Top 5 Toddler Travel Must-Haves

Toddlers are full of life and always seem to have an endless amount of energy. It brings us so much joy to see a smile on their little faces. With all their energy, it can make traveling very tiring. Finding ways to make things easier while we hurry to the next flight or keep them entertained on a long day of driving can give us more time to focus on what really matters. I have put together a list of items that can help make traveling with a toddler more enjoyable. Each of these have links to help you easily find the exact items that I recommend. Happy Travels!

I want to make you aware that there are affiliate links on this blog, and as an Amazon Associate, I may make a small commission if you purchase an item with no added cost to you. You can rest assured that I only recommend products that I have tried myself and found to be worth their value. You can read my full disclaimer here.

Extendable Seat Pillow

An airplane seat can be a small space for a toddler with all of their of energy and desire to explore the world around them. When we learned about airplane seat extenders, we were excited to find the Sunany Inflatable Foot Rest Pillow and realized it was exactly what we were looking for. It gave our son plenty of room to stretch out for naps and play with toys on flights.

Sunany Inflatable Foot Rest Pillow

• Easily portable with it’s inflatable design and carrying case
• Washable, soft PVC
• Measures 17.7” x 15” x 9” when inflated, and only 7” x 4” x 2” when in the carrying case
• Can be adjusted to 3 different heights and has 2 air valves
• Lower cost than other brands
• 4 color options available

Busy Board

Our son loves to tinker and figure out how everything works. Busy boards help fuel his curiosity and give him plenty to do, while teaching him important skills. The Minibear Busy Board felt book has a wide variety of hands-on activities and opportunities for learning. I love how it is great for on-the-go and shuts securely to keep the pieces from falling out. 

Another great option is the Montessori Wooden Busy Board, also one of my son’s favorites. It has a variety of colored LED lights to turn on and off with the turn of a key, push of a button, or turn of a knob.

MINIBEAR Busy Board Montessori Toys (felt book)

• Develops fine motor and problem-solving skills, teaches basic life skills and creative thinking
• Learning pages include:
  • 2 pages of buckles, buttons, belts, snaps, velcro, shoelaces, zippers, and more
  • Alphabet, numbers, counting, and colors
  • Days of the week, months, seasons, clock, and weather
  • Animals, dinosaur names
  • Play food set
  • Fruits & veggies

Montessori Wooden Busy Board

• 8 LED Light switches
• Sensory toy 
• Measures 7.5 x 3.9 x 2 inches
• AAA batteries required

Baby Carrier 

Using a baby carrier for your toddler can make getting through an airport much easier as you hurry to your next flight. They are also great for hiking and walks when you are not able to take a stroller with you. We have used our Ergobaby Omni 360 Baby Carrier since our son was a few months old and have loved it ever since. It is very comfortable with its padded arm straps and supportive construction. The Cool Air Mesh material allows plenty of airflow and the design makes it easy to put the carrier on and take it off. 

Ergobaby Omni 360 All-Position Baby Carrier with Cool Air Mesh

• Fits newborn through toddler and can hold up to 45 lbs
• Acknowledged as a hip healthy product by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute
• Carrier ensures baby is always seated in an “M” shape position
• Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh – designed to fit all body types
• Padded shoulder straps and lumbar support waistbelt
• Head and neck support pillow
• Baby hood UPF 50+
• Detachable washable storage pouch

Packing Cubes

I mentioned these in another post but I wanted to bring them up again because they make such a difference. Packing cubes allow you to organize your items and hold them in place. The iBeleby Compression Packing Cubes have different sizes in each pack and a variety of colors to choose from. The compression packing cubes have an added bonus of taking up less space. We purchased this kind for our son and it made even more room in his suitcase than the regular packing cubes.

iBeleby Compression Packing Cubes

• Comes with a large, medium, and small bag. Also includes a shoe bag.
• Compression zippers to help pack more items in your suitcase
• 4 color choices available

Toddler Pillow

When our son was ready to use a pillow we realized very quickly that a regular size was way too big for him, because he would often be laying next to it by morning. I was so glad to find toddler pillows that were the perfect size. These pillows are lightly plush and compact enough to pack in a bag for a trip.

KeaBabies 2-Pack Toddler Pillow

• Measures 13 x 18 in
• OEKO-TEX 100 Standard Certified
• Cotton with high-quality fiber fillings
• Machine washable
• Cases sold separately

Zenssia Organic Cotton Toddler Pillowcase 

• Lower priced than the KeaBabies matching pillowcases
• 100% organic cotton
• Envelope closure holds pillows in place
• Variety of colors to choose from