Living in another state from family can be hard for many reasons. Although we don’t find ourselves traveling down as frequently as pre-pandemic, we still do make the 3.5-4 hour trek on occasion. When Nolyn was a baby, it was easy since we would just leave at her bedtime and she would sleep basically the entire time. Now that she is a toddler, the ride down and back is a little more challenging and setting the sleep environment is very important! Here is a rundown of our top products for travel:
FOR THE CAR: We still try to leave in the evening time and hope and pray she falls asleep at least for a little bit. We use this window shade to make it a little darker in the back seat (especially during the summer months). This iPad/tablet mount for the car is a life saver. It is super easy to get on and off and keeps it secure during rides. Nolyn is only happy when Moana is on so we have it downloaded and she is usually quite content. If the screen isn’t your thing or they become uninterested, I have found these toys to be safe and a favorite on our rides:
– Melissa & Doug Water Wow Coloring Book. We love these at home too! You just fill with water for mess free coloring and there are a ton of different books to choose from.
– Buckle Toy. Nolyn is obsessed with clipping and un-clipping buckles. These types of toys keep her occupied for longer than 10 minutes!
– Fat Brain Toys Dimpl. We have loved this toy since Nolyn was a baby. We always make sure to have it in our diaper bag when we go out, as well!
– Chuckle & Roar Pop It! We don’t have this but I will be adding it to the Christmas list as I think this will keep her busy for a long time!
Snacks and drinks are also very important! These, these, and these are our favorite quick and easy bars for the car. Yes, they can get crumby and messy but whatever keeps the babe happy, ya know? We find these straw cups the easiest in the car for Nolyn to quickly grab and use. We also always use an overnight diaper while in the car for long rides. There is nothing worse than getting your child out of their car seat and realizing it is wet everywhere. We currently use these overnight diapers but have also had great luck with this brand.
SLEEP ENVIRONMENT: I think setting a similar sleep environment (as much as able) is very important. We bring the same blanket, paci, and sleep sack that we use at home to assist in this. We use these portable black out curtains in the solid black to stick up in the window and it truly helps to make the room SO dark. We also use the Snoozeshade (here is a dupe that seems super similar) to wrap around the pack and play that she sleeps in. We used to actually zip up when she was a little baby but now that she is older, we still put it on but leave it the top open. This helps reduce any fear of the unknown environment that she is in in case she wakes up in the middle of the night and helps to eliminate any external stimuli. I have also heard great things about the SlumberPod but wanted to find something cheaper when I was shopping for a solution. We have recently added putting this pack & play mattress topper on to help make it more comfortable now that Nolyn is older, as well. Of course, safe sleep is very important no matter where you are so we didn’t start using this until she was >1 year old. We always travel with a sound machine (actually 4 sound machines including all of our mini/travels haha!). We love our Hatch but the Hush, or Travel Mini would also work great. We have a travel monitor that we use and keep in her travel bag. This one is cheap and is incredible for the price. It connects to any wifi and you can use your phone for visibility. Lastly, we have a bag similar to this one that we keep a lot of these items in. That way, it is easy to pack and go. I did find this bag, however, that I feel would be great if you have little ones as it comes with a safe sleeping/lounging space for baby!
Happy babies=happy travels, friends!
XO, Andi
