Mom Hacks-- Toddler Travel Surprise

Mom Hacks -- Toddler Travel Surprise

Posted by Katie J. 

Hi there! Katie here, continuing the "Mom Hacks" series that Sarah kicked off last week. This is the best piece of advice I've gotten from an experienced Momma, and it would work great for any time small kids must be confined for hours on end.

Despite 2020 being a year when most people around the world are generally staying put, our family made two road trips this summer. One trek to St. Louis for a funeral, and another to hunker down with family in Minnesota while new flooring was put into our house. Both times we were packing to leave, I had to face the same fear-inducing question: “How will we keep the toddlers from screaming in their car seats for hours on end?”

After considering it for a moment, my husband said, “We can’t. We’re not going.”

Priding myself with being the creative problem solver in the family, I wouldn’t accept that. As soon as I paused to consider this dilemma, a vivid picture of my friend, Kay, flooded my mind. A six foot tall, sixty-something, adventure seeking redhead, Kay’s smile was simultaneously mischievous and encouraging. Her husband taught me that you could plant bamboo both upside down and right side up. These were innovative, fun people. 

Kay had given me the solution for traveling with toddlers about 10 years ago when I was living in Indonesia, teaching at the school where she also worked. I was one of a few single women in the community whom Kay called her “adopted daughters” and so I got the privilege of watching her interact with her biological daughter and grandchildren. They all traveled to and from Indonesia together and one day Kay explained to me how she managed to enjoy (and keep quiet) her three young grandchildren on multiple flights (one of them 12 hours). How did she do it?

Presents. Every. Hour.

I would have been tempted to think, “That’s crazy! And expensive, and spoiling them,” but I knew Kay, and she’s not the kind of grandma to buy love. However, she might build a tiny adventure and teach the littles how to endure and even enjoy a long, crowded, eardrum-bursting, timezone-shifting experience. It was really simple. She found and wrapped small (fit-in-your-child’s-carry-on) games and toys that engaged little hands. Every hour the kids unwrapped something new (to them) and had one more fun distraction.

How to Make Toddler Gifts

Implementing this idea confirmed my suspicion that the size, price, and newness of the gifts didn’t matter. It could be an old or a beloved toy they weren’t expecting to bring along. It could be as simple as two crayons and some blank paper. It really only cost me time, creativity, and whatever I thought was a reasonable budget for car-seat sanity. (My husband said hundreds, half jokingly. You can make this work with any budget.)

This lacing apple keeps little hands busy in and out of the car seat.

What I love about this (grand)mom hack is that it builds in toddler-sized delayed gratification practice. And it also gives my kids an experience of joy in getting there. There are so many parallels to our journey of life with Jesus here, but that’s another conversation for another day. 

Top 5 Toddler Travel Gifts

Below I’ve listed my top five small gifts for road trips (or other times your toddlers must be confined for hours). What is one of your favorite road trip hacks? 

1.  Egg shaker or other small instrument to play along with their favorite music
2.  Paint-with-water pad (This small one worked great)
3.  Reusable stickers (Will stick to windows, too!)
4.  Lacing games with cards or chunky beads
5.  An old calculator or flip phone in a zippered pouch. Toddlers love zippers, and taking things in and out of a bag. This is also great fine motor practice!