Going across country with your little ones can be a wonderful family adventure! But after the snacks have run out toddlers can sometimes get fidgety and restless. Here at So Handmade we have developed some portable and durable toys for taking traveling and keeping kids entertained.
My own son was one of these fidgety and restless kids! That’s when I first had the idea to make my own travel toys to keep him entertained in the car seat, on the plane or even just visiting grandma.
At So Handmade we have developed a range of portable travel play mats to keep kids and toddlers happy and engaged on a long journey. These travel toys fit comfortably onto the lap or tray table and are boundless in the worlds and stories that can be created.
Here is a list of the travel toys and play mats I recommend for some road trip fun!
So Handmade Road Trip Recommendations:
1) Car Play Mat: Zoom and drive cars all over this interactive play mat. Add your favorite cars to the pockets and it rolls up to stow away in your travel bag.
2) Train Play Mat: Hours of fun to be had driving the wooden train all around the track and through the tunnel!
3) Toy Car Storage: Perfect for small hot wheels sized cars it has 6 pockets and rolls up with them all inside!
4) Construction Play Mat: Comes with a wooden construction vehicle which is the perfect size for little hands to hold and drive around the construction zone
5) Toy Car Mat: A lightweight play mat which stows neatly inside the pouch which also has space for storing your little ones favorite cars
6) Download my alphabet road trace to practice letters and numbers and drive around them using a candylab toy car. Great for older toddlers and preschoolers. I also have a ready printed Letters and Numbers Road Trace Activity Workbook here
7) My Travel Wallet is perfect for older children on road trips to collect maps, tickets, postcards and other mementos and journal about their adventure.
I also have a travel gift set here
More Travel Toys Recommendations:
1. Busy Books We love this Plane one!
2. Drawing Doodle Tablet Perfect analog tablet for doodling and drawing
3. Water wow book Color with no mess involved!
4. I Spy Books Great for spending hours looking and finding
5. Fidget Toys for fidgety kids
6. Sticker books this Melissa and Doug one is a favorite
Benefits of Road Trip Toys: Developing Fine Motor Skills
Having a good supply of travel toys can have many benefits:
1) Keeps the child happy and engaged on a long journey
2) Encourages imaginative play
3) Fosters creativity
4) Fine motor skills
5) Learning communication and storytelling skills
6) Counting, number and alphabet recognition
7) Hand eye coordination
Having a great travel toy handy can also help to promote fine motor skills on the go and help the little one start to learn to read like my Alphabet Learning Toy
I also have an uppercase one here: ABC Play Mat
Why Relying on Screens Only Isn’t the Answer
It's so easy to rely on giving little ones screens on long trips but relying on them for the whole journey isn’t the best idea. We all know the detrimental effects long term screen time can have on developing minds.
With my own kids we decided the use the balanced approach and although allowed them for short periods to mirror their own routines at home (such as their favorite show before story time and bed.)
Using travel toys, play mats and other creative toys during the times of day where the kids are normally being active and engaged in meaningful play helps to keep a routine while traveling. It also helps to stimulate their mind to equal amounts as a normal day would.
Tips For Least Stressful Road Trips:
- Factor in the time of day you are making your trip if possible to coincide with their natural nap time. As much as you can try and stick to the same routine for eating meals, and pre nap routines so they can fall asleep easily. For example if you usually read them a story before nap do the same in the car.
- Pack lots of healthy snacks, buying food on the road is always challenging to get the healthy alternatives from the gas stations and remember a non-spillable water bottle for everyone
- Have a change of clothes handy, for all the family! Pack cleaning wipes and a bag for garbage so you can keep the car mess to a minimum!
- A portable potty was a must for us. It saved us many times on road trips when we didn’t have time to find public bathrooms
- Download some audio books before you leave. These are great to have on in the background and fun for all the family. A road trip family favorite of ours is Matilda
- Plan some spots to break up the journey. Make sure they include a play ground or park- somewhere for the little to run! Have a little picnic! Here's my toddler utensil set and play mat:
- Bring some travel toys that they have never seen before so when they are about to explode with fidgeting have a surprise ready for them. Check out my collection of Screen Free Toddler Toys for busy kids on the go!
- You can even wrap these up or have them solve a puzzle or question to get a reward.
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Revive some old games you and your parents used to play as a kid, like 'eye spy' etc. We also love singing along to old classic songs in the car and I have fond memories of doing this as a kid with my own parents.
- I also have this awesome giant coloring page with it great to bring for entertaining your toddlers at your destination! I also have a printable version of the giant construction coloring page here!
Planning Is The Key!
Going on a big trip with your little one in tow can be a stressful experience but with the right planning and having the best travel toys in your arsenal will definitely help to make the journey as fun and memorable as possible.
I hope you like the ideas I have given you.
Have a memorable and enjoyable road trip with your kiddos!
Share your adventures with me @sohandmadellc
Reviews of Our Road Trip Toys: "Kept my kids entertained all the way there!"
Download My Free Road Trip Printables:
I made these great road trip activity sheets for your next trip. These include Road Trip Bingo to spot different things on your journey, a summer bucket list and also some other fun activities to do on the move. Road Trip Printables
If you liked this blog check out my Toddler Travel Tips and Travel Toys and our collection of Road Trip Toys here
Shop Travel Toys To Suit Every Age Here:
