Our 15 must haves for traveling with children under 3 are items that Kayla personally uses with her mini adventurer and loves. Whether you are driving or flying, take these items with you to make traveling a breeze.
The great news about most of these items is that you will want to incorporate them into your everyday life. So they won’t be things just laying in a closet collecting dust while you wait for your next trip to roll around!
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Diaper Bag
When you’re traveling with a baby, you need a bag that has lots of pockets, can hold a ton, and is a backpack so that your hands can be free. If it’s cute, that’s always a bonus! The Itzy Ritzy Boss Backpack Diaper Bag ticks all of these boxes and more. It has So. Many. Nifty. Compartments. The main pockets are huge and can fit so many items! It also comes with a changing pad that can easily be tucked into its designated zippered compartment, stroller clips, 2 external insulated bottle pockets, and rubber feet on the bottom to keep the bag from tipping or getting too dirty. The icing on the cake is that all of the color combinations are gorgeous.
Don’t let the price tag scare you. It is an investment, but this bag will last you for years. Kayla has had hers for 2 years and it still looks brand new. When your baby has grown into a toddler, the changing pad area makes an excellent storage space for a tablet and the bottle pockets are big enough to hold sippy cups. This is the only diaper bag you’ll ever need to buy!
Travel Stroller
Kayla took her little one to Scotland when she was 10 months old. She loved her rose gold Peg Perego travel system but wanted a compact stroller for the trip that could fit into an overhead compartment. She ended up buying the Ergobaby Metro+ stroller and loved it so much, she got rid of her everyday stroller! Two years later, this stroller has so far endured 15 flights, 6 countries, 7 trips to Disney World, countless domestic trips, a cruise, and is their official everyday use stroller as well – and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down any time soon!
We love that this stroller has a full recline so little ones can lay down flat for naps, a sun shade that provides ample coverage, a pocket in the back for storage, and a spacious basket underneath. It easily folds into a little cube that fits into overhead compartments and has a handle for carrying.
Stroller Cover
No matter what kind of stroller you have, you need a stroller cover. The lightweight covers keep your baby protected from the rain and wind (and coughs and sneezes during sick season). A lot of stroller companies make ones that are fitted for their strollers, like the Ergobaby Weather Shield. However, you can usually save money by buying a Universal Stroller Rain Cover (under $10 at the time of writing this post!) and still get a good quality product that gets the job done. Your baby will be able to still see everything going on around them, and they have mesh areas that keep fresh air flowing under the cover.
On countless occasions, we’ve seen parents huddled under awnings “waiting out the rain” at Disney World because they have ponchos for themselves but nothing to cover the stroller. Invest in a stroller cover ahead of time. They fold flat for storing in the stroller basket and barely weigh anything! Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!
Toddler Car Seat Tray Table
Toddlers are busy. They always want to be doing something. This means at any given time while you are driving down the road, there are usually 100 toys and books floating around in your backseat, the tablet is probably jussst out of reach to be able to grab from the driver’s seat, and the sippy cup is lost yet again.
*The Kensley Kids Travel Tray For Car Seats has entered the chat*
This handy activity tray is fantastic for long car rides. It fits across your child’s lap when they are in their carseat, giving them a flat surface to play or color and pockets to hold all of their things! There is even a clear pocket for easy tablet watching. Whenever you want to put it away, the tray table folds flat! Gone are the days of you blindly swiping around to find whatever has been dropped in the backseat. With this tray table, everything will stay organized and within your child’s grasp! We haven’t used it outside the car yet, but it is advertised to also be usable on trains and planes.
Linking Rings
If you are traveling with a baby who has just discovered that every time they drop something you will pick it up, you might be busy playing goalie the whole time you are on your flight or in the car. And if you have ever dropped something on an airplane, you know how fun it is to curl up like a shrimp and try to look for something in the very limited space you have. With the help of linking rings, you won’t have to worry about your baby dropping something on the nasty floor and then sticking it in their mouth (and you won’t have to curl up like a shrimp to find it!).
Simply make a little chain that is long enough for your child to play with the attached toy but short enough that if they drop it, it won’t touch the floor. The linking rings can be transferred to your child’s stroller when you arrive at your destination. Bring a few different options of clip on toys to lessen the chance of your baby getting bored. Kayla usually attaches her linking rings to the seatbelt area when flying.
Kids Tablet
Kayla bought the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Tablet just before her daughter’s 2nd birthday. It was a huge hit and is a life saver on travel days! Since her daughter is only allowed to use it on trips, it is especially good at keeping her entertained. With the tablet, you can download all sorts of fun educational games for your children as well as their favorite TV shows and Youtube videos. There are parental controls where you can filter content based on your child’s age. It also comes with a kid-proof case to prevent damage if dropped and a 2 year warranty.
Inflatable Foot Rest
You may be thinking, Why does my child need an inflatable foot rest? It’s not for their feet (or yours but that’s an added bonus). It’s for sleeping on planes! While it can be quite uncomfortable for adults to get some rest on planes, that doesn’t have to be the case for children!
Once you’re in the air, you can blow up a footrest so that it is level with your child’s seat. Throw a blanket over it and the seat for extra comfort, and voila! You have a little bed for your child to lay flat and sleep. Sound too good to be true? It’s not! Kayla’s daughter slept the whole flight to Scotland at 10 months laying on an inflatable footrest (Delta Airlines), again when she flew to England when she was just shy of 2 (Air Canada), and she took a lengthy nap on it for both return flights!
Check with your airline’s policy regarding inflatable foot rests before traveling. Many do not have a problem with them, but a few do. Foot rests cannot be inflated until after takeoff and ascent is complete. They must be stowed away before the landing process begins. The footrest featured here comes with a little bag it will fit into when deflated. This bag will easily fit into the main compartment of the Itzy Ritzy Diaper Backpack featured at the top of this post.
Electric Nail Trimmer
Babies’ fingernails grow SO. FAST. Even when you’re just going away on a weekend trip, you’ll probably need to cut their nails. Using traditional nail clippers can be incredibly stressful when trying to give your baby or toddler a trim. With the Fansidi Electric Nail Clippers for Babies, it can be a completely smooth and stress-free process though!
This product is essentially the world’s tiniest sander. When you switch it on, the sanding pad whirs in a circle and you can file down your little one’s nails. The best part? Even if it hits their finger, it won’t cause them any pain or leave a scratch! It is “whisper quiet”, so your baby will stay asleep as you file their nails or if you use it for your toddler, they can happily watch TV without distraction while you file away. The carrying case comes with multiple sandpaper attachments that are color coded depending on your child’s age. There are even some for adults included!
Colorful Doodle Board
The Orsen LCD Writing Tablet is a slim 10 inch doodle board that comes with a stylus pen. When the pen touches the board, it leaves a colorful trace! This is a good option for travel because it hardly takes up any space and is light as a feather. It will keep your children entertained on travel days and in restaurants as you wait for your food to arrive (which can seem like an eternity to a toddler!). If your toddler gets tired of drawing, parents can use it to draw pictures, shapes, and letters for their children to guess. This is one of Kayla’s daughter’s favorite games!
Stroller Fan
When you have trips planned to sunny locations, a stroller fan is a fantastic way to keep your little one cool and happy. Our favorite is the Amacool Stroller Fan. It has flexible octopus-esque legs that can bend to fit around numerous types of lap bars and handle bars or you can move them to a tripod position to sit on a table. Your baby will be happy as a lark with the cool breeze blowing on them in sunny weather. Kayla has also whipped it out on planes when it starts getting a little too hot before takeoff and for hot summer nights in Europe when staying in places without air conditioning.
Toddler Headphones
The headphones they give out on planes aren’t usually suitable for small children, and it can be difficult for them to hear their tablets over the sound of the plane engines. We recommend buying a pair of kid friendly headphones like the Gorsun Kids Headphones. These headphones are padded for comfort and have built in safety technology to keep volume within a safe decibel for children. They also fold up for easier traveling and have a tangle-free elastic cable!
Diaper Rash Spray
Did you know that they now make diaper rash SPRAY so you don’t have to get cream all over your hands and touch your child’s bum? And it really works! After trying multiple brands, the Boogie Brand hands down won for being the most similar to traditional diaper cream. While other brands were runny and did not spray evenly, the Boogie brand sprays in a nice even layer with a thick coating. It also has a safety lock so if your child grabs it, they can’t spray it.
If your little one is still in diapers or pull-ups, they will be more prone to diaper rash on travel days. This is because whether you are flying or driving, they will be sitting for longer periods of time and there may be fewer opportunities than usual for changing them. Have some diaper rash spray on hand so your little one does not have any discomfort and you don’t have to get your hands dirty! Kayla swears by the Boogie Brand Diaper Rash Spray and gifts it to all the new moms that she knows. She also loves their saline infused Boogie Wipes – great for wiping snotty noses and grimy hands without causing irritation!
Potty Training Toilet
You might be dreading traveling with a child who is potty training, but it is doable! One of the best potty training hacks for road trips is to travel with a potty training toilet in your trunk or back of your SUV. Then whenever your little one has to go, you don’t have to waste any time trying to find a suitable place. Just pull over on the side of the road or into the nearest parking space, pop your trunk, and the toilet is right there!
Kayla used the Ingenuity My Size Potty Pro when potty training her daughter. It does not take up much room, is easy to maneuver around as needed, and has a little compartment on the back to store wipes. Her little one loves that if you push the handle it sounds like a real toilet flushing. Kayla recommends lining the toilet with a plastic bag before they go. You can use the Arm & Hammer Diaper Bags to minimize smells or a grocery bag will also work. This greatly reduces the amount of cleanup you have to deal with!
Travel Crib
These days, a lot of places offer pack and plays or cribs. But then you have to worry about if it meets your standards, if it’s properly cleaned after each use, if it’s safe, if sheets are included, etc. Some places may not offer sleeping accommodations for little ones at all. For these reasons, Kayla broke down and bought the Guava Lotus Travel Crib after seeing it recommended in several travel groups online.
This travel crib lives up to the hype! It unfolds in seconds, is spacious, has a comfortable mat, and has a backpack carrying case that will pass as a carry-on item on most airlines. It is nice to have the option of letting your child get acquainted with the crib before you go on your trip. The crib also makes for a wonderful fort, and some folks even take theirs to the beach so their babies have a safe place to sleep and play.
Activity Packs
Activity packs are a great form of entertainment to bring on trips. Kayla’s daughter loves the ones listed below, and Kayla does too because they are generally mess free, self contained, and take up practically no space at all.
- Imagine Ink Coloring Book Sets – Come with a magic marker that only works on the Imagine Ink coloring books. So you won’t have to worry about marker getting all over everything! There are a TON of different themes to choose from.
- Grab and Go Packs – Themed activity packs in a ziplock-style bag that include stickers, a mini coloring book, and crayons. These hardly take up any space at all and children under 3 will enjoy being able to open the bag themselves to discover what’s inside. Amazon doesn’t have the best selection, but Target usually always has these in their value section for $1 per pack.
- Reusable Sticker Book – These fun sticker books typically come with a portable handle, and the foldout “case” serves as a backdrop setting to use your stickers. Since the stickers are reusable, you can use these time and time again throughout your trips.
- Sensory Busy Board Book – These busy board books make learning fun! They are designed to improve fine motor skills, dexterity, and hand eye coordination. The sensory books come in a soft sided zippered pouch, and each page is loaded with activities that will keep your child entertained for hours.
Let us know in the comments below what you think about our Must Haves For Traveling With Children Under 3! We would love to hear if you have any additional recommendations!
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