11 Genius Road Trip Ideas for Toddlers
If you are gearing up for a road trip with your toddler, you are in the right place! As parents of four, we’ve learned from lots of experience (and a few meltdowns) what actually works on those long drives.
From fun activities to must-have snacks, I’m spilling the beans about our 11 best road trip ideas for toddlers that make travel fun! Get ready to discover everything you need to keep your little backseat passengers happy and entertained.
*Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Road Trip Ideas for Toddlers: Activities, Entertainment and Travel Hacks
1. Create a Road Trip Timeline
A visual road trip timeline is a fun way to help your little one understand the duration of the trip! Simply follow these steps:
- Look at your route on a map and choose 5-6 destinations that are roughly the same distance apart.
- Use a bulletin board border (or card stock) to write out your destinations in order. Begin with your home location and end with your destination.
- Next, print off a small car and “laminate” it by covering both sides with packing tape.
- Finally, attach to your car with tape or velcro. Move the laminated car on the timeline each time you reach a new destination.
3. Use a Grabber Tool to Reach the Back Seat
Okay, is this genius or what?! Use a grabber tool (or telescoping fish tank net) to deliver snacks and activities to your little one in the back seat. No more throwing items, hoping they don’t get hit in the face. (I know you can relate!)
3. Hourly Surprise Bags
Keep the entertainment fresh and exciting by creating hourly surprise bags! This doesn’t have the be anything fancy. Simply use labeled paper sacks and put a couple small new toys in each, then give out one each hour.
The Dollar Tree is a great place to find inexpensive items your kids will love.
Ideas include:
- Small cars
- Action figures
- Animal figures
- Stickers
- Post-it notes
- Fidgits
- Art supplies
- Board book
3. Snacks
When it comes to road trips with toddlers, snack are your best friend– trust me! We always pack a variety of healthy and relatively mess-free options, avoiding too much sugar. No one wants to have a toddler on a sugar-high confined to a carseat.
Some of our favorite road trip snacks for toddlers are:
- Crackers
- Pre-cut fruit
- Beef sticks
- Cheese sticks
- Granola bars
- Protein balls
- Pre-cut veggies with hummus
Make it extra fun by putting a variety of snacks in a small pill box or snackle box! For more ideas, check out our snackle box guide.
4. Suckers
Suckers are our go-to when nothing else is working. They take quite a while for a child to finish which helps buy time until the next rest stop. We like the YumEarth brand suckers because they are lower in sugar and are free of food dyes. Plus, they are delicious!
6. Magnetic Activities
There are a variety of great magnetic activities that are perfect for keeping kids entertained.
For a DIY version, simply purchase a baking tray from the Dollar Tree and let them go to town with a box of child magnets. You can find magnets of just about anything your child loves- from animals to construction trucks to princesses.
Our kids also love these magnetic dress-up dolls from Melissa and Doug!
7. Busy Books or Boards
Busy books are books with a variety of hands-on activities for toddlers to do, such as buttoning, buckling, zipping, etc. Our toddlers always loved using these on road trips.
Busy boards are another engaging option. Melissa and Doug makes a great one with fun latches and doors.
8. Mess-Free Art Supplies
One of my very favorite road trip activities for toddlers is mess-free art supplies! There are so many great options that will spark creativity in your little one, yet leave your car clean and tidy.
Water Wow books use a simple brush filled with water to create pictures. After painting, it dries quickly which allows your child to reuse it over and over.
Color Wonder markers create colorful pictures on the included Color Wonder paper, yet don’t mark on other things such as clothes or carseats.
I’ve even created a free printable road trip coloring pack just for you!
You may consider bringing a clip board or car seat tray to give your little one a hard surface for coloring.
9. Yoto Player
Our Yoto Player gets worn out on road trips! We use the Yoto Mini and our kids of all ages have loved using it to listen to books and music. I’ll often purchase a couple new cards right before a road trip for something new, in addition to bringing our old favorites.
If you’d like to learn more about this audio player, check out my full review of the Yoto Mini.
10. Take Advantage of Libary Resources
If you’re sticking to a budget, taking advantage of your library’s resources is the perfect way to stock up on toddler entertainment for road trips!
We always check out books, DVDs, audiobook players and books on CD. Our toddlers have especially loved interactive books such as seek-and-find, lift-the-flap, and touch-and feel.
11. DIY Fine Motor Activity
This is the most simple DIY road trip activity you will find! All you need is an empty spice container (with the larger holes in the lid) and Q-tips.
Simply give your little one a pile of Q-tips and let him or her slide each one through the holes. If you don’t have Q-tips, you can use pipe cleaners cut to the correct size for your container.
Empty the container and let them fill it again! Toddlers love this activity and it is great for developing fine motor skills.
Tips for Road Trips with Toddlers
- Plan your rest stops ahead of time. We use Google Maps our our road trip planning.
- Pick rest stops with a place for your kids to run around, such as a playground.
- Bring a travel potty, toilet paper, and trash bags. These will be a life saver if your little one needs to potty in the middle of nowhere.
- Drive during nap time as much as possible.
- Stay flexible! Even the best-thought-out-plan can need adjusting when you’re traveling with a toddler. Adapt and embrace the chaos! They won’t be this little forever.
- Bring your child’s favorite lovey or comfort items that will help him or her rest during the car ride.
Road Trip with Toddlers Checklist
- Travel potty and toilet paper
- Car trash can
- Roll of paper towels
- Snacks and drinks
- Activities and small toys
- Grabber tool
- Window shade
- Battery powered, handheld vacuum
- Mess-free art supplies
- Books and audiobooks
- Stocked diaper bag
- Changing pad
- Lovey or other comfort items
Road Trip with Toddlers Recap
I hope this round-up of road trip ideas for toddlers helps you feel prepared and inspired for your next family getaway! With the right activities, snacks, and a little planning, those long drives can actually become some of the best family memories.
Safe travels, Mama– you got this!
More Toddler Travel Resources:
