A Helpful Guide for Traveling with Toddlers for New Parents
My husband and I recently traveled via plane with our two year old toddler for the first time. As new parents, we were of course a bit stressed about flying and going on vacation with our little one for the first time.
Prior to flying out, I of course went on research mode, searching the internet for toddler travel essentials lists and for tips and tricks on how to make flying with a toddler less stressful.
We understand so here we are sharing the things we learned during our trip. Here’s a helpful guide and list of things to consider when flying and going on vacation with your toddler for the first time. We hope that this toddler travel checklist can make your vacation more relaxing and enjoyable.
Look for the best kid friendly hotel or resort
Deciding where to travel with a toddler is highly subjective. It depends on what your family enjoys doing, what climate you want to experience and what your travel objectives are (e.g. relaxation, adventure, sightseeing).
Wherever your destination is, research on it and try to find the best kid friendly hotel or resort. After traveling for a long time and after days of fun activities, you will definitely thank the hotel and its staff for a safe and comfortable place to rest and recharge.
For our family, we decided to go to Boracay Island in the Philippines since we love going to the beach.
Boracay’s white sand beach. Image from en.wikipedia.org.
Going to Boracay is not so simple for first time parents traveling with a toddler since on top of land travel, you also need to fly and ride a boat to the island. After a long travel, we were so thankful that our resort of choice, Discovery Shores, had exclusive transfers from the airport to the hotel. We didn’t need to line up together with the other tourists at the airport and port and we had our own vans and boat to ourselves. It was so convenient and comfortable!
Discovery Shores Boracay. Image from discoveryshoresboracay.com
Since our room wasn’t ready yet, we hung out at the resort’s huge play room. This was so helpful in keeping our tired and restless toddler entertained while we filled out forms and settled things with the hotel staff.
After settling things for our check in, our son was so eager to play in the sand. The beach front already had mats and pillows ready for guests plus, a ton of toys for kids to play! We didn’t even have to pack a lot of toys for our boy. The pool staff also provided floaters and warmed towels for when it gets chilly at night.
Discovery Shores provides toys for kids to enjoy playing in the sand. No need to pack your own toys! Image from discoveryshoresboracay.com
Upon checking in, the room was huge! We were all so comfortable and our boy kept running around our room. The hotel staff already set up a crib, baby tub and they even provided a bottle sterilizer.
Clearly, another plus for booking a kid friendly hotel is that they already provide a lot of the things you will need for your toddler so you don’t need to pack them and fly them all over.
Before making your list of things to pack, definitely check with your hotel or resort on what they can already provide. This will save you a lot of luggage space.
Imagine how your days will be like and pack accordingly
When it comes to packing for a trip you and your kid will take for the first time, it’s easy to panic and rely on the internet to tell you what you need to pack. But no one really knows what your family will need except you.
So do your research but also imagine how your days will be like and have your phone ready to jot down what you might need.
Like for example for us, we knew that given our flight schedule, our son would not be able to have a proper breakfast at home. So we knew that we needed to pack some easy to eat breakfast for the airport so he could eat there while waiting for our flight.
It also might be chilly in the airport so we made sure to pack a jacket. He might also poop in the airport so we made sure to pack some diapers, a change of clothes, wipes and alcohol.
When it comes to packing your hand carry, it’s a great idea to go for a back pack so you can be hands free to grab or carry your toddler. Having lots of compartments will also help in keeping your things organized and easy to access.
Check out this option from Columbia which is conveniently available online on Amazon.
Columbia Carson Pass Backpack from amazon.com
Pack enough snacks and toys
Traveling especially by plane and for long hours involves a lot of waiting and waiting is just so tiring and boring for a restless toddler. So bring just the right amount of snacks and toys to entertain your toddler.
My kid cycled through playing with his toys, watching and playing on his iPad, walking and running around the airport and watching the planes come and go.
For snacks, having a variety of shapes and colors can be entertaining enough for toddlers sometimes. We get to identify shapes and colors and do some animal sounds. That’s a few minutes of entertainment down!
Our favorite are snacks from Annie’s. They’re fun, tasty and healthy.
Annie’s Organic Variety Pack from amazon.com
Annie’s Organic Bernie’s Farm Fruit Snacks from amazon.com
Pack your bedtime routine essentials
Traveling and going to new places can be disorienting for both adults and kids. You may expect to disrupt your usual routine at home because after all, you’re on vacation! So it’s totally fine and you shouldn’t stress about it. But having some familiar routines like your bedtime routine can help your kids stay calm and recharge their bodies for more active fun days.
You don’t need to bring everything, just prioritize items that are strong sleeping cues for your little one. For us, that would be his favorite stuffed toy and a sound machine.
If you’re looking for a portable sound machine that won’t take up too much space and is easy to carry around, check out these options.
Dreamegg White Noise Machine from amazon.com
Frida Baby 2-in-1 Portable Sound Machine from amazon.com
Bringing a baby monitor is also not a bad idea. This allows for more flexibility when your baby sleeps at night or during nap times. While baby sleeps, mommy and daddy can have some alone time out on the balcony, for example.
Of course it’s a bit difficult to bring your whole set up from home. A practical option is to bring a travel friendly baby monitor that is small and can hang or attach to many objects or surfaces.
Lollipop Baby Monitor from amazon.com
Pack familiar items
Going on vacation is an opportunity to break from your usual routine at home and experience something new. But with a picky toddler, it’s best to pack a couple of familiar items just to help them feel secure and calm. For our family, we prioritized bringing familiar snacks, toys and skincare.
When on vacation, of course you want to try new foods and explore the huge breakfast buffet. But sometimes, it can get a bit too overwhelming for your toddler. Having his favorite snacks on hand can help bridge the gap when he didn’t eat too much during mealtimes because of the unfamiliar, new flavors.
Having familiar toys can also help calm down an overwhelmed toddler. Since it was our boy’s first time to fly and ride a boat, having his favorite stuffed toy on hand helped him calm down and enjoy the ride.
Lastly, our hotel provided all the skincare our boy could need like lotions, sunscreens and body washes. However, I still chose to bring and use the usual brands we use for our kid since I did not want to have to deal with rashes or allergies especially when we were far from home.
Board last
Boarding last will allow you to tire out your toddler. He can run around the airport, watch the airplanes come and go, snack and play with his toys. By boarding time, hopefully your little one has released much of his energy and is ready for some quiet time or even nap time.
Plus, you wouldn’t have to wait for a long time in line while the other passengers board the plane. Waiting in line can be super boring and tiring for a restless toddler.
This worked really well for us. It was barely 5 minutes since the plane took off that our toddler nodded off to sleep.
Choose the best seats on the plane
If you do choose to board last, it would be a great idea to choose seats that are the closest to the entrances or exits. This way you won’t have to walk a long way while carrying your stuff and holding your toddler.
For us, since we flew on a budget airline, we were able to pay just a little bit extra to get the front seats. So we walked around the airport a lot, boarded last then quickly got settled in our seats. As soon as the plane took off, our toddler was already fast asleep.
Choose the best time to travel
When I traveled alone before, I would usually get the earliest flight in and the latest flight out. This is so I can maximize my time in the place that I was visiting.
But when traveling with a toddler, I realized that it would be best to arrive at the time when you can immediately check in to your room. It’ll also be best to leave right when you need to check out from your room.
Traveling for a long time is tough for adults, what more for kids. Even if you find the best kid friendly hotel in the area, sometimes you just need a bed and a shower after a long day of traveling. Getting into your room as soon as you arrive can just get everyone refreshed and recharged.
Junior Suite at Discovery Shores. Image from discoveryshoresboracay.com
Plan for the right duration for your trip
Make sure that you plan for the right amount of days for your trip so it isn’t too short that you feel that you haven’t enjoyed enough and you still feel tired from all the preparations and travel. Consider your first and last days as travel days. In between, make sure you have enough full days to relax and enjoy with your toddler.
Pace your activities, let your toddler lead
When you’ve spent a lot of time, money and effort on preparing for a trip, it’s easy to get pressured to do everything that the place has to offer. But this can often lead to more stress rather than a relaxing and enjoyable trip.
So just relax and let your toddler lead. Accept that traveling with kids will really be different from traveling alone. List down activities but just go with the flow. Have a good balance of activity and rest.
For us, when our toddler wanted to play in the sand, we did. When he wanted to swim, we did. And when he wanted to just hang in the hotel room, it was not a problem at all.
Don’t stress about the small things
Having a routine or schedule makes home life easier but when we’re on vacation, we have to be ready to break those routines. Meal times, nap times and bed times will surely get moved around and that’s okay.
Going home also means going back to your usual routines and set up. Don’t worry that your toddler will all of a sudden forget rules and routines. They’re very smart and resilient. For our family, we really didn’t have any trouble going back to our usual routines after we got back home. Just get on back at it and your kids will follow.
Bring lots of patience
All in all, the toughest part of our trip was the waiting — waiting to board the plane, waiting to board the boat, waiting for our hotel room. Waiting can drive both adults and kids crazy. But of course since we’re the adults, we’re the ones who need to stay calm and model good behavior.
So make sure to bring lots of patience and energy to do lots of entertaining. Be ready to cycle through toys, books, snacking, walking around, running around, etc. Keeping kids entertained can help prevent meltdowns and tantrums. And if it’s your child’s first time to see an airport or a port, then he’ll probably be so eager to explore the area. Be ready to show him around and think of it as a memorable way to bond with your toddler.
Traveling and going on vacation with a toddler for the first time can be very stressful. You definitely need to prepare not just the things you need to pack but also yourself and your mindset. With the proper preparation and mindset, your family will definitely have the best time. So don’t worry parents! You got this.
