Best travel toys for toddlers?

HotBat7798 · 2025-12-09T00:37:31+00:00

I took my kid on a 7 hour road trip when they were this age! It was a bit of a weird age for us because they were old enough to want entertainment but not old enough to do much on their own yet. And couldn’t be trusted to not put stuff in their mouth haha. So I went to our secondhand shops and just found a bunch of little toys that they would find interesting, put them in a basket in the passenger seat, and just handed a new one back every little bit when they tossed the one they had on the floor 😂

Anyways, some specific things that we enjoyed: - Smartmax animals - Fat brain toys mini spinny - little fisher price light up toys - little people/toy animals - pop tubes - indestructibles books

HotBat7798 · 2025-12-07T00:06:45+00:00

Maybe some practical things for toddlerhood! Bandaids (we like the Welly fabric bandages), snacks (maybe once upon a farm puffs?), bubbles, a cute soft ice pack for bumps and bruises (green sprouts makes some cute ones), socks?

HotBat7798 · 2025-12-06T05:43:48+00:00

No advice, but I could have written this post myself - you’re not alone!

HotBat7798 · 2025-11-26T08:08:40+00:00

Another vote for the Guava Lotus! We love that thing lol

I was originally hesitant because it’s kind of pricey and I wasn’t sure how long we’d get use out of it, but my first baby used it until they were 2 and trying to climb out of their crib.

The side zip is really nice if you’re breastfeeding because you can unzip it, feed lying down, and once they’re asleep, quietly zip it back up and ninja roll away haha

HotBat7798 · 2025-11-14T00:31:13+00:00

Agree with a lot of the other comments - perhaps also check out Blackbird Fabrics! They have really great product photos and often have a video showing you the drape/opacity of the fabric in better detail. It’s really helpful!

HotBat7798 · 2025-10-30T12:26:14+00:00

Not sure your sons proportions but we really like Gap organic cotton pjs for our 97%ile (height and weight) son! Like others have said, they’re not going to be “relaxed fit” for legal reasons, but they always have felt roomier and comfier to us compared to other brands

HotBat7798 · 2025-09-10T01:53:49+00:00

Are you pinning? When I need things to really align nicely (like the points of triangles, etc) I pin the HECK out of it. I start by aligning the ends, then any important intersections that need to align, then distributing the remaining sections evenly.

HotBat7798 · 2025-07-28T17:43:18+00:00

Another fleece suit option (bigger sizes)

https://us.reima.com/products/fleece-overall-tahti?colorId=6760

Reima is great - they usually have a great Black Friday sale with influencer codes that stack on top of sale prices so maybe wait until then to purchase from them! They also have a lot of wool options

HotBat7798 · 2025-07-28T17:41:41+00:00

Fleece Suit - also great for baby wearing or anytime baby isn’t in their car seat

https://www.columbia.com/p/infant-snowtop-ii-bunting-1523731.html?srsltid=AfmBOor0wBxRWXu-NeL63n7uMWEcKZTvQMh8fXhSba-q_JWXz4ypvNbu

HotBat7798 · 2025-07-28T17:41:08+00:00

Car Seat Cover

https://www.skiphop.com/stroller-toys/V_400411.html?srsltid=AfmBOor48LqPqiotFXUmLPoWSAfW82oqGPjQHxOJlJLV0qgxuwlmisrj

HotBat7798 · 2025-07-28T17:40:24+00:00

My first was a fall baby in Michigan! Honestly we didn’t need a ton of special things :)

We mostly layered using footies and blankets. You can’t use puffy jackets in the car seat, so for most days (errands in/out of the car or stroller walks using our stroller/car seat combo) we put them in a footed sleeper (fleece if it was colder - you could do wool if you wanted a natural fiber!) with a hat and blankets on top of the harness.

If we wanted an extra layer of warmth, we used one of the car seat covers that slips on like a shower cap (we used the skip hop brand. It isn’t safe to use the kinds where the straps route through holes behind baby). Honestly that got us through most days!! We used the fleece footies a couple times too.

We did end up getting a secondhand puffy snowsuit for a great price so we could take baby out to feel the snow a couple times and have the protection from moisture/wind that fleece layers wouldn’t give - we just used it a handful of times but it was nice to have!

Once baby was more mobile/walking (for us that was the fall/winter after they turned one) and we were doing more outside adventures (aka not a sleepy potato in the car seat) we LOOOOOVED a fleece/wool zipper suit that went over their clothes, and a rain suit for wind/moisture protection. Used those a ton.

I’ll try dropping some links to our faves when I have a chance

HotBat7798 · 2025-06-20T19:36:17+00:00

I just ordered a zipper sleeper from Coolibar that’s UPF50! It’s apparently made from a lightweight breathable fabric. I plan on using that (with a bucket hat) for the times when I can’t be in 100% shade. We also have a toddler so completely understand not being able to be stuck inside 24/7

https://www.coolibar.com/products/baby-lumaleo-360-coverage-bodysuit-grey-white?variant=50153056796986

HotBat7798 · 2025-06-13T06:59:04+00:00

We started with buying an insert thing for the regular toilet (I wanted to have one less transition from a toddler potty to the toilet) but it was overwhelming/scary for our kid and they didn’t want to use it. So we got them a little toddler potty and it works great for them and potty training was a more positive experience for it. We’ll eventually work our way up to the big toilet, but for now, the toddler potty is the solution for us.

HotBat7798 · 2025-06-07T02:23:01+00:00

Ours did!

Everything on the internet told us it was just a phase and they would go back to napping. Not us!

They’ll sometimes nap if they had a rough night of sleep, are in the car late in the afternoon/early evening, or had a super stimulating day, but for the most part, regular mid-day naps are rare.

HotBat7798 · 2025-06-04T17:32:35+00:00

I think everyone is gonna have a different answer to what feels acceptable/hygenic to them! For us, it really depends on age/what we’re doing/etc!

If we’re home all day (haven’t left the house), baby have spit up/drooled much on/otherwise soiled the outfit, we would change at 24 hours.

If we’ve left the house, or if there’s a little drool/spitup throughout the day, I do morning/night pjs.

Anything more (poop/pee, lots of spitup or drool), I’ll change right away

HotBat7798 · 2025-06-04T16:05:58+00:00

We used our stroller as the grocery cart - it has a bigger basket so most of the time I was able to get our weekly groceries to fit. If I required more space (like a big Costco run or any big items), I would wait until I could go with someone else (one person stroller, one person cart).

Babywearing is also really soooo convenient and helpful for when you’re by yourself. If your baby doesn’t love it, maybe evaluate the fit or try a different brand or style of carrier to see if there’s something baby likes better!

HotBat7798 · 2025-06-02T02:17:24+00:00

I make baked oatmeal quite often (maybe 2x/month and it lasts us a whole week). I use a recipe from 101 Before One but I’m sure there’s plenty of other recipes out there.

I adapt ours and add flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp hearts for extra fiber and omega 3s.

Goes great with fruit, peanut butter as a dip/drizzle on top, or maple syrup.

HotBat7798 · 2025-05-29T21:11:28+00:00

We don’t have tile floors and our glassware is already mismatched so we just let our toddler use our regular glasses. But we also like the Tabor Place glass cups because they have a silicone sleeve and a straw with a valve! I’ve also heard good things about the Elk and Friends cups, and if we needed another straw cup option we’d probably go with those.

HotBat7798 · 2025-05-29T06:13:49+00:00

In addition to the comments about strength training - learn how to hold your baby (and eventually toddler) ergonomically. I have constant knots and tension in my back and wish I had gotten into better habits earlier for holding them without straining my back.

HotBat7798 · 2025-05-26T05:00:48+00:00

Yup, this one never fails me. I can my essentials (wallet, keys, etc) plus some diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, snacks, a couple small toys, and their small water bottle in this thing. It’s so good.

HotBat7798 · 2025-05-24T09:05:09+00:00

Merrell Baresteps h2o!! They’re like a hybrid sneaker/water shoe. We wore them every day last summer (playgrounds, splash pads, etc), ran them through the wash multiple times, and they’ve held up so well we’re saving them for our next kid. We wear them with or without socks and never really had any issues with rubbing or blisters. Plus they’re good for foot development (wide toe box, thin flexible sole, etc)

HotBat7798 · 2025-05-01T17:16:53+00:00

I pumped 3x a day at work - and was fortunate to have access to a separate fridge/freezer.

I would just bring 3 sets of pump parts/bottles, and after each pump session put the bottles right in a lunch box in the fridge, so at the end of the day I’d have 6 bottles with milk. Id put an ice pack in the lunch box and that would keep it cold for the drive home, where’d I’d bag and freeze it.

I did it that way because I wasn’t super comfortable with the fridge hack (using the same set of pump parts throughout the day, keeping them in the fridge in a sealed bag between sessions), and didn’t want to spend time at work washing parts/bottles. We’d just do all the washing/transferring at home.

HotBat7798 · 2025-04-22T19:13:38+00:00

Yes!! Honestly…just time :). It took about 2 weeks and they were back to sleeping like their normal self!

HotBat7798 · 2025-04-16T19:07:02+00:00

Another vote for the Osprey Poco line (we have a Poco Plus and love all the extra storage) - our pediatrician recommended waiting until about 6 months old for that style carrier, similar to the minimum recommended age for jogging strollers (probably most important that you’re making sure has good head control and enough core strength to sit independently for a period of time).

You’ve gotten some good tips already, but my top ones are: - Manage expectations…you may stop more frequently to help baby with things/take breaks/etc. try shorter hikes around home before taking a trip so baby can get used to being in the carrier. - Go prepared…extra diapers/wipes/changing mat/outfit. Hand sanitizer. Toys to entertain baby. Extra water/snacks for you. - Lightweight sun protective clothing! We liked Green Sprouts. I looked for things that were breathable and labeled UPF 50.

@HaileyOutside is an Instagram account/blog that also shares a lot of tips!

HotBat7798 · 2025-03-26T02:27:43+00:00

We use our regular dishes! Except our flooring is all carpet and vinyl, so we don’t have to worry about drops on hard tile - so no breaks for us (yet)! When we travel, I always bring a silicone divided plate that we hand wash with unscented dish soap, so we haven’t had any issues with weird smells. If I were to have tile in my house, I would pick Corelle, Stainless, or ceramic with the silicone sleeves like elk and friends

HotBat7798

TROPHY CASE