Embarking on a journey with toddlers in tow can be both thrilling and challenging. As parents, ensuring the comfort, safety, and entertainment of our little ones becomes a top priority. From long flights and train rides to adventurous outings, navigating travel with toddlers requires careful planning and preparation. Whether you’re jet-setting to exotic destinations or embarking on a road trip closer to home this Qingming holiday, these travel essentials will help you stay organized and prepared for whatever adventures come your way.
After a few trips with a 3.5-year-old, there are a few items at home that have proven to be essentials for our trips.
1: Jelly sticky books
Jingkids runs a Toy Reviews and Recommendations for parents WeChat Group (Add TBJHelper to join) and we’ve raved about these things multiple times. Unlike regular sticker books, these jelly stickers can be reused over and over. And when they’re no longer sticky, all you need to do is wash them with water and they’re good as new again.
Here’s why they’re great: Not only can your kid play with them like a sticker book, but I’ve noticed my toddler making up stories with them and building different patterns with them over and over. They stick on most surfaces so kids aren’t limited to just the book, and since they’re not real stickers, when it’s time for you to get off the train or plane, you don’t need to spend time peeling them off of anything.
2: Selfie stick
Have you realized that your tripod selfie stick can be used for more than just taking selfies? It works perfectly as a phone holder that doesn’t need a table to rest on. On a plane or train, they fit perfectly in small spaces and will hold your phone high enough for your kids to watch their favorite cartoons without them looking down and getting hours of tech neck in the process.
3: Headphones
Although I’ve noticed that other passengers don’t really complain when a toddler watches her favorite shows without headphones, it’s more polite to use one. I’m sure people would rather hear Paw Patrol in the background than a screaming kid, but long-haul trips make everyone anxious and it’s just good to be considerate of others.
But man, have you checked the prices online for kids’ headphones? The difference between kid and adult ones (aside from the size) is that kid headphones won’t go above a certain decibel, making sure that they’re not harming any still-developing ear drums. After a bit of price and review comparison online, these came highly recommended by parents. Compared to the JBL version that’s RMB 349, these RMB 168 Tinfal ones from Germany are a great deal. As an extra perk, you can preload audio on there and they stretch long enough for adults to use them as well.
Images: Mina Yan, JD.com
