Essential gear for flying with a toddler

Toddlers are at a fun age where everything is new and exciting, but they quickly grow bored of anything and everything. It can be intimidating to travel with a toddler, but with Hooked on Hiatus, we’ll make sure you have the essential toddler travel gear to get through your flight and on to adventure!

In this guide you’ll find tried and true travel gear recommendations for toddlers. Not every item will be a hit with your toddler, and that’s okay! Pick a few that you think will be great, and run with it.

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Some of the links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission when you make a purchase using the links. You can help support this blog by using these affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own, and I only recommend companies that I personally use when traveling. 

Toddler Toys

Most international flights (and those to Alaska and Hawai’i) will have a screen for each seat. Put the map on and let your toddler move it around! 

Screen-time rules don’t apply when in-flight, although I do use it as a last resort. Just make sure you have a show downloaded that you’re comfortable with your toddler watching, and bring toddler headphones. 

Poppin’ Pipes can be a lot of fun too. They scrunch down pretty small, so are very packable!

A Montessori Busy Board is a great way to keep a toddler busy, and this one is travel friendly.

Try to find activities that toddlers will enjoy in your destination. Do you usually go to story time at the library at home? Try to drop in on one abroad! Even if it’s not in a language you speak, many of our toddlers don’t speak any real language yet anyways, so to them, it’s just more words they don’t know yet. Parks, playgrounds and children’s museums are great options for them to play with other kids.

Books and coloring

My toddler’s favorite time is story time, so we make sure to bring a couple books on every trip. I like thin board books the best so there are no paper cuts, and they’re a bit easier to bring along. Read them a book about babies in other cultures. Or a book about flying machines, like they plane they’re riding in!

Search and find books like this Bluey one are a great activity to add to story time!

I really like traveling with reusable sticker books for a couple reasons: first, they’re reusable! Second, the stickers don’t stick forever in places they shouldn’t. 

I love these LCD Writing Tablets for traveling. They’re colorful so kids can still draw and color, but you don’t have to worry about losing any crayons or getting marker on walls! 

Mess-proof coloring books are fun and so easily transportable. I love the Water Wow series from Melissa and Doug. Just fill up the paint brush after ascending and let your toddler paint away! Once the color dries, it disappears, so you can use these books again and again.

Window fun

Sitting by the window on a plane is not only safer, it offers easy entertainment!

Try suction cup toys to stick to each other or the window. I also love these fidget spinners that stick to the windows.

Snacks! Snacks! Snacks! 

Snacks are a necessity anytime you’re out of the house with a toddler, and being on vacation only doubles, sometimes triples, the number of snacks you’ll need. I highly recommend bringing a variety of snacks to prevent boredom. Here are a few suggestions: 

First – have a fun container to put them in. These Munchkin Snack Cups are a tried and true favorite. They should help minimize spills (but my toddler excels at dumping snacks out of them). I also love these snack spinners that are entertaining for toddlers! 

We always have puree pouches (which don’t follow the TSA 3.4 oz rule!) for a quick, easy snack. I like this variety pack from Happy Baby since they have vegetables, not just fruit. I also like the Serenity Kids pouches so that we have a little protein (which can help prevent emotions from getting too high, too quickly). 

These Yogis from Happy Baby are my toddler’s absolute favorite. She also loves beets, so these Amara Smoothie Melts are also a hit. I’ve always got a few That’s It bars in my purse, and veggie straws and Annie’s snacks are always winners, too!

Other mealtime accessories

If your toddler is still drinking milk and is bottle fed, you’ll want a travel drying rack for your hotel room. Then you don’t have to leave your sanitized bottles on questionable surfaces! Bring a pre-measured formula dispenser for easy mixing.

I really like this Munchkin Cup for Toddlers for water on the go. Water doesn’t spill when tipped upside down, you can flip the cap over the straw to keep it clean. Your toddler can hold on to the handles to drink from any angle and still get water. 

Pro tip: always have easy-clean bibs when traveling, or even going out to eat in your own town! I like the kind that catch food, plus these ones just wipe clean. These silicone bibs have a sturdier pouch and catch more food. We also travel with a portable high chair because when restaurants do have high chairs, they are absolutely disgusting. 

Organizing it all

Pick up some clear bags to organize all the toys you’ll bring for your toddler. I like these bags best because they have a handle. Plus, they’re TSA liquid approved, so purchase a couple extra for all your own toiletries as well!

Diaper changes and potty time

I like traveling with a backpack style diaper bag, which is also useful in the airport. I bring a few washable changing pads for keeping clean on the go. 

Make sure you bring enough diapers, but know you can probably buy more in your destination. My toddler wears overnight diapers on travel days so we can minimize changes in-flight.

I love these wet bags for any cloth that gets spilled on or just needs to be changed. We use these for our swimsuits, too, and they don’t leak! Just make sure you let them air dry after washing them, so they don’t lose their waterproofing. Pack a couple wet bags with enough items for 1 diaper change so you don’t have to bring your entire diaper bag into the tiny plane bathroom.

Is your toddler using the potty? You don’t have to lose all your progress while traveling because the seats are too big for little butts! This Frida Baby Potty Seat folds up and has an included little travel bag to carry it in. 

Strollers, car seats, cribs and more

Many family friendly resorts, hotels and cruises will provide cribs at no additional charge. Some even have strollers you can borrow!

Looking for more on strollers and car seats? Check out my Travel with Strollers and Car Seats post!

You may also be able to rent strollers, car seats, cribs and other baby gear in your destination! Check out BabyQuip for rentals in your destination.

Travel Insurance

I highly recommend family travel insurance for every vacation. This gives you peace of mind should anything go wrong before or during your trip. Getting a blanket policy to cover every aspect of your trip means you only have to contact a single company, rather than one for each trip component (flights, hotels, tours, etc.).

I use Arch RoamRight for my family insurance when traveling. Get your personalized quote here!

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What toddler travel essentials do you bring on vacation? Tell me in the comments below!

You might also like:

• Best tips for flying with a toddler
• Travel with strollers and car seats
• Best vacations with babies and toddlers

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