were NOT an option that he was adamantly ready to ditch the diapers! Being determined to reach X by a specific time will only make you all fractious. raisins. If your kids love Disney stories, youll find a wide selection of classic Disney stories on Audible.com. What I will say is, make their sleeping position as comfortable as possible in the car. Dont skimp on the small print when it comes to travelling with toddlers! See our full disclosure.). Basic first aid kit. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It can be tempting to reduce the amount of liquids your toddler is drinking to prevent frequent potty breaks, but this is not a good idea and can lead to dehydration. A picnic at a playground would work equally as well, just try to avoid If youre driving into their bedtime you can put them in their pajamas and read them a bedtime story or put on some soothing music. Join us to learn tips and tricks to making travel with kids a rewarding and enjoyable experience for the whole family! A full 8 hour road trip with kids is probably not the best way to See if the area youre visiting has a good playground app; try using our favorite road trip planning app, RoadTrippers, or simply rely on good old Google Maps! Family road trips can be either amazing or super stressful. But, like anything else, road trips with babies and toddlers get easier the more you take them - and weve taken A LOT. It can be a wet diaper or clothing discomfort thats troubling them or simply needing a hug from mum and dad. Such perfect and wise tips! This travel blanket is awesome because it is super compact and takes up hardly any room in its travel case, but its large and warm when open. 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. The Best Portable Toddler Beds for Travel! 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. Theyll continue to sleep for a while, allowing us to get in several hours of peaceful driving in before everyone is up. Weve spoken a lot about driving long legs here, but if youre new to the road-tripping game, slow it down. The best time for families to leave for a road trip is during the afternoon, when your baby is close to their regular afternoon nap/sleep. 7am. Just take a deep breath, use these tips, and go for it! But as you might know it, toddlers have a mind of their own. (We realized the hard way that our son couldnt have too much yogurt, milk, or other dairy products before a long car ride. 22 hours to get there, 20 hours on the way back (we were coming from my parents house in a different town initially). Travel blanket A blanket is a great item to bring to help your toddler get cozy for sleep in the car or to warm them up if its chilly. Travel Toys - weve got an entire post about low-cost road trip travel toys for babies, as well as one about low-cost travel toys for toddlers. For tips on planning road trip food and a list of great road trip meal and snack ideas, see this post. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Don't overdo it. And the only thing worse than a hangry toddler is one that youre stuck in the car with. This story is in paid partnership with AAA Mountain West Group, which services Northern CA, AZ, NV, UT, MT, WY, and AK. In the end, you have to decide what makes the most sense for your family and your trip. Or one larger duffel with everyones things included, but separated into large Ziplocs, mesh bags, or grocery bags. We've made the CT to FL trip many times, we leave CT at midnight and stay straight on I-95, we're through NYC, Philly, Baltimore, and DC all well before morning rush hour. Some food ideas for a road trip with babies are snacks that are good for distraction. Thanks! If you are looking for a more of the best American road trips, Lonely Planet also publishes a book called USAs Best Trips 51 Amazing Road Trips. Running through a version of the regular bedtime routine even while in the vehicle (books, songs, etc) can help trigger your little one to settle down. Its a waterproof mat that goes between the child and the car seat. When youre in the early stages of potty training, however, it will take a bit of practice. We always have water in. You can find a great one. 2. Regardless of your child's internal time clock, you can strategize to make trips more enjoyable for everyone. If theyve gotta go, theyve gotta go, but many kids are fearful of peeing without the comfort of a proper seat. If you have more time, you can also look for toddler-friendly attractions like aquariums or childrens museums to break up your drive in the colder weather. Contact Us, family, wild camping, budget travel, dispersed camping, kids, family, road trip, national parks, adventure, off-the-beaten-path camping and extended road trips. You prepare the bags in advance and fill them with a variety of activities or road trip toys for toddlers. Unless youre taking a long enough drive that warrants stopping overnight, taking a longer break in the middle of the drive usually works best for long drives with toddlers. You've even picked out the music that will act as the soundtrack to your adventure on the road. If your baby is not eating or sleeping in the car, they will likely need some form of mental stimulation. Id love to pretend we have NEVER used electronics in the car, but we have. banana bread. Its worthwhile to do some research and plan these stops in These include a fun And pack extra. Older toddlers may be ready for some more advanced activities like scavenger hunts, bingo and car counting. Your preference on driving at night or early in the morning and c.) The length of the car ride. Toddlers are constantly on the go, so it can be challenging for them to sit still for long periods of time. Plan for stops every one to three Their rapidly expanding little minds take it all in and they can get a lot from any adventure, at any age. Sleeping children meant my husband and I actually had uninterrupted conversations, which in our busy life is rare, and was much appreciated, says fellow night owl Corinne McDermott, a travel agent and founder of Have Baby Will Travel. Your email address will not be published. 2 Comfort items. OK, so I would never intentionally plan toilet training over a long road trip. Weve been there. Remember to clean out your vehicle of all unnecessary things before loading up! Its okay to leave them to their own devices and let them be bored, says Eileen Gunn, founder of FamiliesGo! Some even come with a handy tablet holder too. Organix range of toddler snacks. What to Do If Your Child Gets Sick of Injured on Vacation, Lydie Thomas splurges by giving her kids a few special treats they dont normally get like lunch at a fast-food restaurant or a little candy. 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. For overnight or early morning drives, have them stay in (or change into) PJs to get comfy. 1. If you feel a screen will pass a few hours, then theres no harm in having this as a reward for set periods of time or certain legs of your journey. Get expert advice, handpicked recommendations, and tips for your family all year round! In fact, years later, wet wipes are still my number one line of defence in the car! If youve had one long driving day, make the next day a rest day if you can, or a much shorter leg. 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. Knowing whether youre doing day time driving, night time driving, or some combination before packing up to go can be helpful (although, once on the road, your plans may change and thats ok!) Oh, this is tough. 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. For longer road trips (10-plus hours), its often easiest to leave in the middle of the night. Combating boredom with a number As much as we love to drive through when things seem to be going well, dont forget regular pee stops for you all, and all of the family will benefit from regularly stretching their legs. Chalk it all up to an experience. How To Keep Your Baby Happy In The Car Seat. Ask your child to figure out how much longer youll be on the road, Batkin says. Its, in fact, one great American road trip! Or we try to see if there are fun activities our kids will enjoy along our route, such as a childrens museum or park. Give them a stuffed animal or blanket they typically use at home. Important: While your baby is in a rear-facing car seat, be sure there is someone with them in the back seat while they eat.
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