Because chaos is inevitable, but at least it can be contained.
I’ll just say it: traveling with a kid is one of those things that sounds great in theory and can be amazing…once you’re actually there. The journey to get there? A wild ride. Literally and emotionally.
After a few too many trips where we forgot something key (thankfully, diapers can be purchased pretty much anywhere…), I started compiling my list of travel MVPs. These are the things that make the difference between a trip where everyone falls asleep peacefully in their beds and one where you’re playing peek-a-boo at 11 PM in a hotel bathroom.
Here are my ride-or-die travel items for kids, just the stuff that actually made our trips smoother. Heads up: this post includes affiliate links, which help support this blog at no extra cost to you.
1. Guava Lotus Travel Crib
This crib is the gold standard of travel cribs and the first item that should be on every baby registry. We’ve used it in hotel rooms, relatives’ basements, and even in our own house when we needed some containment. It folds into a backpack (yes, backpack), sets up in under a minute, and feels way sturdier than most pop-up options. I also love the zip-down side panel.
It’s definitely an investment, but if you travel even a couple times a year, it earns its keep fast. Bonus: no weird chemical smells or noisy setup in the middle of the night.
2. SlumberPod
Find it on Amazon // Nordstrom
Light was my kid’s enemy when trying to sleep or nap. Enter: The SlumberPod. The final boss of traveling with a young kid when you have to share the same space, such as a tiny hotel room. Total darkness, airflow-friendly, and compact enough to fit in your suitcase. Allows you to stay up slightly past your kid’s 6 PM bedtime to scroll on your phone without interrupting the much-needed baby sleep. A true hero and the Guava Lotus Travel crib fits right inside.
3. Hiccapop Inflatable Toddler Travel Bed
Our kid needs his own space for sleeping, but sometimes it’s not always possible to give him his own bed when traveling. He also moves around a lot, and we never felt super comfortable with him on higher beds without bumpers. This inflatable bed has saved us MANY times and gets quite a bit of use between travel and visitors that stay with us. This bed inflates in minutes, has bumpers to keep them from rolling out, and folds down to a reasonable size for travel. The G.O.A.T. of travel sleep for kids that have outgrown travel cribs.
4. Suction Cup Blackout Curtains
Going back to the subject of blackout, these come with us everywhere. Hotel curtains always seem to have that one mysterious glowing gap, right? Or the guestroom doesn’t factor in a kid’s desire to wake with the sun. These stick right to the window, block out streetlights and sunrises and help convince kids (and adults) it’s not morning at 5:42 AM.
5. Hatch Rest
Sound machine, night light, toddler clock, all in one. We’ve used this to recreate our home bedtime routine on the road using the same sound, same color, same wind-down. Worth it just for the Pavlovian sleep effect. Another item that is a must on the baby registry.
6. Yoto Mini + Headphones
Yoto Mini: Target // Amazon
Wired Open Ear Headphones
Wired Over Ear Headphones
This one is a car ride AND hotel winner. The Yoto Mini plays stories, songs, and kid-friendly radio without a screen. Pair it with comfy headphones and boom, you’ve got a quiet, happy kid in the backseat or bed with an audiobook. I don’t always understand the appeal of listening to Danny GO! songs on repeat, but he sure does.
7. Stacking Snack Containers
Because snacks are basically the currency of travel. I love these for organizing without over-packing. We typically do mini cookies in one, dried fruit in another, and Goldfish in the large section because you can never have enough Goldfish. The containers screw together so they don’t get lost in the bottom of the bag.
8. Collapsible Silicone Snack Container
If we’re doing fresh snacks in the car or on a plane, this squishy little guy comes in clutch for doing a good job containing Goldfish that may have fallen victim to an overenthusiastic grab. Bonus points for folding down flat once it’s empty so I’m not carrying around a bulky cup all day.
Whether you’re flying across the country or doing a quick weekend road trip, these are the things that made our life a lot easier and made the trip feel more like a vacation than a survival mission.
I’m not saying you need every one of these. But if your last hotel stay ended in someone losing their mind over a white noise app that wouldn’t load (me, it was me), it might be time to add a few of these to your kit.
Let me know what your kid’s travel essentials are. I’m always up for adding to the list.
Pin it for later:
–Travel gear for toddlers
–Tips for hotel stays with kids
–Family road trip must-haves
–Sleep hacks for kids on the go
#FamilyTravel #TravelWithKids #ToddlerTravelGear #CuratedKindaFinds #MomLifeOnTheGo #TravelHacks #AffiliateDisclosure
Curated, Kinda 
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