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Toddler Travel Tips

If you can barely make it to the grocery store with your toddler in the backseat and your sanity intact, then you may want to take note of the following travel tips aimed at making your summer road trip a lot less bumpy:

BREAK IT UP

Not the fights between kids in the backseat. I’m referring to long car rides. Travel experts recommend stopping every three hours or so and allowing your toddler to run around at pre-selected rest areas. Pack a ball to play with and use the time to visit the restroom. You can also schedule a pit stop at a picnic area and save money by eating pre-packed meals.

MUSIC

If you are traveling with a toddler, remember to pack plenty of music. Kid-friendly interactive CDs can be lifesavers on a long road trip. Another tip: Purchase or rent books on tape and have your toddler try to follow along while paging through his own book.

DON’T JUST SIT THERE

Whether you are traveling by plane, car, or train, it’s never a good idea to ignore your child for long stretches of time. As much as possible (especially if you aren’t the designated driver) get involved with your child. Read to him or play together with toys. You could also draw, sing songs, make funny faces, etc.

FUN FOOD

Save money and pack your own food. Doing so will help you avoid those spontaneous pit stops at fast food restaurants. If you don’t have room to spare in your vehicle, then choose a small collapsible cooler and fill it with healthy kid-friendly treats such as cheese, pretzels, crackers, fresh fruit and juice. When the food is gone, fold up the cooler and stash it in a small corner or re-fill it for the ride home.

Related Articles:

Air Travel and the Toddler

Toddler-Friendly Airports

How to Keep Your Toddler Occupied on a Road Trip

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About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.