Travelling with Toddlers: Strategies for Stress-Free Adventures

Travelling with toddlers is always an adventure! While you are enjoying and exploring places as a family, having a toddler around can add to new challenges that require preparation and careful consideration. Whether you are taking a flight or a road trip, if your toddler’s needs are fulfilled, you’ll have a smooth journey. In this article, let us check out some amazing tips and tricks to make your travel more enjoyable and manageable with your toddler.

Travelling With Infant Checklist 

The first and foremost step for hassle-free travel is making a travel checklist and carrying the right travel essentials for infants.  Travel with an infant checklist is a must to keep your child busy and comfortable. Make sure you have the below-mentioned articles during your trip:

• Travel Toys: Carry child-friendly toys that are quiet and compact. Storybooks, social toys or newly released toys that keep the toddler engaged and entertained. 
• Comfort Stuff: A soft toy or a soft-cozy blanket can provide a comfortable feel to your child during travel.

Diaper Bag: Diapers, wipes, rash cream, and an extra pair of clothes are a must before you begin your journey.

Finger Foods: Baby snacks like crackers, fruits, or cereal minimise the risk of mess during travel and keep the toddler occupied when awake.

1. Be Mindful Of Their Schedule

Try to maintain your toddler’s routine as far as possible. Their nap times and meal time schedules, if managed properly during travel, can further add ease to your travel. 

Naptime Travel Plans: Plan longer legs of your trip during baby nap times and let your child sleep peacefully while you carry on your journey.

Frequent Breaks: When you are driving yourself during road trips, make sure to make frequent stops. This trick can let your child burn off some energy, preventing crankiness. 

2. Stay Engaged Until It’s Time To Buckle Up 

The real travel challenge is managing the toddlers during wait times. Whether you are at the airport, train station or at a rest stop during a road trip, you need to occupy your toddler to pass that wait time. 

Story Telling: Keep handy a few of your toddlers favourite storybooks, that you can read out and engage them with during wait hours.

Screen time; but with limits: Screen time rules are always flexible when travelling, as compared to the usual routine. Downloaded children's movies or educational apps can help engage the toddlers, avoid Internet disturbances. 

Playway activities: Simple anytime, anywhere games like “I spy with my little eye”, superhero toys or simple colouring books can keep the toddler occupied for sometime.

3. It’s Alright To Go Against The Rules

No Rules— It’s Okay! The key to a smoother travel is flexibility. At times it is easy to break our rules and allow the toddler more screen time or an extra treat to make them peaceful when travelling.

Flexible rules: The goal of almost every trip is relaxation. Some extra treat or add on screen time isn’t going to disrupt your child’s routine forever.

Surprise Gifts: Always be ready to give a joyous surprise to your toddler to make them occupied during travel. This may include a snack of their choice, or small kids toys as children’s gifts you had saved for such occasions. 

4) Newly Released Toy

A very effective way while travelling with your toddler is presenting a newly released toy to them. A new toy can attract the child and keep them busy for long. Let us check out three excellent reasons for getting a new toy:

A surprise element: A new toy provides an element of surprise, adding excitement and engagement for your toddler. This lessens the parents’ travel stress as well.

1. Promotes Imagination: Whatever may be the toy– either action figure toy or social toy, it engages the child with their new friend as they use their imagination and creative thinking.

Maintaining Calmness: The new toy can serve as a positive distraction, bringing calmness during travel whenever the child feels restless.

5) Finger Foods

A very important snack that you should not forget to include in your travel with infant checklist is “finger foods”. Toddlers love to nibble on finger foods, and are also easy to carry, and less messy.

Mess-Free: Finger snacks that don't require bowls or cutlery like fruit slices and crackers are best options while travelling.

Variety: A mix of snacks with different colours and sizes always add to the child’s excitement and fun.

Energy Boost: Travels can be hectic for children, especially longer ones. Nutritious finger foods that keep your toddler’s energy levels up, should always be on your travel checklist.

6) Carry Travel Compatible Toys

Toys are the best things to keep children occupied during travels. But make sure to carry multifunctional and compact toys that are handy, purposeful and easy to carry with our other load of baggage. 

Quiet Toys: Dolls, or action figure toys that don’t make noise can be good play options when journeying in a flight or train. 

Books: Puzzle books, and drawing pads can be great for keeping your child occupied for long.

Creative toys: Building blocks or magnetic drawing boards engage the children for longer duration as they offer problem-solving opportunities.

7) Tasting Different Foods

Travel and food go hand in hand. Exploring new food joints and cuisines is an integral part of travel diaries. And trying new foods can be exciting not just for parents, but for your toddler as well. 

• Usual with new: Along with their familiar food like fries or fruits, you can encourage them to taste something new when travelling. 

Finger Foods: Easy to hold food like local bread sticks or regional fruits slices can be great options for offering your toddler.

No Compulsion Food: If your child isn’t ready to try a new meal, it’s absolutely okay. Don’t push them! They might try some other time seeing you relishing the same food.

Conclusion

Travelling with your toddler can be an exciting venture. The key is to just relax and not stress out! Don’t forget your infant travel essentials and travel compatible toys to make your child feel at ease and keep them occupied for longer hours. Snooplay offers you a wide range of travel-friendly toys like action and toy figures, a Space Shuttle With Launchpad Busy Board, unicorn writing slate, travel essentials, and many more to keep your child merry during travels. Planning, flexibility, and patience are all that you need to make your trip an enjoyable experience. 

So when are you planning your next trip with your family? Check out Snooplay’s collection today, to select your kid’s favourite travel companion for your next adventure. And don’t forget to refer to this checklist for a happy trip for you, your toddler, and your family. 

Happy travelling.  

FAQs: 

1. How can I keep my toddler entertained during long trips?

Keeping your toddler occupied with travel compatible toys, storybooks, or interactive toys is the best way to pass their time. Also be ready with some downloaded videos like stories and rhymes for them, whenever required. 

2. What essentials should I pack for travelling with a toddler? 

Comfort articles like soft blankets, toys, diapers, a pair of extra clothes, and easy snacks are a must. 

3. What should I do if my toddler gets motion sickness?

Always carry a stock of light snacks and water for your toddler when on go. Motion sickness is quite common in infants. Always keep medication handy (as directed by your paediatrician) and position your toddler in a way that they easily can look out of the window. This is helpful to distract them from the uneasiness. Also carry storybooks or picture books to further divert their attention. 

4. How can I encourage my toddler to try new foods when travelling?

Finger foods are always the best way to introduce something new to your toddler. You can set an example tasting the food first and then offering it to your toddler. This will increase the child’s willingness to try something new.