travel — Blog — Mama on a Whim

Preparing for summer travel with toddlers and trying to figure out how to make it as seamless as possible?? KEEP ON READING!!

Since having kids, we’ve been on a few road trips, but this is the first one where they are both “big kids”. Instead of waiting until the last minute to start prepping, I decided to get started early and came up with some must-haves that I plan to use for years to come.

The first necessity is a bento lunch box! The possibilities with these lunchboxes are endless! You can pack an initial lunch and snacks for your kids to start the road trip and then use it again when you stop for fast food! If your kids are anything like mine, they LOVE Chick-fil-a… but they get the sauce everywhere! Using a bento lunchbox during these car meals will help to alleviate the stress and mess of having food and sauces spill on the floor or in car seat crevices. Everything can be organized into their own little compartment to make meals on wheels a breeze!

I especially love these Nuby ones because they come in a little lunch box!! When I saw these, I knew they were a must have because they are affordable, and the food compartments can easily come out and be washed! These are perfect for extended car rides due to the ease of use!

The next traveling with kids must haves are cups! I am the queen of being as prepared as possible and I never walk out of the house without having cups for the boys. Let’s face it, kids are messy AF and the last thing I have time for is a spilled drink! When traveling, I like to bring at least 2 cups for each boy. One cup for water and the other for juice. These cups from Nuby are the perfect traveling companion. We’ve been using their cups for years and I love that they are leak proof and come with so many different design options! My youngest has a tendency to spill drinks in the car or throw his cup on the ground, and these Nuby cups help to ensure that juice doesn’t go flying everywhere!

Another traveling must have is the Nuby Deluxe Backseat Organizer. Years ago, when my oldest was a baby, I bought a backseat organizer and rarely used it. Now that I have two kids and they are a bit older, I see the value in them! The endless questions of “mom, are we there yet?” or “I need a drink and snacks!” are alleviated with having a backseat organizer. There are different pockets that can hold drinks, snacks, toys, and an iPad! Whenever we travel, I make sure there are movies downloaded onto the iPad so that we can *hopefully* have an hour of peace while they watch a movie. I love that with this backseat organizer, an iPad pocket is included, so no one can argue over who is going to the hold the iPad! This helps to make life much easier while out on the open road!

In addition to all these amazing traveling products, a new one that I am trying out is the car seat lap tray! For months I was considering getting one of these for the boys and was pleasantly surprised when I walked into Target and saw them right at the front of the store for 5 BUCKS!! I’m hoping that in addition to all the other organization travel items I am bringing on our trip, the lap tray will help to simplify things as well! Being that it has a flat surface, the boys will be able to use the trays for eating, coloring, or playing with monster trucks! The trays come with 3 different storage compartments as well! There is one to hold drinks and then 2 others to store whatever extra knickknacks that need to be brought along the way!

The final must have travel item is none other than……. a BLANKET!! I love bringing blankets for the car on trips because they always come in handy for naps or when someone inevitably gets cold. These blankets from FUN.com are the perfect size and they have fun characters that kids love. Oh Yea... they are also ridiculously soft and cozy!

Of course, there are a bunch of other things needed for a road trip that include snacks, devices, snacks, chargers, snacks, toys, and SNACKS! Haha! Being as prepared as possible is key to having a safe and fun road trip. Are there going to be hiccups along the way? Of course! But trying to tackle as many as possible prior to leaving is what will help to make things hassle free. The car seat organizer, cups, and bento lunchboxes from Nuby are definite must haves when traveling with littles! The lap trays and blankets are the cherry on top because they help to balance everything else out.

Have you tried any of these travel items yet? And what are some must haves when you travel with your kids?