Travel toys and tips for stress-free trips with tots.
We’ve got a plan. We just need more money and a little faith. (We’ll get to the travel toys in a minute… Or skip the journey for the destination using my handy-dandy table of contents.)
From our very first date, Nathan and I knew that a life filled with adventure was just over the horizon. And then… Kids. My argument for having them, while Nathan was reluctant, was one of “Both/And”. Why can’t we BOTH have children AND adventure?
Easier said than done, we know. Ultimately, we’ve got a plan to move onto a liveaboard sailboat. Literally decided on that within about the first half-hour of MEETING because of our crazy, kismet hearts. His childhood dream. My nautical tattoo. Anchors aweigh, me matey.
We knew that children would belay the plans a bit but relished the thought that a nomadic life full of adventure would be a gift for them. And us. Seeing the world through the fresh eyes of children would make the journey all the more robust. Right?
Enter OCD. Anxiety. Toddler tantrums. General inconvenience and expense of exposing our children to new experiences that they may not be old enough to remember later. The list of challenges and arguments against effort is comprehensive.
I guess it all comes down to the question of whether or not you think it’s worth it. Plain and simple.
Priority.
I’m here to tell you: travel with toddlers and preschoolers is HARD. But if you go into it prepared, patient, with managed expectations and an open mind, it is not only DOABLE but worthwhile and joyous. If you’re willing to lean into the pain, I’ve got some recommended travel toys, tools, and toys that will make it less painful.
Go on a journey with me.
And I Think It’s Gonna Be a Long, Long Time…
In the car. Road trip, anyone?
Nathan has had a dream of catching a SpaceX launch. We’re fortunate to be a WFH (work-from-home) family, and with his new job at Crate Entertainment (post-Survios), the flexibility is unmatched. So… We kinda caught a wild hair recently and decided to GO. FOR. IT. He could work in the car from his laptop for the AM. Frontload some of his hours the night before. No biggie.
Monday launch for Starship 7 gets scrubbed before we even hit the road. Convenient, but then shifting expectations for the day feels shitty. Mondays, amirite?
Wednesday. Scheduled, but due to weather conditions or whatever, scrubbed again. An hour into our trip down to South Padre to see it. Bleh. At least only an hour. We got some more Audible Good Inside in, at least. Stopped for Chick-Fil-A lunch for the babies, ’cause hey, we set that expectation. Try again tomorrow.
Finally, Thursday. January 16th. Do-or-die road trip. I’ve got an appointment Friday. If it gets rescheduled for tomorrow, can’t do it, babe. Now or never. At least everything has already been packed up for the three attempts we’ve made this week to see it.
The weather couldn’t be better. The sky is clear. The road beckons. South Padre SpaceX launch awaits. Let’s do it. (Hopefully.)
Only about 5 hours, one way. With two preschoolers. We can do this.
(The stakes are high here, people.)
Boomerang
Lots of launching and coming back this trip. Drive down and back. Starship launch AND catch. *Round of applause*. I’ll say this: we felt the moment was historical. We savored it. It was well-worth the drive and effort.
There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We saw every stage of the launch; then, we watched in awe as it came back down for its chopstick embrace. We were pulled over on the side of the highway, minutes from Port Isabel, surrounded by strangers (some who had traveled from OTHER COUNTRIES), just to take part in the majesty of the moment with our kids.
Everyone left the scene pretty quickly after the fact, but we took our time packing up. Due in part to the chilluns, but also just wanting to savor the payoff before the journey home. Lifetime achievement award box checked. Something insanely important on my husband’s list of must-have experiences, and we made it happen.
Wouldn’t have if we hadn’t have been willing to pay the price. Discomfort. Inconvenience. Expense.
All the more taxing with preschoolers. Not to mention, making this road trip attempt multiple times in a single week.
But y’know what Orson told us after the launch?
“My brain was so excited!” As he told us the story of the launch with his hands, sound effects, descriptive detail… Core memory material.
And guys, because we were so prepared for this road trip, not only was the destination memorable and spectacular, but the journey was also generally peaceful and tolerable.
These travel toys and tips will help you achieve the same goals we did.
Travel Tools and Toys for All the Joys
This is a compendium of all of the travel tools and toys we have personally used. Between camping weekends, airline travel (both of which we’ll talk about in greater detail another time), and road trips, we’ve found great success using these curated products and can confidently recommend them for anyone prioritizing the next, great, family escape.
Starting with travel tools… Not as fun, but gets the job done.
Diono Convertible Car Seats
This first one is a practical consideration. Comfortable, convertible, SAFE seats that will cradle your kiddo(s) from point A to B. These allow rear-facing for up to 50 pounds and can be used from the newborn stage to 10 years of age! Added bonus, if you have a compact sedan, these are slim-fit and can fit 3 seats across.
For the quality, safety specs, stylish colors, and long-lasting comfort, Diono is a TOP REC from us.
Washable Car Seat Liners
Even the potty-trained pro can have an accident from time to time. Especially during long stints in a motor vehicle. Stuck in traffic or no rest stops in sight when your tiny traveler gets the potty panic? It happens. Washable car seat liners provide the insurance you need.
Who wants to have to strip their car seats… AGAIN… at the end of an exhausting road trip because of one, minor accident?
Do you opt for convincing your child a diaper during road trips are special “travel pants”, trying not to risk a potty-training setback? And you may have back-up clothes for your child if committing to diaper-free, but do you have a back-up car seat? Me neither.
Thankfully, these Britax car seat liners are not only absorbent and washable, but they are also crash tested. Safe AND dry travels.
Car Seat Mirrors
These feel like a must-have for peace of mind. Really from the newborn stage until forward-facing, car seat mirrors serve so many purposes. I don’t need to reach back as far while the car is in motion to make sure my kiddos are all good. Safe for kids AND Mama.
Anybody choking on their cheesy bunnies? *Glance* Nope, but now I know that Nova’s snoozing, I’ll turn down Audible and let her rest. Orson’s asking for a different toy? One peek in the mirror, and I know the pass was complete.
Practical. Safe. Shatterproof. And fun, when we want to make silly faces at each other to pass the time.
Travel Trays
We actually have two sets of travel trays. One is for road trips, the other is for flights. I’ll say this: I love them. I recommend them. But, there are caveats to the love.
First of all, for the road trip trays:
We used these travel trays for our first family camping trip on a 5-hour road trip to South Padre Island.
They are sturdy, useful, and really fun. There’s plenty of space to spread out toys, magnetic puzzles, or coloring books. There’s a pocket for an iPad if you opt for screens in the car. These trays even have a dry-erase marker surface that Orson and Nova thoroughly enjoyed.
We used it. We loved it. BUT, there was frustration involved. These travel trays are PERFECTLY suited for forward-facing preschool passengers. Rear-facing presents some challenges. Things are more at an angle, can drop more easily, and it can actually end up feeling cumbersome/clunky.
Still, I do recommend them. And I’m excited to utilize them more when Orson and Nova switch to forward-facing. Bonus: they fold up easily, buckle together, and have a convenient carrying strap.
For flights, on the other hand, we’ve got some cute tray table covers. These are nifty in the way that they snap at the corners to provide a catch-all wall to prevent travel toys or snacks from falling. They ensure a hygienic snacking surface. And, if you so choose, you can use it as a pocket to hold an iPad for pre-downloaded cartoons and inflight entertainment.
Only drawback on these? Some flights are short enough that these just don’t seem as necessary. Longer flights? By all means.
Snack Packs
Snacks, snACKS, SNACKS!!! And more snacks! You’ll also need storage solutions for all of the snacks you’ll be bringing along. For toddlers and preschoolers, it seems, snacking doubles as entertainment. So you’ll need lots of snacks, lots of space for said snacks.
I recommend a tier-system of snacks.
Healthy, light, munchy options for general consumption. Nuts. Freeze-dried fruits galore. Grab-and-go fruit-and-veggie pouches. Whole-grain Cheerios.
Next, maybe some mid-tier, sweet-and-salty satisfiers like Annie’s Bunnies or whole-grain animal crackers.
Then, you’ve gotta have the DEFCON-3 level of snack preparedness. My go-to for high-risk, high-reward snackies are Black Forest gummies, Annie’s gummies, or artificial-dye-free Yum Earth treats, like Giggles. So tasty and vastly better than Skittles, IMHO.
So, for storage containers to hold your tot’s treats, I’ve got some kick-ass options, and really, you can’t miss with any of them.
GoBe snack spinners are essentially foodie fidget toys for kids. Load it up with healthy snacks, and let the littles go to town. Stashers are perfect for holding snack refills, backpack/lunchbox treats, or separate munchies for Mama and Papa. My kiddos particularly dig the Whiskware.
The Whiskware stackers makes it easy to tier-system the snacks, since each stackable, interlocking container holds a different amount. They’re also really cute with Disney, Harry Potter, and Star Wars designs!
We have used all three for our adventures, and can recommend each of them. Or even all of them. You’ll need that many snacks.
Compact Chairs
Cannot rave enough about these Moon Lence compact, ultralight camping chairs.
They take up hardly any cargo space at all. They’re great to take on road trips, beach visits, or camping overnights. Assembling them or folding them back up is EFFORTLESS. These chairs are breathable, minimalist, and super easy for our kiddos to climb up into unassisted as well.
Win, win, win all across the board. We actually tossed these in the trunk for our road trip down to South Padre SpaceX. Originally, we’d planned to set up at a nearby beach, but the crowds we saw on the side of the highway gave us pause.
We found an open spot on the side of the road, minutes outside of Port Isabel, with a clear, unobstructed view of Starship 7 about 5 miles out. How nice it was to set up our four, dainty-yet-durably sturdy Moon Lence chairs to catch the thrilling show!
Satisfying Storage
SIDIO crates are BUILT TO LAST! And made in the USA! I’m sure Nathan and I will go into more detail about these awesome crates when we share our camping recommendations, but these. are. incredible.
SIDIO crates offer versatile and customizable storage solutions. The crates themselves are hardy, resistant to cracks and dents, and simplify organizing road trip supplies impressively. They come with dividers for setting up whatever modular system of organization that best suits your particular needs.
For our road trips, and our limited trunk space, these are an absolute godsend for packing all of our travel essentials. No digging through a chaotic mess of crammed cargo when you know exactly where what you’re looking for is.
BATTERIES!
Seriously. DO NOT LET BATTERIES SLIP YOUR MIND.
ESPECIALLY when traveling with preschoolers whose favorite travel toys are battery-operated. We made that mistake exactly one time and never will again.
We’ve been satisfied with Amazon Basics value packs of batteries for fueling our travel toys.
I don’t know if they don’t pack AS much juice or if my children just blaze through them while on the road, but for the price, we don’t buy any others. These are BARGAIN batteries, and they get the job done.
Now, the joys of…
TRAVEL TOYS!!!
Leap Start Learning System
First up on my list of recommended travel toys is a WINNER in terms of educational entertainment value. Orson and Nova both got Leap Starts for Christmas this year, and it’s been a hit ever since.
Honestly, Nathan and I aren’t entirely sure what sorcery they use, but how the books function is super cool. Our preschoolers use the connected stylus to tap on pictures in these books, and receive audio feedback related to the specific picture they clicked. Doesn’t sound like rocket science, but the system is fun and impressive.
It’s educational and helps early readers with literacy and math, while offering a seemingly endless wealth of activities to choose from in each included book. And Leap Frog has a whole slew of additional booklets for your Leap Start library. This is a top-tier recommendation in terms of travel toys. A fan favorite that keeps mine occupied for hours!
Leap Frog Mr. Pencil’s Scribble, Write, & Read
Our Leap Start predecessor that frequently circulates back into use. Especially when Leap Start batteries start to run low. Like the Leap Start, Mr. Pencil is available in green or pink, and we are lucky enough to have one of each.
With the Scribble, Write, and Read, Mr. Pencil teaches preschoolers how to write their own names and all the letters of the alphabet, trace fun pictures, and read simple words.
It’s simple, but engaging, and Orson has really taken to practicing his letters on paper at home because of Mr. Pencil’s encouragement in the car. Highly recommend.
Travel MicroMags
Love, love, love these. Any fans of Magna-Tiles will need to add these to the menagerie.
These mini “MicroMags” come in a magnetic, tin case. Perfect for travel! And perfect for little girls like Nova who love to collect little, tiny things. Orson and Nova had so much fun, before and after the launch, building mini-Starships of their own.
These compact magnet tiles are easy enough to store away, and make great travel toys for the road, camping, flights, or mid-travel break activities for simple, engaging entertainment.
Magnetic Puzzles
I’ll get to my caveat for these in a moment… However, magnetic puzzles, in my experience, are one of the BEST travel toys that I can recommend.
For in-flight entertainment. For in-tent(s) camping fun. Orson will choose his magnetic puzzles over an iPad movie any day of the week. Just fair warning. Be prepared to go hunting for countless puzzle pieces wedged under car seats and cushions if you pull these out in transit on the road.
Been there, done that.
I’m sharing my story, so that you can avoid my pain. You’re welcome. Otherwise, as I said, in terms of travel toys, the cutesy options for preschoolers’ magnetic puzzles are pretty much limitless, and they are soooo fun! Must get!
Melissa & Doug Water Wow Books
I blame it on Orson’s OCD.
These books are amazing. And I think, in most circumstances, could last longer. But Orson, during our South Padre camping trip, when I first introduced him to the Melissa & Doug Water Wow books, painted the pages again and again and again so many times, they started shredding apart!
Needless to say, my kids love them. Deeply. Passionately. OBSESSIVELY. For better or for worse. And, still, in spite of needing to redirect and encourage Orson to different activities from time to time, I love the intense, MESS-FREE engagement and entertainment these books offer my kids.
Etch-a-Sketch
Now we kickin’ it old school. An absolute CLASSIC.
Glancing through Orson’s room for travel toys to pack up, the Etch-a-Sketch catches my eye. Why WOULDN’T it make a great, analog activity for the road? I love when trusting my intuition pays off.
Orson and Nova took turns passing this one back and forth, off and on, during the course of our trip. When they were hankering for a quiet, low-stim, meditative pastime, the Etch-a-Sketch really fit the bill like no other.
Calming, peaceful doodling that advances a preschooler’s dexterity and fine-motor skills? I call that a win.
Quest Companions
Nova’s go-to will forever be her baby, Mr. Fox. She and Mr. Fox have been attached at the hip since her birth, and she never leaves home without him. A road trip would prove no different.
In case you’re wondering, Ford Fusion Hybrids are pretty much worthless when it comes to space efficiency. So, space is tight. Still, when it comes to cuddly stuffies and quest companions, they absolutely make the list of travel toys and we make room.
Does your tiny traveler need a cuddle buddy to make road trips and car naps that much cozier and comfortable? GUND toys are a great place to start for cute, cozy, squishy, soft, lovey stuffies. They even have their own available versions of Mr. Fox (since they’re the brand that bought Yoee out…)
Orson tends to pal around with his pink “Mr. Kitty” and Darth Vader. Also, great cuddly contenders.
Drawing Tablets
Last, but not least of the travel toys, simple LCD drawing tablets absolutely need to be in your adventure activity tote. They are inexpensive, long-lasting, durable, and QUIET. My only major recommendation here is to make sure you get one (or some) with ATTACHED stylus pens. Not the thing you want to be hunting for when your kiddo inevitably drops it.
Doodle with the pen, clear the screen with a button click and start again. Even simpler than the Etch-a-Sketch! Orson and Nova’s LCD AstroDraw tablets even have the alphabet and numbers textured on the back for practice tracing. Check it out!
Travel Tips for All the Trips
In training up our tiny travelers, combined with all of the travel tools and toys, these tips I’ll share with you have helped make our adventures as smooth sailing as possible.
I’ll start with the obvious…
SNACKS!!!
Pack more than you think you need. If it’s overkill, GREAT!
I always pack enough for what I think the kids will actually snack on for the trip. A little extra just in case Nathan and I get desperately snacky. AND a little more extra. In the unlikely event that we get a flat tire or into an accident or stranded on the side of the road for any stretch of time, I can be rest assured that the situation won’t be made worse by empty bellies and hangriness.
Honestly, you should see my backpack and suitcase when we FLY somewhere, much less road trip. Snacky cravings be satisfied every time.
Research & PLAN for LOTS of Stops!
Leading up to the trip, as long as it’s not LITERALLY last second (with preschoolers, God have mercy on your soul), R.E.S.P.E.C.T. some research and forethought.
It takes minutes and a little Google Maps action to find halfway points. Quarter-way points. There’s a handy little feature that even lets you “add stops” along your route. Take advantage of low-hanging fruit resources.
You might have to do a little more thorough sleuthing if you’re trying to find, say, restaurants WITH playgrounds, but it doesn’t take that much extra time. And it saves you so much time in the long run when you aren’t trying to spontaneously find a place to rest wherever you might find yourself and your restless, grumpy children.
Extra Time… As Much As You Can Afford
More than you think you’ll actually need. If it were just Nathan and myself, we’d power through. Drive 5 hours straight, watch the launch, hit the head. Then, hit the road to head straight back. It’d be maybe 11 hours.
With our preschoolers, what should only take 11 hours round-trip stretches into 15+ hours. For good reason.
You absolutely have to bake in time for potty breaks, for starters. But nobody likes being stuck in a car for hours at a time. You expect toddlers and preschoolers to have more patience than an adult? Even if you do get them every one of the best travel toys on the list, that only carries you so far.
So… Time for potty breaks. Time for play breaks. And then, there’s time for food breaks. If you’re lucky, and follow this advice, you’ve done your research and found restaurants WITH play structures ahead of time. Because it saves time. But it still takes a. lot. of. time. More than you might expect.
So, especially if you’re on a deadline like we were (hour-long launch window starting at 4 PM), give yourself all of that extra time. You won’t be just sitting and waiting anywhere for too long, I assure you.
Manage Expectations & Attitude
This advice is as much a reminder for myself as it is a tip for you.
Hold it all LOOSELY.
During our trip to see the Starship 7 launch, even leaving as early as we did, we still felt like time would end up being tight to get there before 4 PM.
We had stopped for a lunch break halfway through at the Corpus Christi Chick-Fil-A. It was one we’d patronized before and chose it specifically because of the awesome indoor play zone it touted for tots.
Orson and Nova had already been promised that during our stop here, they’d get precious playtime to get some wiggles out. It was busy, since it did line up with noonday lunchtime, and inconveniently, Orson had an accident in the car as we were arriving. So, time lost to orders and clothing changes and bathroom visits….
Stressors accumulating.
It was tempting to just drop the playtime in our rush. But it felt so unfair, so unjust to them to rob an experience they’d been looking forward to as well. We compromised and let them run amok on the play structure for about 5-10 minutes.
Had we white-knuckled, given into apprehension and stress, for a deadline that might be scrubbed anyway for all we knew, and didn’t honor our word, we all would’ve felt far worse. Maybe unpopular opinion, but even if my kids will get over something, I don’t want to set a precedent in any way that I’m untrustworthy.
I say all that to say, maintain flexibility. Enjoy EVERY moment of the adventure, not JUST the destination. It truly isn’t as much of a platitude as it sounds like. Attitude and managed expectations matter. There’s so little we actually have control over, so let go what you can and just enjoy the time together as best you can.
Even when things don’t work out perfectly. In our case, we still showed up on time to see our launch in our amazing Moon Lence chairs.
Bonus story about attitude.
We decide to grab a bite to eat at Cracker Barrel in Harlingen, TX for dinner before the remaining part of the journey home (about 7:30 PM and we’ve got 4 hours to drive). Another potentially unpopular opinion? Did not enjoy. CB isn’t my favorite in general, but this fell far below the subpar meals I’ve come to expect from this chain.
Anyway, minutes after being seated, Orson reaches across the table to show Nova the RIGHT WAY to trace-by-number and accidentally knocked a glass oil lamp off of the table. Shattered to pieces. I stood up, anticipating what was coming, and picked up my son as the meltdown started to carry him outside for a minute.
He was absolutely devastated. And completely exhausted. His body visibly relaxed when I assured him he wasn’t in trouble. “It was an accident,” he sniffled. Hugs. Deep breaths. Went back in and ate the terrible food without any further drama or incident.
Had I let my own embarrassment or exhaustion or a bad attitude cloud my judgment and empathy, I wouldn’t have been able to let Orson borrow my calm and come back to Earth. Expectation: we’re all going to be tired. There might be some big emotions. (There were after the bad food, certainly).
Managed expectations paired with positive attitude and consistent calm, come what may. That is what makes the journey successful.
Back-Up Clothes
Preschoolers, amirite?
Accidents happen. And it doesn’t just have to be potty-related. Road trips can be rife with spills, thrills, vomity ills. Yes, this implies that you need back-up clothes for not only your child, but if you’re extra-prepared, heaven-forbid the need arises, you’ll also have at least a back-up top to change into for yourself.
And lots of WaterWipes for lots and lots of messes. Potty, puke, stickiness, and crumbs. I don’t see an end to the need for WaterWipes. And the XL Waterwipes for “on-the-go bathing” are a legit road trip staple.
Last note here, and it’s a must-remember. Take along some plastic shopping bags, puppy-poop bags, any other sort of disposable (or EASILY washable) method of biohazard containment. Dealers choice. Hopefully, you’ll just use them for travel trash, but a top tip that pays off if you’ve got a spewing kid or two.
Drugs
As a dormant RN, I’d be remiss if I didn’t address this.
PACK DRUGS.
Ahem, let me clarify: assuming you, or anyone in your family does not already take important, scheduled medications (’cause OBVIOUSLY pack those), make sure to at least pack the just-in-case PRNS (aka “take as needed”). The hope is you don’t use them.
But, if you need a particular medicine, it would suck to have to buy a new bottle (again, assuming there’s a convenience store or pharmacy nearby when you need said med) when you know you’re fully stocked up at home.
I’m talking allergy meds, like Diphenydramine, Claritin, or Zyrtec. Texas allergies, you can kiss it. Some clean Genexa alternatives to Pepto and Tylenol. Dramamine if your kiddos get carsick. That’d be rough on a road trip… Bless you.
And definitely, whatever you do, don’t forget the Ibuprofen. (Unless your doctor has told you not to take it)…
With this list of travel toys, tips, tools, I’m trying to save you all the headaches. But better safe than sorry.
Good luck. Godspeed.
Happy adventures to you and your tiny travelers.