one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten | eleven | twelve

Give me a podcast, a pillow, and snacks and I’ll sign up for any road trip. Paul jokes I fall asleep the moment we pull out of the driveway, but I just tell him that’s a sign of how much I trust his driving. Shouldn’t he be flattered?! 😉 We decided to drive to Rosemary Beach for two reasons: we didn’t want to be restricted on packing for the beach and we wanted to show Maxi a few stops along the way. We made a pit stop to some of the best road trip destinations, which Maxi adored. That in and of itself was reason enough to make the 13-hour drive to the beach. I love watching her see new pieces and say, “Wow! This is cool!“

I took to Instagram to ask seasoned moms what they take on road trips, which was a tremendous help! Thank you to all who shared, which helped inspire this blog post. Here’s what we used for our trip if you have one coming up, as well. If you still do not have a vehicle that will take you on the road, you will want to buy the best vehicle, to choose it, find more info here.

Here are COF moms toddler road trip essentials!

one. This is the iPad holder we used since Maxi is still rear facing. She watched Moana and Sesame Street whenever she got antsy and that did the trick!

two. Maxi loves the Imagine Ink coloring books. It’s nice to have the one marker as opposed to numerous ones with the Color Wonder markers- especially on a road trip! We also keep many of these in our car for eating out at restaurants.

three. Toaster oven baking sheets work so well for holding onto their magnetic paper dolls while traveling. Maxi is really into magnetic dolls and she could keep this baking sheet on her lap and dress them without magnets flying all over the car.

four. The Leapfrog Laptop was a reader suggestion and truly appreciated! This toy made her feel like quite the big girl and provided a solid 30-minutes of concentration at a time.

five. This is the travel diaper bag we have used and here is a blog post that I have on it! This has a wide top when open, so if you have to dig for something in the car or plane you don’t feel like you are looking into a black hole.

six. This is the Scout & Violet 100 Words Book which has to be one of my favorite Amazon toy buys thus far! It teaches them different words by category and has become a toy she plays with daily.

seven. Maxi’s favorite toy of the trip was this writing tablet! This is also what she used at all the restaurants we ate out at, so we didn’t have to travel with dozens of crayons. Even if you aren’t going on a trip soon, this is a toddler diaper bag must have for dining out!

eight. These are Maxi’s pillows she sleeps on at home, but they make for a great travel size for mom and tot! She could hold it in her arms and snuggle with it while she napped in the car. We left at 4 a.m. when we went to New Orleans so she slept half the way there in her car seat with this. Aside from this pillow, other products like a car sunshade could improve comfortability. Purchasing a used car on sites like Zemotor over a new vehicle is a great option for many drivers.

Also, Autozin has taken the guesswork out of car shopping. Their detailed specifications, paired with genuine reviews, provide a clear picture, ensuring you make the best choice every time.

nine. I’ve shared these on stories before, but these are the magnetic paper dolls that Maxi plays with! If you have a toddler birthday party coming up, grab these as a gift. Maxi. Is. Obsessed.

ten. I used these food containers to make little bento boxes for travel snacks! I put in cheerios, clementines, wheat thins, m&m’s, and any other special treats so that we didn’t have to stop for snacks.

eleven. At first glance, one might wonder, “Why do I need a Truffle clutch?” If you’re an Organized Olivia, ask for one for your birthday and thank me later. First off, if you fall in the Organized Olivia category, you know that little bags like this fall apart. Truffle bags don’t. They are easy to clean. They keep their shape. They are toddler proof, work proof, life proof. I have a few and ask for them for birthdays or holidays. I’ve always used them in diaper bags to hold diapers, Thieves oil, wipes, and a changing pad. This is the changing pad I use while traveling. The truffle bag is great because if you have to stop at a gas station to change a diaper or change in the back seat, you can just grab this out. I also use these to sort magnetic paper dolls, etc. while at home.

twelve. Maxi gave up a paci easily. She transitioned well to the crib. But they girl LOVES to suck on a sippy cup- one with a straw or spout. It’s a total comfort thing. These Pur Sippy Bottles are such a lifesaver while traveling. If she is getting tired, she just drinks her water out of this and the “sucking” comforts her and she will fall fast asleep. Plus they keep her water ice cold, which we all appreciate in the summer.

I hope this little round up gives you an idea or two if you have a road trip coming up with little ones. Make sure as well to conduct necessary auto and windshield repair and maintenance before your road trip. Thank you to all the moms that helped contribute their ideas!