Travel With Toddler
Is It Worth The Time And Effort?



This page is full of travel with toddler ideas and resources to make your holiday a dream instead of a nightmare.

A good place to start if you are planning a new destination, is to check out all the review sites. These are made by real people who have been there. Then if in need of further information then email, ring or write to them. Do not just look at the happy brochure photographs.

Travel With Toddler
Tip #1

Choose your holiday with care Toddlers, with their impeccable lack of logic and unswerving belief in their own superhero powers, are not suited to every kind of holiday.

I will never forget our camping trip and the exhaustion of spending every evening chasing my 18-month-old round the campsite, while looking longingly at toddler-free holidaymakers relaxing at the bar.

He had a great time, unconstrained as he was by pesky obstructions such as walls and doors. I just thought I was in a really bad reality TV show called Parent's Labour Camp.

Of course not every toddler will react the same way in every situation - you know your child best. (But boisterous boys and tents are a tiring mixture, to say the least).

Ask other parents about the best - and worst - holidays they had. Make a list of those things that would really make a positive or negative difference to the vacation. For example, a caravan would have been much better than a tent on my exhaustible break.

Tip #2

Go where there are other families - this means you are likely to find play equipment, willing playmates for your toddler and more tolerant adults.

Tip #3

I Would Always Travel With A 20 Minute Bag

I use to call this my 20 Minute bag.

Before sorting out, cleaning and packing clothes, I would organize a 20 Minute bag. These were anything throwaway I could get cheap, that would keep my Children entertained during the journey.

It really doesn't take much for a young child who is out of their comfort zone to get anxious, confused or just bored.

The excitement of knowing they are going on a holiday will soon wear off after a 2 hour delay.

You could play i-spy for 2 hours, or spend all your holiday cash feeding them with over priced unhealthy food, which will probably give them a sugar rush and make everything not very enjoyable. Or you give them something to amuse themselves and pass the time.

What you pack will depend on your child and their age.

To Travel With Toddler Plan Early

I would always pack

  • Coloring books
  • Coloring pens or crayons
  • Child playing cards, like "Happy Family"
  • Free toy they may have got with a meal, which will now be of interest.
  • Plain drawing paper
  • A Child picture book or comic
  • Small paper jigsaw
  • Then the main item would be, we call a lucky bag. Bought from a store for about $3. Which will have fun stuff and a few sweets.

So Why Is It Called A 20 Minute Bag?

Because every 20 minutes they would get a new thing to do or play with.

If my journey was say 3 hours, I would try and pack maybe 5 items and a Lucky Bag.

I would calculate that the first hour of travel would be covered by excitement, and new things to look at.

The last hour they would be worn out and sleep.

So it would be the middle hour that will need entertaining.

Oh and don't forget the journey home! Happy travel with toddler.

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