Road tripping with a toddler is not for the faint of heart. As a family, we have spent hundreds of hours in the car, many of which have just been me and the kids, so I am sharing my best tips for taking a road trip with a toddler.
In this post I’m covering everything from the best toys and snacks to bring, how to go to the bathroom when you’re alone, to the best times to leave on your road trip, and more.
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Toys/Activities
My first tip for taking a road trip with a toddler is to bring plenty of quality entertainment for them. I will definitely let my toddler watch a show on a long drive, but we always do some other activities first. And much of the time, I won’t even need to bust out the IPad because these toddler-friendly activities keep him entertained so long.
Yoto Audio Player
This is a screen free audio player that plays different books, music, or games depending on which card is inserted. There are hundreds of different audio cards to choose from so your little one will have endless options. This little cube has drastically decreased the amount of tv my toddler watches and keeps him occupied the longest on our road trips.
You can plug headphones into it and these are our favorite toddler headphones!
Mini Magnetic Blocks
These magnetic blocks are lightweight and small and perfect for traveling. My toddler spends endless amounts of time configuring them into different shapes. I picked up a little case for them from the Target dollar spot but any case will work. Just be careful if you have babies as there are some tiny magnets inside if they were to break.
Water Wow Coloring Pad
I have loved these coloring pads for years. You fill the little pen with water and use it to “paint” on the coloring pad. When it dries, the colors disappear so it can be used over and over again. There are dozens of different scenes so if your little one is into princesses, dragons, construction vehicles, animals, or something else, there is something for them.
Books
Books are the second thing that keep my toddler busiest the longest (the Yoto Player being the first). I will keep books out of his regular rotation so when he gets them on the road trip they are new and fun. We also like to check out books from the library before a road trip. I just make sure we leave them in the car so they don’t get lost.
If you have a toddler that is more prone to ripping up books when not supervised, board books are a great option!
Here is a compilation of some of my toddler’s favorite road trip books.
Snacks
Having good snacks is vital to keeping any toddler happy, especially when they are confined to their car seat. I like to have a good mix of nourishing snacks as well as fun treats.
One of my favorite ways to give my toddler snacks is in his Bentgo Lunchbox. It seals so the snacks stay fresh and it’s compartmentalized making it fun and exciting for him to eat out of.
Snack Ideas
- Cheese sticks/cheese cubes
- Pepperoni
- Crackers
- Dried cereal
- Pretzels
- Graham crackers
- Raisins
- Sliced pears*
- Peeled cuties
- Blueberries*
- Fruit/yogurt pouches*
- Granola bar
- Muffins
*Can be a messy snack for young kids
Timing
There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing what time of day to leave for your road trip: How long of a drive it is, when you want to arrive, if/when your toddler naps, if you have other obligations. I am going to share the pros and cons of leaving at the different times of the day.
Leaving in the Morning
I rarely leave for a road trip in the morning. I only do if it’s going to take us all day or I can’t leave the day before but need to be at my destination by a certain time. I would rather give my toddler a chance to get some energy out before getting in the car.
The only exception is if we are leaving really early, like 4:00 am early. That’s a good time because my toddler is likely to fall back asleep early and sleep at the beginning of the drive.
Leaving in the Afternoon
I love leaving in the afternoon, specifically right before (or an hour before) my nap time. It is perfect because my toddler will read or listen to a book and then fall asleep for a couple of hours. Then when he wakes up, he can eat some snacks and go back to playing with toys.
Leaving at Night
I am a huge fan of driving through the night. I don’t recommend this if you are driving alone as it’s best to trade off driving in case you get tired. I’m also a night owl and don’t mind staying up late. We usually leave an hour or two before the kids bedtime and they will sleep for pretty much the whole drive. There is also little traffic to deal with.
There are a few downsides to this, however. Depending on how long your drive is, you may get to your destination in the middle of the night and have to wake up your toddler and then try to get them back to sleep in a new place. You also may be really tired the next day so depending on plans, this can be kind of miserable.
I have talked to my pediatrician about my kids being in the car seat for this extended period of time and she said it was totally fine but please talk to yours if you have any concerns. (I don’t recommend this for young babies)
Bathroom Breaks
Before I went on a road trip by myself with my kids, I wondered what the best way to go to the bathroom was, especially with multiples. There’s a couple options I’m going to talk about:
Gas Stations/Rest Stops
These are obviously the most common places to go to the bathroom when on the road. It’s a great stop to grab a snack if you need a pick me up as well. However, it is a pain to bring kids in and keep them from touching the dirty surfaces. Also having to hold a baby on your lap while going to the bathroom is not a lot of fun.
I am also wary of every place I stop when traveling alone with my kids and sometimes out of the way gas stations make me feel a little too unnerved.
Side of the Road
Often times when I’m driving alone with my kids, I will just pull off on the side of the road and will quickly go in the dirt (*and this is just for pee). I pull off at an exit or somewhere where there is no traffic but it works great! It’s quick and I’m on the road within 2 minutes. If you do this, just be sure to bring a ziplock or something to put your used toilet paper in. Or you can use a bandana (this is what I do most often and when I’m backpacking). You don’t want to leave any garbage on the side of the road.
Emergency Supplies
Whenever we are traveling a long distance, I like to be prepared with some extra gear in case of an emergency or delay.
- Jackery Power Station: We use this to charge our phones, our toddler’s Ipad, and plug in the sound machine if we decide to use it.
- Car Battery Jump Starter: This is a device that will jump start your car so you don’t need to have another car to do so.
- Extra clothing layers (in the winter): I always want to make sure we will be warm in case our car breaks down in the colder temperatures. A jacket for everyone is important as well as gloves for me/my husband if we have to do anything outside.
- First Aid Kit: I just have a basic one but you never know when a bandaid will come in handy
- Toilet Paper: This is for those pull off the side of the road to use the bathroom moments.
- Flashlight/Headlamp: If you get stranded at night, you may need some light to change a tire or check out the engine.
- Basic Tools
*For an extensive list and how I organize all of this, check out this video.
Bonus Tips for Taking a Road Trip with a Toddler
Make sure you won’t need to stop once your toddler falls asleep. The last thing you want to do is have to stop for a bathroom break or fill up with gas when you finally get your little one to sleep. So be sure you have everything you need done including having snacks for yourself within reach.
Make pit stops. I am someone who just wants to get to our destination. But stopping every 2-3 hours really does make the trip more enjoyable. Let you little one run around and do some stretching yourself.
Download multiple forms of entertainment for yourself. I love having something to listen to once my toddler is asleep. I’m a huge fan of audiobooks, personally, but sometimes it’s nice to switch between that, music, and a podcast. It helps me stay awake a little longer. I use the app Libby to get free audio books from my local library.
Download the GasBuddy app. I have had this app for years and it just shows the gas prices in whatever area you are searching. I will look up gas prices in the area I plan on stopping so I don’t stop at a random gas station that is $1 a gallon more than a station just down the street. It saves me so much money.
If you enjoyed these tips for taking a road trip with a toddler and are wanting to read more about traveling with kids, check out these posts!
My son is two years old, so I wanted to know what I should keep in mind when traveling with him since I can’t leave him alone at home when I go on a business trip next week so I’m bringing him with me. It was a helpful tip when you told us to keep good snacks to keep the toddler happy while they are confined to their car seat as long as we make sure we give them a good mix of nourishing snacks and fun treats. I’ll take note of this while I look for where I can read up on toddler travel advice soon before our trip next week.
I’m glad it was helpful!
Fantastic guide! Road trips with toddlers can be challenging, but your tips make it easier. Thanks for sharing your expertise!