Entertaining toddlers. Nightmare in any scenario.... flying, driving or sitting still during a hockey game. It's hard when they are so busy all the time! Traveling is a whole different ball game.
Traveling is stressful enough without kids, let alone with toddlers! We did it during Covid, and I must say I've never been so stressed in my life. As Gretel has grown a little older she's been slightly easier to entertain, but that doesn't mean it's always smooth sailing!
We do a fair bit of travel in the car too, and while the scenery (if you can call farm land that) is interesting for a while, there's only so much a toddler can simply look at.
PLANE TRAVEL
Traveling activities need to be compact and preferably light. Here are a few things that I would look into before purchasing and packing toys!
Batteries. I recommend looking at airline policies on battery toys. There are some things you simply can't bring on a flight that are battery related! Also, keep in mind the volume for other passengers.
Size. Obviously there are restrictions on bag sizes too, so you need to maximise your baggage room with smaller toys and activities.
Open ended activities. Particularly for long flights, you need something that is open ended and can be used multiple different ways or times. For example, we always pack a baby or a few animal figurines and a fake milk bottle for Gretel to feed her animals and put them to bed.
A lot of the toys I have linked below are useful for the plane as well. We also downloaded some videos from Netflix before traveling so we didn't need Wifi for her to watch some of her favourite shows.
CAR TRAVEL
Tip 1: Start early!! we have found that its easiest just getting up and going. Gretel is happiest in the morning so she is easier to entertain and will eventually want to nap.
Tip 2: Plan your trip and the stops you can make! Is there a playground in a small town you can stop at? Maybe a river you can explore or even a park for a picnic. These are all things that will exert some energy for a toddler. Go for a little walk and pick out rock and leaves or simply just run around. So much better to get some fresh air and stretch the legs.
Tip 3: Audio books. We were recently gifted a Leap Frog Story Pal. I will link the toy below, but its genius. It has about 4 different settings and plays music, reads poetry and books, plays lullabies and you can record your own stories on it too. It's perfect screen free play that has a variety of things to listen to.
Tip 4: If you aren't buying any specific toys for the road trip, I suggest putting away the toys that you are going to use as entertainment a few days before or even a week before the trip. That way, when you introduce then during the drive they are brand new and haven't been played with exhaustively.
Tip 5: Bubbles. These are great for rest stop entertainment when there isn't specifically anything you can do where you stop.
ACTIVITIES THAT AREN'T TOYS
I have put together a list of things that aren't necessarily toys that you need to go and buy, but rather a few things around the house that you might already have that you can use as entertainment!
RIBBON - Bring a couple of different textured ribbons on spools for your toddler to unravel and you can easily ravel it back up
WALLET - If you have an older wallet and a few old cards, why not put it together as the toddler wallet! Old gift cards or receipts are perfect.
POST ITS - Simply let your kid go to town using the post its everywhere.
SENSORY BAGS - Fill a little container or zip lock bag with uncooked pasta, rice, that can be shaken like an instrument.
Here are a few things that we have found keep Gretel entertained in any travel type scenario!
