This post contains a sponsored inclusion of Cerebelly, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
"Before becoming a parent, the idea of traveling for hours on end with toddlers who have zero impulse control seemed like a horrible idea. Turns out, that idea is pretty much spot-on. Toddlers get restless while waiting for you to open string cheese, so it’s no surprise that sitting in one spot for an extended amount of time pushes them to the brink of madness. Granted, we can’t blame them. I’ve had plenty of road trips and plane rides as an adult where I couldn’t stand sitting any longer either. We can’t expect our kids to do the same when they have the attention span of a fruit fly—especially if we don’t have the right travel products to keep them entertained.
However, just because it’s difficult to travel with toddlers doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. Parents and children can become just as restless being stuck at home. Plus, traveling is a skill that kids need time to develop, just like anything else. The more opportunities we give them to practice patience during long trips, the better adjusted they will become. We just have to get a little creative when it comes to entertaining these little humans. So we’ve rounded up a few products that can make traveling with toddlers a little easier.
Entertain Your Toddler with These Travel Essentials
Snacks to avoid a hangry kid
Not to indirectly quote a Snickers commercial, but kids aren’t themselves when they’re hungry. Feeding them sugary snacks are bound to make them bounce off the walls and crash-land into a meltdown later on. Rather than spending a ridiculous amount of time gathering snacks from each food group, we turn to Cerebelly to make our lives infinitely simpler. With their easy-to-munch pouches and snack bars, Cerebelly’s nutritious snacks are just the travel hack we need.
Cerebelly is the first and only science-backed baby and toddler food brand. They were developed by Dr. Teresa Purzner, a neurosurgeon and mother of three, so their products have ingredients you know you can trust. Each Cerebelly pouch contains the patented 16 key nutrients that support a child’s most critical stages of brain development, so not only are you filling their tummies, you’re also supporting the growth of their minds. Their pouches and Smart Bars are also conveniently packaged, making them the ideal travel snack. Purchase these game changing snacks for your next vacay and use code EVERYMOM20 for 20 percent off your first order!
Cerebelly
My toddler is absolutely obsessed with smoothies (or “moonies,” as he calls them). The Cerebelly smoothie-inspired pouches are a win-win for both kiddos and parents. Delicious flavors, no mess thanks to the squeezable pouch, and each one is packed with 16 brain-building nutrients.
Cerebelly
My little one goes wild over these Smart Bars every time we pack them for the road (as seen in the above photo of his unprompted smile). Made with all organic ingredients, it’s a snack you can feel good about.
Amazon | Nil-Tech
Keep your little ones entertained and their lunches fresh with these eco-friendly, reusable lunch bags. Not only are they perfect for packing healthy meals, but they also feature fun and engaging games like puzzles, mazes, and coloring sections right on the bag to help spark creativity and enhance problem-solving skills.
Toys and activities to keep them occupied
This one is a given: No road trip or plane ride is complete without toys and activities. There are countless items out there made for entertaining our kids, but here are the tried-and-true toys our editors stand by when traveling with their toddlers.
Amazon | CUKU
This engaging and educational toy is designed to keep little ones entertained and stimulated during airplane trips, car rides, and more. Featuring a variety of interactive elements like buckles, zippers, buttons, and laces, it also promotes fine motor skills, problem-solving, and sensory exploration!
Target | Mondo Llama
Packed with fun and creativity, this kit includes coloring sheets, stickers, and erasable markers, all featuring monster designs that will spark your child’s imagination. Compact and easy to carry, it’s ideal for keeping little ones entertained on the go, and it’s offered at a super affordable price point.
Amazon | BAVEEL
These writing boards will keep your little ones entertained for hours on end, providing a 100% mess-free way to write and draw for your entire road trip or plane ride.
Amazon | Crayola
Yes, you read that right: mess-free finger painting. With tons of different coloring sheets and colors to use, the kit includes everything needed preoccupy little artists for hours on end.
Electronics, because screens aren’t the enemy
When the toys just aren’t cutting it anymore, watching your kid’s favorite movie on a tablet is the perfect solution. Because honestly, when was the last time you were on a six-hour car ride without a good book or movie? And since most toddlers can’t enjoy chapter books quite yet, kids can also use their tablet or your device to play educational games or listen to audiobooks on apps like Spotify or with a Tonies player.
Amazon | Tonies
This innovative audio player offers an amazing opportunity for storytelling and educational content. Simply place a Tonie figure on the box and let the magic unfold as beloved stories, songs, and adventures come to life! With no screens or complicated controls, Tonies are perfect for keeping little ones entertained during those long journeys without the need for wi-fi or batteries.
Amazon | EarFun
Featuring a comfortable and adjustable fit with a volume limit to protect little ears, these headphones are perfect for little travelers to tune into music, audiobooks, and educational content.
Amazon | Belkin
No more needing to worry about having multiple devices to keep everyone entertained. This handy device allows two sets of headphones to connect to a single audio source, making it perfect for sharing music, movies, and games on a long trip.
Amazon | Opluz
In case you’re hooking up your kiddo’s headphones to your iPhone or iPad, it’s always good to have an adapter on hand to make sure you don’t run into any obstacles.
Amazon | INIU
Having a portable charger on hand is a must to make sure both you and your little one’s electronics stay charged for your entire travel day, this option has multiple ports to charge up to 3 devices at once.
Travel gear to contain the chaos
Bringing a ton of different toys and activities for your travel journey is great, but the not so great part? Making a mess of the car or plane. So, we recommend also grabbing some items that help keep everything organized and in check. Here are a few go-to’s:
Amazon | Ha&Da
This style of tray is best suited for plane or train rides. Airplane leg room leaves much to be desired, so these do wonders for entertaining restless kids.
Amazon | Helteko
You can keep all of your tablets, games, snacks, and any other road trip essentials in check with this handy over the seat organizer.
Amazon | Skysper
This backpack is perfect for any type of traveling, whether it’s a quick day trip or a longer vacation where many things will need to be packed. It’s multiple storage compartments and lightweight, flexible material will easily hold everything your little one could need.
This post contains a sponsored inclusion of Cerebelly, but all the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.