Lovely Etc.

Creating home for less

  • DIY Decor
  • Furniture Flips
  • Upcycled
  • Printables
  • Shop
You are here: Home / Little Ones / Road Trip with a Toddler: A Survival Guide

Little Ones

Road Trip with a Toddler: A Survival Guide

  • Share
  • Tweet

“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Wet-Nap but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #showusyourmess http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

We did it!  We drove over 2,000 miles in 8 days with our 20 month old Griffin.  And not only did we live to tell the tale, we had a blast.

All of us.  Even the tiny boy trapped in his carseat!

Without using an ipad, portable DVD player, or any other electronics.  Seriously – little man didn’t watch a single movie the entire time. And we still had a great time. There’s proof – it can be done!

surviving a road trip with a toddler

So first of all, why did we drive so far?  The short answer is because we wanted to.  When I found out my husband was unexpectedly going to be able to take a week off from work, I wanted to do and see as much as possible.  While still getting in some time on the beach of course.  So we plotted a course from our home in Virginia to Charleston, SC to Cumberland Island, GA to St. Augustine, FL to Sanibel Island, FL and back.  It sounds like a lot I know, but we got to see some really amazing places we have been wanting to go for years.  Plus, all of those stops really broke up the loooonnnnggg drive to Florida – instead of driving 14 hours at once, we were able to break it down into four or five hour chunks.  Which is great when you are an adult and even better when you are a toddler.

vacation memories

Even so, I knew it was going to be tough on Griffin being in the car so long.  I thought carefully before we left about how to make the trip more enjoyable for him and in return more enjoyable for us as well.   These are my top tips for surviving and even loving a long road trip with a toddler.

Use sleep to your advantage

becah sleeping

The absolute best times for travelling are very early in the morning, during naptime, or late at night.  Nothing makes a long drive go by faster than sleeping through it.  The more you are able to drive while your toddler is sleeping, the easier the trip will be for everyone. Enough said.

Make frequent stops

playing ball at gas station

We tried to look at the whole trip as our vacation, not just the part at our destination.  Which meant doing what we could to make the ride enjoyable rather than just pushing to get to our next stop as quickly as possible.  A big part of this was stopping every couple of hours to get out and stretch, play, even run around.

Rest areas and welcome centers are definitely the best place to stop – you can’t beat a nice grassy patch for your toddler to run around.  But sometimes rest areas just don’t appear when you need them.  In those cases, we found gas stations could work just fine too.  The most important part is to let your toddler get out of their car seat and move around.  Griffin had tons of fun playing catch at the back of a gas station parking lot or even just standing in the front seat playing with the mirror.

 

Pack a few toys

I knew that Griffin was going to need something better to do other than stare out the window.  Especially since his carseat is still rear-facing so the poor guy can barely see out the window to begin with.  But of course we couldn’t pack up his whole toy arsenal.  So a few days before the trip, I set aside a few very small toys that he really likes and could play with in the car – a set of drumsticks, a few books, an egg shaker, a toy cell phone, a yellow squeeze toy and his beloved pinwheel.

 

road tripping with a toddler survival kit

I also put together a few other distractions.  I bought a small handheld fan from the dollar store which was a huge hit.  I made a glitter calm down bottle like this one for him to play with. I also picked up a pack of pom poms and put them into an old drink mix container.  Griffin had a blast emptying the container and then stuffing the pom poms back in.  Although, in retrospect this one is probably better left home.  It occupied him for a long time but always seemed to end with little pom poms all over the car.

 

pom pom fun

Pack some ‘grown up’ stuff

We all know that toddlers love random ‘grown up’ things way better than their actual toys.  (I mean seriously, a full roll of toilet paper is a toddler’s dream!).  So I also packed some old gift cards, a nonworking CD, a measuring cup, and an old cell phone.  He loved each and every one of these things.  Especially the measuring cup – go figure.

Pack snacks…lots of snacks

Every roadtrip needs snacks and lots of em.  Have plenty of snacks on hand for everyone in the car – you’ll prevent a lot of hangry passengers, plus you’ll save yourself from having to buy the way over-priced treats at gas stations along the way.  Fruit pouches, goldfish, graham crackers, animal crackers, Cheerios – anything easy to eat with your fingers.  And don’t forget to pack plenty of water and drinks too.

Be prepared for messes

wet nap

When you’re stuck in a car for hours, messes pile up quickly.  Trash accumulates, toys get thrown all over, and everyone mysteriously becomes sticky.  Wet-Naps were so handy to have to help combat this.  Whenever we stopped for gas, it was super easy to wash hands and faces without having to trek into the dirty gas station bathroom.  And I have to admit, they came in handy for me just as much as the toddler.  I, of course, am the only one whose soda exploded all over me when I opened it.  I was so glad we had a pack of Wet-Naps on hand.  I was really happy with how they dealt with all of our messes: they are softer, stronger, and even have aloe to help moisturize.  I found mine at Walmart in the napkin aisle.  Plus, bonus, you can click here for a coupon for .55 cents off. (Love a good coupon).

We had an Ah-mazing trip from start to finish.  But I will say, even though Griffin did excellent in the car, we did have a few toddler meltdowns during the vacation.

tantrum aftermath 2

This is what happens when you throw a tantrum in the middle of the beach and then get up and pretend nothing happened.  What can I say – that’s real life with a toddler.

So those are all of my best toddler travel tips – have any to add?

new signature

  • Share
  • Tweet


14 Comments

« Simple seashell shadowbox
Yard Sale Like a Pro: How to Find the Best Deals »

Comments

  1. Kim {Pinspired Home} says

    July 28, 2014 at 8:40 am

    I’m glad your trip went well! We did a 12-hour trip to Outer Banks with our then-18-month-old and successfully used a lot of the same tips. :) Stopping and playing at rest stops was key. Our little guy is a mover!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      July 28, 2014 at 4:30 pm

      I love the outer banks! I think that may be made favorite part of the coast! And stopping was definitely a key factor to keeping everyone happy.

      Reply
  2. [email protected] SillyPearl says

    August 1, 2014 at 2:42 pm

    Such beautiful pictures! Thanks for the tips as well. Some still apply to my girls (age 7).

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      August 1, 2014 at 5:49 pm

      Thanks Steph! I have a feeling we will be using some of these tips for quite awhile. Heck, some still apply to me! Especially the snacks. ;)

      Reply
  3. Vanessa Barker says

    August 1, 2014 at 5:02 pm

    Oh my gosh, that sand face picture is priceless! How cute. And thanks for the tips. We’re going on a road trip next weekend with a 3 and 4 year old, so these will come in handy.

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      August 1, 2014 at 5:49 pm

      I know! Funny little boy. Enjoy your trip!

      Reply
  4. Debbie refresh resytle says

    August 1, 2014 at 10:00 pm

    Great tips and what a fun trip!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      August 2, 2014 at 10:06 pm

      Thanks Debbie – it was amazing!

      Reply
  5. Claire @ A Little Claireification says

    August 2, 2014 at 5:12 pm

    Fantastic tips!! My boys are older now but you are right on with all of these! Especially the “prepare for messes” part. :)

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      August 2, 2014 at 10:04 pm

      Thanks Claire!

      Reply
  6. Maryann @ Domestically Speaking says

    August 2, 2014 at 10:46 pm

    What great tips! I remember those days when the kiddos were younger… lots of fun memories!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      August 3, 2014 at 9:39 am

      Thanks Maryann – definitely lots of fun memories…along with plenty of difficult moments as well!

      Reply
  7. Amy Anderson says

    August 3, 2014 at 6:07 am

    Great tips! Looks like you had an awesome vacation :D

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      August 3, 2014 at 9:39 am

      Thanks Amy! We definitely did!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Looking for Something?

  • About Lovely Etc.
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Shop

Thanks for stopping by Lovely Etc! While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of the information displayed on this website, Lovely Etc. makes no guarantees as to the procedures and information contained here. The publisher will not be liable for direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages in connection with the information displayed on lovelyetc.com. This website is not intended to substitute for advice from a professional.

Lovely Etc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316