Holidays with Toddlers 5 Must-Know Hacks

In the interests of parental transparency, let’s start this article with a big dose of truth. 

Holidays with toddlers can be tough. 

That’s not to say they’re not enjoyable, because they are. They’re the trips where early family memories are made; where you’ll snap photos that’ll hang 
on your wall for decades; where you’ll smile so much your cheeks will hurt. 

What’s more, holidays offer well-being and developmental benefits for little ones, including inspiring a sense of wonder and building their emotional resilience. 

But there’s a lot to keep in mind, and plenty of potential for mishaps, from stuffed toys left behind in the last-minute pack-a-thon to headache-inducing hours in traffic jams. 

With that in mind, we figured we’d share some of our go-to hacks for holidaying with toddlers— from the essentials you’ll need to the backup plans you hope you won’t. 

Pack smart

Let’s start with the monster lurking at the back of every holiday-ready parent’s mind:

Packing.

Whether you’re an overeager early packer or a last-minute white knuckler, your packing prowess matters as departure day draws near. 

And that’s especially true if you’re travelling with a toddler for the first time, trying to decide what’s a toddler holiday essential and what’s extra weight in your carry-on. 

Let’s unpack all things packing, shall we?

In the essentials category, we’ve got your everyday first-aid items, including plasters, children’s medicines, and your go-to for children’s sun safety: suncream. 

If your holiday is of the beach/poolside variety, be sure to pack swim flotation vests, and arm bands or swimming rings for super-safe water playtimes. 

Less physically essential but still very high on the list: toys and games. The specifics are totally up to you but consider the length of your journey and the type of holiday.

Long flight? Plenty of books and colouring. Beach-y setting? Old-school buckets and spades. (Packing them means not overpaying on the seafront. FYI.) 

If you’re keen to get your little one involved in the packing, consider asking them to choose a number of their favourite toys to pack; items they can take ‘ownership’ of. It’ll give them a sense of responsibility and you slightly less packing to do. 

Be sure to make it feel fun and engaging. More “let’s make a list of your 5 favourite toys to take and look after on holiday” and less “you must choose some toys, fast.” 

It’s also worth making sure you’ve got plenty of healthy snacks on hand, especially if your journey is long. They’re nourishing and engaging, which is a parental win-win.

FYI: There are a variety of snack boxes made specifically for toddlers, with compartments for individual snacks, meaning plenty of variety for your little one on longer trips. 

If you’re staying somewhere sunny, maybe even consider taking a blackout blind with you— there’s no accounting for the thickness of hotel curtains. 

It might also be worth packing a thermometer for assessing safe sleeping temperatures for young children in warmer climates. 

Plan ahead

If there’s one universal truth of parenting, it’s the power of planning ahead. 

And that counts tenfold for holidays with young children, where your itinerary should be so precise it could be studied by NASA, who’d find precisely zero holes. 

Okay, yeah. That’s an exaggeration (mostly), but if you’re new to the holidaying with toddlers club, beware the temptation of, well… winging it.  

Instead, spend a little time pre-holiday in full research mode, investigating and plotting which spots you’d like to visit, the activities you’d like to participate in, and even when you’d like to unplug, unwind and listen to waves gently crashing on the shore.  

You could even add to pre-holiday excitement by getting your little one involved in the planning, letting them pick out some places to visit and things to do. 

Whether it’s a rough daily outline or a full-blown itinerary, a few planning sessions can prevent the frustrations of booked-up restaurants, busy beaches, and sold-out activities. 

But what happens if—and we don’t want to jinx you—those plans go awry?

Well, you should… 

Always have a back-up plan

Yep. Your best-laid plans require backup plans. 

But don’t worry, we’re not talking another full-blown itinerary (unless you want to do that, in which case, you do you), more… some alternate options for if plan A explodes. 

Think of it as a mixed bag of backup ideas. Restaurant booking cancelled? You’ve got another in mind. Beach rained out? You’re hitting the child-friendly museum. 

And so on. 

Not that you want plans to fall through, but there’s a smug sort of satisfaction to fate tossing you a hurdle, only for you to leap over it with a big “I’ve got this” grin. 

A note on restaurants

We could fill an entire spin-off blog post with tips for visiting restaurants with toddlers, and the holiday element adds a whole other degree of pressure. 

But fear not. With a little pre-planning (told you: planning is everything) you can handle any dining eventuality. 

For example, check ahead that restaurants have a varied children’s menu filled with things your little one will eat. Oh, and make doubly sure they have highchairs. 

You might also consider packing aprons, bibs, or spare tops to protect your little one’s holiday wardrobe from the inevitable food and drink spillages. 

And when it comes to menus, be sure to involve your little one in the choices, maybe even encourage them to order for themselves. It’s a great opportunity for them to learn and build their confidence. 

Keep safety in mind

As a parent, your mind is always switched to ‘safety’ mode. 

Your child runs; your brain scans for trip hazards. They climb; you tense up a little, ready to leap into action should they slip. It’s instinctive. A parental superpower. 

And much like planning your activities, it’s worth thinking about safety in advance.  

For example, it’s much easier to become separated in busy, unfamiliar spaces, so you might consider using wrist reins or a safety harness. 

If you’re keen to add another layer of protection, there’s a range of GPS trackers for young children available. They’re designed like smartwatches, but without any internet access. Just set it all up, and you’ll get an accurate readout of your little one’s location.  

It’s also worth making sure your child has something with their name and your contact details on them at all times—a simple ID bracelet will do the trick. 

It’s also wise to teach your toddler a code word for if you do become separated. Something funny and unique to help them remember. Then, if you’re separated, you can call out the code word, rather than your little one’s name, keeping their identity private from anyone who may be listening. 

Aside from the scary prospect of separation, you’ve got your everyday, but no less important, safety considerations, such as staying stocked up on plasters and medicines(which should be safely stored away from children), regularly applying sun cream, and keeping your little one fully hydrated. 

If you’re staying in an Air BNB, it’s worth running a risk assessment when you arrive, checking if the garden’s secure, if shared apartment blocks have secure access to facilities, if stairs have robust stair gates, and any pools have pool gates.

It won’t take long, but taking stock of everything on arrival will give you that extra peace of mind that can help you relax and enjoy your time together. 

Think about how you’ll unwind

Holidays with young children can be tiring. There’s a lot to process, and your task list may approach essay-length before you even set off.

But that’s not to say you won’t have time to unplug, unwind, and de-stress. It’s just a case of being strategic about that downtime. You have to—you guessed it—plan for it. 

Let’s face it: your little one isn’t going to stay up all night, so it’s likely that you’ll have evenings to carve out some you-time.

If you’re sleeping in the same room as your little one, you might consider packing a small lamp or booklight for lights out; nobody wants to sit up into the wee hours whispering in the dark. 

You might also consider some classic tag-team parenting. 

For example, if you’re eager to check out a specific museum or tourist spot, plan that trip in advance and speak with your partner about how you’ll divide up the parenting responsibilities to make sure everyone gets the most from your holiday. 

It may feel strange; you may even feel a little pang of guilt, but a little you time is neither wrong nor selfish. It’s essential for your well-being, especially on hectic trips. 

In fact, we’d go so far as to say that tag-team parenting means that you can be fully present with your little one while your partner enjoys some downtime. 

You could even go a step further and allow your little one to choose the activity you’ll do when you’re spending quality time together. It’ll give them a real sense of control over their time and help them develop their confidence.

And there you have it. A batch of hacks for holidays with toddlers to add to your list. What’s on your toddler holiday essentials list? Pay it forward and share on social. 

Need more parenting tips? Check out our blog, where you’ll find articles on everything from no-cost summer activities for children to indoor activities for children.