Tips to Surviving Road Trips with Toddlers

Going on road trips with toddlers can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right planning and preparation, road trips with your little ones can actually be quite enjoyable! From packing snacks to entertaining them in the car, there are plenty of ways to make sure that everyone has a safe and fun road trip. Here are some tips for surviving road trips with toddlers so that you can enjoy your journey without any stress that I’ve learned from dozens of road trips with our toddler. So if you’re ready for an adventure with your children in tow, let’s get started with a few of the best road trip tips with toddlers!!

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Start Small

toddler on a road trip playing a game on his tablet to pass the time.

Road trips with toddlers can be a great way to bond and make memories. But they do require some extra planning and preparation. One of the best ways to ensure that you have a successful road trip is to start small. Make your first road trip shorter before moving on to longer journeys.

This approach allows everyone in the family time to adjust, while also allowing parents to test out their strategies for keeping little kids occupied during long drives. Everyone will get used to being on the road together without too much pressure or stress. Starting with shorter road trips will help you build up confidence as well as provide valuable insight into what works for your own family when it comes time for longer road trips!

Drive at the Right Times

Picking the right time of day to start your drive may be the most important decision you make the entire road trip. There are so many factors to consider like nap times, normal day routine, avoiding rush hour, etc. Depending on what typically works best for your child the best times to leave are usually in the evening to drive through the night, early morning soon after they wake up, or right before nap time. Your total travel time may influence when you leave especially the greater the distance.

Sit in the Back Seat

The best way to make a long road trip more manageable is by having an adult or older child sit in the backseat with your toddler. This not only provides extra support on long drives but also gives you another set of hands to help keep them entertained during the trip. If anything gets dropped or thrown the adult can pick it up. If your toddler wants snacks or needs help to eat their meals being in the back makes it easy to help out without turning around all the time. And if they are trying to fall asleep it can be helpful to have an adult that can rub the toddler’s hand or cheek, hum a small song, etc.

The older your child is, the less this will be necessary.

Pack (the Right) Snacks for Road Trips with Toddlers

One of the best things to make sure your road trips with toddlers goes smoothly is by bringing plenty of snacks. Bringing along a variety of snacks will help please even the pickiest toddler. You can offer healthy options like fruits, vegetables, and nuts for those looking for something nutritious and it’s also a great way to keep them from getting overstimulated. Or you can let them choose a fun snack at the gas station to make it extra special. With plenty of tasty travel snacks on hand, your car rides with toddlers can be smooth sailing!

Plan Some Toddler Friendly Stops

Traveling with toddlers has its unique challenges, and a long car ride is no exception. Long hours of being stuck in the car can be difficult for kids, so it’s important to plan some toddler-friendly stops along the way. With proper planning, road trips with toddlers don’t have to be stressful and you can even make them fun! If you can, try to find rest stops or gas stations with parks for your toddler to play on. If you have the time, consider stopping at a fun roadside attraction or tourist-y activity that will hold their interest. Planning ahead will ensure that your road trip is enjoyable for everyone involved and that your toddler has plenty of opportunities to keep busy during the drive.

Be Active During Rest Stops

No matter where you stop on a road trip, even if it is just a gas station, find ways to be active. Make sure everyone gets out of the car and walks around. Make up a small game to run around like racing to different objects around the outside of the store. Being as active as possible during your brief stops will help make the long hours of sitting easier for everyone.

Try to take plenty of stops but kids can handle long stretches in the car especially at the beginning of the drive. Car travel wears on everyone but there will be plenty of stops between potty breaks, gas stops and stops to grab more road trip snacks.

Pack the Right Activities for Toddlers on Road Trips

To really make the time fly by I find it important to have the right activities on hand in the car during a long car trip. This may vary from child to child based on their interests and attention span but these toddler toys for road trips always come with us.

I like to start with activities that don’t involve screens first because in our experience, once the screens come out, they don’t go away again easily. Some of the best car activities for a long trip are simple. I like to bring a small stack of books to read as well as small figurine toys he can play with. Then I bring some puzzles like a buckle toy or the quiet activity book. Sometimes new toys hold their attention longer than toys they see a lot. You can either purchase a few small toys from the dollar store or target dollar spot or hide a few toys a week or so in advance so that they are new on the car trip.

As I mentioned before, we bring tons of snacks on road trips. From healthy snacks to fun junk food that they don’t get to eat all the time. Snacks and meals definitely count as an activity in my book because it takes time to pick the right snack, get it out and eat it while talking to each other.

Bring Spill Proof Water Bottles (for Everyone)

Make sure you are staying hydrated as you drive by bringing along a water bottle for everyone in the car. And I highly recommend making sure they are ALL spill-proof. I am sure you probably already have a sippy cup or water bottle for your toddler that is spill-proof that you use on the go. It is a good idea for everyone else to have one too. Spills and wet car seats are a hassle to deal with and get uncomfortable after long periods of time. So don’t mess around with lidless drinks or bottles that spill if they are tipped over. There is a lot of movement and jostling as people get in and out of the car and toddler hands touch everything so even older kids and adults are safer having a water bottle with a lid.

A young boy getting ready to head out on a road trip.

Audio Entertainment

Another great way to pass the time for kids and adults alike is audiobooks, music, and podcasts. Playing kids’ favorite songs and getting them dancing can be a ton of fun. And did you know they make audiobooks and podcasts specifically for kids!?! Even for kids as young as toddlers. I had no idea. The podcast “Circle Round” was recommended to me but if you have any favorites please share them in the comments!

I recently learned about Tonies and Yoto players which are audiobook devices that young children can control themselves! This is on my list of travel toys to try on our next road trip. They sound perfect for long car rides, short trips around town, or even quiet time at home.

Shop Supplies for Your Next Road Trip with Toddlers:

Bring Baby Wipes

Toddlers = messes. Make sure you come prepared with plenty of napkins and wipes so that you can make it through the entire drive somewhat clean. Nothing is worse than a sticky car from who knows what!

Have a Trash Bag

Having a designated place to put all the trash will help so much with containing the mess of a car trip. Then when your kiddo finishes a snack they know where to put the trash. Then it doesn’t end up on the floor and when the road trip is over (or in the middle) you can toss the bag of trash all at once. I find that small plastic bags from the grocery store work great and pack small so you can bring several.

Eat in a Bib During Meals When Road Tripping with Toddlers

If you’re like us then using a bib at meal times has become less and less frequent as your toddler gets better at eating. In the car seat, however, I still like to use one especially during meals. It won’t catch all the crumbs but it helps, it prevents spills and it keeps their clothes somewhat clean. You never know when the perfectly timed bump in the road will make your kiddo spill everything.

Bring a Big Towel

A big towel has a lot of uses, it may surprise you. It can be used for a picnic lunch on the go if you decide to stop and eat. In a pinch, it can be used as a blanket if someone forgot theirs or gets their blanket dirty. It can help clean up messes and spills. You can lay it over a kid’s lap to use as a bib. And for emergency on-the-go diaper changes it can be used as a changing pad! These are just a few examples I thought of. There are probably even more potential uses you can think of too.

Ziplock Bags

Whenever we travel anywhere by car or by plane I bring along a couple of gallon-size zip lock bags. They are perfect for storing clothes from a blowout which inevitably happens on travel days. There is nothing worse than a blowout and not having the supplies to deal with it. This way I don’t have to throw the clothes away, the smell stays contained and I can deal with the mess later. Then you can simply pull out a change of clothes and continue on your way.

A Tablet

After all the activities I mentioned previously have lost their appeal, we break out the tablet for screen time. We feel a little screen time is not the end of the world. Plus there are limited options when strapped to a chair. A couple of your favorite movies and theirs is a fun way to pass the time, even for younger toddlers.

I preload our iPad with movies and games that are age appropriate and I know they’ll love. My two year old little guy currently loves Moana, Cars, Lilo & Stich plus a little game called: . Those kept him occupied for hours once we started them.

Use Your Bedtime Routine in the Evening

If you are driving or arriving past bedtime and hope to get young kids to sleep then try using a modified version of your sleep routine in the evening to help signal sleep to their little bodies. We do the same thing on long-haul flights and it works well. This could involve a wipe bath, changing them into pj’s, reading a book or two, singing a nighttime song, etc. Then leave them be for a little while so that they can fall asleep without distractions.

It is normal if younger children get tired after their normal bedtime. Just like us, the added distractions in the car, the extra light from the windows, and potentially not being able to get comfortable in their chair can make sleep harder.

Be Prepared for an Emergency

When road-tripping with toddlers, it is important to be prepared for any emergency. Having a first aid kit, jumper cables, spare tire, and other essential items can help ensure that you are ready for anything that might come up on your road trip. It is also important to have a plan in case of an emergency. It can be helpful to know where the nearest hospital or service station is located. Being prepared will give you peace of mind and allow you to enjoy the road trip without having to worry about unexpected issues arising along the way.

Practice makes Perfect

When you start going on road trips with toddlers practice makes perfect. Everything may not go perfectly on the first try. Or you may forget their favorite toy and experience a meltdown on the road.

We had been on multiple road trips but were about to head out on our longest trip yet at 18 hours in one day. We decided to try leaving at night instead of in the morning like we normally do. Turns out, for our child, that was the worst thing we could have done. He did not fall asleep as we hoped and he cried or screamed on and off for HOURS. It was a very long drive.

We have learned from that mistake and now we pick other times to leave that work better for us. It may work well for your child to leave at night and sleep through the night! You’ll only learn through trial and error over time what works best for you. Start with small drives of a few hours and build up to a full-blown road trip if you need to!

Road Trips with Toddlers

Taking road trips with toddlers can be a fun and exciting experience for the whole family. By following some of these tips, you will have a smoother journey and your toddler may even enjoy it! Be sure to practice beforehand with shorter drives so that you know what works best for your child when traveling away from home. Have plenty of activities on hand to keep them entertained during the drive, as well as snacks and drinks in case they get hungry or thirsty along the way. Most importantly, make the journey part of the fun instead of something to be endured and toddlers will follow suit. With careful preparation and planning ahead, road trips with toddlers don’t have to be overwhelming. They can be a good time and an enjoyable adventure!

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