Toddler Road Trip Must Haves
How We Survived a 6.5-Hour Road Trip With Toddlers
Let’s be real—taking toddlers on a road trip is not for the faint of heart. But after recently surviving a six and a half hour journey with our two- and four-year-olds, I’m here to tell you: it is possible, and dare I say… not completely miserable? The key? Preparation. And lots of it.
Here’s everything we packed (and loved) to keep our tiny humans entertained, happy, and relatively meltdown-free in the car.
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🚗 The MVP: A Car Seat Travel Tray
If you only take one thing from this list, let it be this. Our travel tray was an absolute lifesaver. It gave our kids a flat surface to color, play, and organize their activities—plus it kept all the small items from rolling under the seat every five seconds. Total game-changer.
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🎨 Activity #1: Melissa & Doug Sticker WOW!
These are my favorite kind of toy: mess-free and educational. They offer some subtle learning (hello, sticker placement and counting!), but really, it’s the 30 minutes of peace and quiet that won me over. My four-year-old gets into the “lesson” part while my two-year-old just loves sticking stickers everywhere—and I’m not mad about it.
Link for Melissa & Doug Sticker WOW!
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🖍️ Activity #2: Crayola Mess-Free Coloring
Bless Crayola for these magical markers that look invisible until they hit the special paper. No marker-covered car seats, no ink-stained fingers—just pure coloring joy. The kids happily colored right on their travel trays, and I didn’t have to stress about the mess.
Link for Crayola Mess-Free Coloring Set
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💧 Activity #3: Melissa & Doug Water WOW!
Another solid hit. Just a quick tip: fill the brushes with water before you leave. Trust me, trying to do this in a moving vehicle is asking for wet pants and cranky toddlers. Once filled, they’re easy, fun, and totally reusable. The hidden images reveal like magic, which was very exciting for both kids.
Link for Meslissa & Doug Water WOW!
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🧲 Activity #4: Magnetic Drawing Board & LCD Drawing Pad
My son was obsessed with the magnetic drawing board (swipe, draw, repeat), and my daughter loved her rainbow LCD drawing pad. Both are screen-free, reusable, and kept them busy without needing more supplies. Plus, they’re easy to stash when not in use.
Link for Travel Magnetic Drawing Board
Link for Rainbow LCD Drawing Pad
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🍱 Snack Hack: Tackle Box Treats
I packed each child a “snack tackle box” with a variety of small, toddler-friendly snacks in each compartment. This not only satisfied their never-ending hunger but also doubled as entertainment—seriously, opening and closing those little lids is a full activity.
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🥪 Lunch on the Go: PB&J with a Twist
We kept it simple with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made using our crustless sandwich maker. Not only are they easier for little hands to manage, but they stay together better, which means less of a mess (and fewer backseat cries for “fix it!”).
Link for Crustless Sandwich Maker
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😴 Nap Time = Quiet Time
Miraculously, after snacks and a few rounds of activities, they passed out for naps in their car seats. PRAISE.
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📱 Screen Time Save: Amazon Tablets
For the final stretch, we busted out the Amazon tablets and let them watch movies. Tip: Download everything ahead of time! Disney+ and Prime Video let you download content so you don’t need Wi-Fi on the road. We also used corded, volume-limiting headphones that protect their little ears and stay comfy.
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🎧 Toddler-Friendly Headphones
These are a must for car entertainment. We used corded ones with a volume limit, which gave us peace of mind and kept the kids happy (and quiet). Everyone wins.
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All in all, the road trip was surprisingly manageable. Were there a few meltdowns? Sure. But with a little prep and a lot of snacks, we actually had a great time.
What are your go-to road trip essentials for little ones? I’d love to hear your favorite travel tips—drop them in the comments! 💬👇
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Happy travels, mama. You’ve got this. 🧳✨
Snack Tackle Box
