Holiday Travel with Toddlers: What to Pack to Keep Everyone Healthy

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Holiday travel with a toddler usually means a packed car on I-75, a security line at Detroit Metro, or both. Add a cousin with a runny nose and a schedule full of late dinners, and the days after a trip can leave the whole family worn down.

The right things in the right bag make that easier. Familiar snacks, thin layers, a small medicine kit, and your toddler’s sleep gear help them eat, rest, and stay comfortable away from home, and give you a plan for the sniffles that show up anyway.

Pack a Snack Bag You Can Reach

Toddlers get hungry on their own schedule, and a delayed flight or a stretch of snowy highway won’t wait for a restaurant exit. Keep a small snack bag up front or under the seat, where you can grab it without stopping.

Good travel snacks are ones your child already eats at home. A long drive is a bad time to test something new. Think cheese sticks, whole grain crackers, yogurt tubes in a small cooler, soft fruit cut into small pieces, and a pouch or two of applesauce.

Car seats make supervision harder, so skip the foods the CDC lists as choking hazards for young kids. That list includes whole or chopped nuts and seeds, spoonfuls of nut or seed butter, big chunks of meat, and dried fruit like raisins that hasn’t been cooked. Save those for a table where you can sit beside your child.

If you’re flying, you can bring more than you might think. TSA allows toddler drinks, formula, breast milk, and baby or toddler food, including puree pouches, in carry-ons in amounts over 3.4 ounces, and they don’t have to fit in your quart-size bag.

Tell the officer at the start of screening that you’re carrying them, and pack them together in one spot so they’re quick to pull out for separate screening.

Pack a refillable water bottle for each person, too. Dry airplane cabins and blasting car heaters can leave little ones thirsty, and a familiar cup makes it more likely your toddler will drink.

Dress for the Car Seat, Then the Snow

Michigan winters make it tempting to zip your toddler into a puffy coat before buckling them in. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns against puffy coats in car seats because the padding can flatten in a crash and leave the harness too loose.

The AAP suggests thin, close-fitting layers instead: a base layer, a thermal top or sweater, and a light fleece. Once your child is buckled, lay a blanket or their coat over the straps, or put the coat on backward over the harness. Keep the puffy coat handy for the walk into the gas station or Grandma’s driveway.

Pack hats, mittens, and an extra pair of socks in your day bag. Wet socks after a snowy stop are a fast way to a cranky, chilly toddler, and a dry pair takes up almost no room.

Bring Supplies for Clean Hands

Rest stops, airport play areas, and tray tables see a lot of hands in December. You won’t avoid all of them, but you can make cleanup easy for the people in your family.

Keep a travel bottle of hand soap and a pack of wipes in the snack bag so you’re not hunting for them before every meal. Wash your toddler’s hands when there’s a sink, especially before eating, and use wipes when there isn’t. A few disposable placemats and a small pack of tissues round out the kit.

A spare outfit for your toddler, plus a spare shirt for you, belongs in the carry-on or front seat. Spills, potty accidents, and car sickness rarely wait until you reach the suitcase.

Build a Small Toddler Medicine Kit

Pharmacies near a relative’s house can be closed on holidays or out of the children’s version of what you need. A small kit lets you handle a fever or a scraped knee at 10 p.m. without a hunt.

Here’s what many families pack:

A digital thermometer your child is used to
The fever reducer your pediatrician recommends for your child, with its dosing syringe or cup
Bandages, a small tube of the diaper cream or moisturizer you use at home, and tweezers
Any prescriptions your child takes, in their original labeled containers
Your pediatrician’s after-hours number and your insurance card

Ask your pediatrician before the trip about the right dose for your child’s current weight, since the amount on a bottle you bought last winter may not fit anymore. If your child gets sick while you’re away, call your pediatrician’s office or nurse line. For trouble breathing or any other emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Some parents also wonder about melatonin for new beds and late nights. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises talking with a pediatric health care professional before giving it to a child, and storing it like any other medicine, out of kids’ reach. Keep that in mind at relatives’ homes that aren’t childproofed.

Keep Nutrition Steady When Meals Go Off Track

Holiday food doesn’t look like a normal week. There are cookies at every house, dinner at 8 p.m., and a toddler who suddenly eats only rolls. That’s normal for a few days of travel.

Food comes first, even on the road. Pack a few of your child’s reliable fruits and vegetables, and offer the familiar foods at the table before the treats. The AAP says a healthy child eating a well-balanced diet doesn’t need a vitamin supplement, and recommends talking to your pediatrician before starting one.

If your child is already a picky eater and the trip makes it worse, some families bring a multivitamin from home to help fill everyday nutritional gaps. Powders are handy for travel because a single-serve stick pack lies flat in a diaper bag and one stick is one serving.

EllaOla tasteless vitamins are one example. EllaOla’s unflavored powders were developed with pediatricians and pediatric dietitians, have zero added sugar, and are made free from the top 9 common food allergens. The toddler multivitamin is designed for ages 2 to 3.

The powder stirs into foods that are easy to find at a hotel breakfast or a relative’s house, like yogurt, oatmeal, applesauce, or milk. It can go into warm foods but shouldn’t be cooked on the stove. Mix it into a small portion your toddler will finish, since the vitamin is only in that serving.

Protect Naps and Bedtime Away From Home

A tired toddler is harder to feed and harder to calm. A guest room won’t feel like home, so bring the things that tell your child it’s time to sleep.

Pack the familiar items: their sleep sack or blanket, a favorite stuffed animal, two or three bedtime books, and a portable white noise machine if they use one at home. A travel crib or play yard you’ve set up before is easier than a borrowed one with missing parts.

Try to keep the bedtime routine in the same order even if the clock time slides. Bath, pajamas, books, and lights out tell your toddler what’s coming, whether you’re at home in Lansing or at an aunt’s house in Traverse City.

Your Short List for Packing Night

Before you leave, put familiar snacks, water bottles, soap, and wipes in the bag you can reach from your seat. Thin layers, mittens, spare socks, and a change of clothes go in the car or carry-on. Your medicine kit needs a thermometer, your pediatrician’s recommended fever reducer, any prescriptions, and the after-hours number.

Then pack your toddler’s sleep sack, lovey, books, and white noise machine in the overnight bag, along with any daily vitamin your pediatrician has okayed. With all of that packed, you can handle a late flight, a long drive, or a rough night at Grandma’s.

*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.