Like many first-time mamas, when it came to bracing myself for my first travels with baby, I armed myself with allllll the things. I’d be up nights leading up to take-off just adding things to my amazon cart. (It sure is scary how easy it is to spend on Amazon). I swore I’d only take a few things, cause, you now, “those who travel happy, travel light.” Instead, I ended up lugging around a slew of things I did not need, but thought I did. I just wanted to be absolutely certain my toddler had enough travel activities to keep him entertained! Rather than having just enough, I ended up with a Mary Poppins bag full of stuff. I mean, the bag had so much stuff that I could barely find anything because it was packed so tightly.
Ironically, what I found myself repeating over an over when the baby was unhappy was, “somebody, please, get him a non-toy.” Babies and young toddlers, oddly, very often prefer things that are not toys and are not specifically intended for them. Goodness me, how much money we’d all save in the first 1-2 years of their lives if we really took that to heart.
Believe me when I say, some of the biggest hits with little mr. man in his first 18 months of life were things that we already had around the house or could easily grab on the-go. So for those who want to travel super light, here are my most accessible, no extra cost baby activities that take up minimal or no extra space. If that’s not a travel win, I don’t know what is.
9 Toddler Travel Activities You Already Have
- Post it notes
- Tissue/Wrapping Paper
- Tin Foil
- Keys
- Empty to go-cup with straw
- Zipper
- Cheap Sunglasses
- Bubble Gum
- Recyclables
Why I packed each item…
Post Its: A poor man’s stickers. Stick ‘em on the window, stick ‘em on the tray table, stick ‘em on Dad’s nose. Entertainment galore.
Tissue/Wrapping Paper: Rip ‘em, scrunch ‘em, toss ‘em. Repeat. Think it gets boring? Think again!
Tin Foil: Shape these into all kinds of different forms. Balls. Hearts. Circles. Ropes. Let your imagination run free…
Keys: Jingle jangle! Christmas comes year round when you bust these suckers out. Babies. Love. Keys.
Empty To-Go Cup: When you inevitably hit Starbucks, ask for an extra empty water cup with lid and straw. Pulling the straw in and out of the hole is great tiny human fun. Fill with ice for sensory play. Get a few. Now, you also have a stacking game on your hands. Bam!
Zipper: Wear a hoodie (which can also double for a game of peek-a-boo) with a zipper, or bring a zippered purse. Zipping is another great way to pass the time.
Cheap Sunglasses: As much as babies notoriously get weary of strangers in sunglasses, they love to mess around with a pair. Just make sure it’s a cheap pair.
Bubble Gum: Obviously for your consumption, not babies. But your bubble blowing? And popping? Baby will happily consume that entertainment.
Recyclables: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Never have I seen this prove to be more true than when I’ve finished off a water bottle or snack bar. Offer the empty bottle or shiny wrapper to your little one and watch the magic (hopefully) unfold.
If you aren’t quite brave enough to be that minimalist, you really don’t have to look any further than the dollar store for some back-up. These ideas will cost you only a few bucks and very little space.
5 Toddler Travel Activities for a Dollar or Less!
- Toy Car and/or Dino
- Travel Etch-a-sketch
- Gel Window Clings
- Balloons
- Slinky
Why I packed each item…
Toy Car and/or Dino: Cars can “drive” around on seatbelts, tray tables, and up and down arms. Get a few; the back-and-forth goes over well. Dinos will provide similar fun.
Travel Etch-A-Sketch: They scribble. You draw. Both of you erase. Rinse and repeat.
Gel Window Clings: Something a little more interesting than the ‘ol post-its to stick on and peel off of the window. Or not. Ya never know! They might just still prefer the “non-toy” variation. I’ve had success with both.
Balloons: These take up next to no travel space, are fun to watch you blow up, and become an on-the-go ball of sorts. As it turns out, balloons are also great for sensory play.
Slinky: They are colorful and move about in a unique way that is different from other things. There is much discovery to be found with the ol’ slinky.
Now, if you’re STILL feeling like you just can’t sleep at night unless you make a few Amazon purchases, here are some of what I’ve found to be winning items.
6 Toddler Travel Activities on Amazon
- Books (flap, textured, or scrunch)
- Finger Puppets
- Fat Brain Toys
- Wonder Wheel
- Rattle
- Magnet Game
Why I packed each item…
Flip/Crinkle/Texture Books: Educational, quiet, and engaging. The interactive factor of flip books bumps this up a notch from regular books. Texture books and scrunch books are also fantastic.
Finger Puppets: On-the-go puppet show? Bring out your inner entertainer with these, and if your little one is old enough, you can slide one onto two tiny fingers so they can be both the entertainer and the entertainee.
Fat Brain Toys: These guys make a few toys that really nail your travel needs. My favorites include Dimple baby “push and pop” toy (colors and cause-and-effect in one toy), MiniSpinny (also colorful and kinda mesmorizing), and Pop-and-Slide Shelly (a bit bulkier, but great colors and pop).
Wonder Wheel: This is great to plonk onto a tray table or on a restaurant table and have baby spin away.
Rattle: A bit of “musical” entertainment that’ll blend in with the white noise on planes or in cars without disturbing your neighbors. I like the Oball Kids Shaker as it has holes for tiny fingers to grip easily.
Magnet Game: Magnets are just fun, and a magnet game will develop those fine motor skills. Just watch your little one get attracted. Literally.
In Conclusion…
In the end, all babies are different, but based on what mine and most tiny tikes seem to enjoy, I’m sure at least a few of these will hit. Also- mix it up. Bring a couple of favorite items as well as a few new and exciting ones reserved for travel only.
Additionally, I’ve been told snacking makes another great travel activity. Again, mix it up. Bring some familiar favorite tastes along with some new treats. My little guy was never a big snacker, but cheerios out of a snack-catcher are a popular go-to for slow, easy self-feeding.
Finally, if you’re super lucky, maybe your baby will do the best activity of all for a good chunk of the time- sleep. A mama can dream, right? If you’re now ready to get packed but wondering where in the world to go, check out my post on Kauai- one of my favorite toddler vacation destinations. Happy travels!
If you try any of these items, I’d love to know what hit and missed for you! Have any great toddler activity ideas or suggestions of your own? Please leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you. Here’s to sharing and making the journey easier for all!
A Savvy Mama
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