How To Prevent Toddler Boredom While Traveling

How To Prevent Toddler Boredom While Traveling. This post is sponsored by Socialstars & Playskool as a part of toddler playtime fun with the #PLAYSKOOLCREW. All opinions are my own

How To Prevent Toddler Boredom While Traveling

The plans were laid. The car was packed. 2 smiling happy children were buckled into the back seat. Oh yes! Finally, we were traveling for summer vacation. In a few short hours we would be sitting on a beautiful beach resort. You’d think I had the title for this post all wrong with “How to Prevent Toddler Boredom While Traveling.” Wait for it. The story gets better.

As soon as we arrived, it rained on our parade. Literally. Basically a huge monsoon ensued during our glorious beach resort stay. Winds, lightning, hail…but that was nothing compared to the toddler tantrum that followed. Boredom, a hotel room and a 2 year old. You can do the math. Stuck indoors, here’s how we tackled toddler boredom while on vacation.

Stay Calm

Your toddler is much smarter than you think. If you’re stressed, they can feel the tension. So soak up the new environment, enjoy the quality family time (yes, even the tantrums) and remember that you are helping to create priceless travel memories.

Go to Plan B or C or ZZZ

You’re an awesome parent. You have the creative thinking skills like no other. Have plenty of contingency plans on hand for situations such as weather and traffic. Have back up plans ready for all of your original activities and definitely make sure some “indoor” fun is included.

Keep Snacks Nearby

When in doubt, the stomach always thanks you. Keep lots of snacks on hand to beat boredom. My toddler loves lots of texture oriented snacks, like trail mixes. Think about dividing snacks into smaller pieces (oh yes I break those pretzel sticks in half!) as well to make the time go by. Let those toddlers work on those fine motor skills while they munch! 🙂

Have Travel Toys on Hand

Do you have a stash of portable toys for your toddler? Me too! Light and compact for travel and ready for hours of playtime fun, I save these toys just for occasions such as this. And what is my toddler loving lately for travel boredom busting? Playskool Toys!

Fold n’ Go Busy Elephant

It’s a snuggle friend. It’s a toy. It’s a (shhhh!) learning activity center all in one! I love this little elephant friend for our travel trips.

Built-in with 7 activities for tummy time and beyond, this elephant crinkles, squeaks,and rattles. Peek-a-boo mirror, textured materials, a clicky wheel, a soft plush face, this guy loves to be touched!

He also has huggable softness and is completely fold-able into a compact carrying case (aka my daughter’s “purse”). She loves bringing her elephant with her on vacation.

And since this little guy gets tons of hugs and cuddles (see my daughter falling asleep with him in hand…in the suitcase?), I love that he’s also washable! When our travel is done, I can toss this Elephant into a pillow case for a good clean in the washer! YES!

Stack n’ Stow Cups

This set of nesting cups is utterly brilliant. They stack. They stow. They go! And so much more than your usual toddler toys, this set is perfect for teaching moments with my daughter.

There are shapes. There are colors. There are sizes. There are textures. And there are big ole’ holes for sifting sand or water or anything else!

You can create a tall stacking tower in minutes, working on dexterity, hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. You can nest the cups back together for easy storage, even have “tea” with them (we did!). These cups made their rounds just on this one trip alone.

Made entirely of plastic with an adorable lion friend mold, this set of 7 cups is the perfect toy for travel. Brilliantly portable with the nesting cups easily locking into place for travel, I highly recommend every parent to have this “toddler secret weapon” on hand for travel boredom busting. It certainly turned this rainy frown upside down!

Go with the Flow!

Remember that you are on VACATION! Things may not go as planned. Pictures may not be perfectly posed. Activities may not transpire. But I know that our family memories are more than just rainy days. It was a beautiful beach resort filled with smiles, laughter and fun! Prevent toddler boredom on your next travel adventure with these few tips. We definitely had a great vacation, and a monsoon story to tell.

What is your favorite tip to prevent travel boredom in your kids?

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