Family Vacation: What to Pack to Keep Your Toddler Busy!

We went to Palm Springs for our first vacation as a family of four! Traveling with two little ones is a whole different kind of trip! The three hour flight felt like an eternity! There were a number of times where the hubby and I just looked at each other in absolute shock at the chaos! (Especially on the plane.) We still made sure to soak up the sun and warmth, play in the pool and explore the city!

But let me tell you, I am SO happy I packed Emilia her own suitcase full of activities for the plane and for some downtime at our AirBnB!

I collected a bunch of activities and games for Emilia and packed them up in a little carry-on suitcase to keep her busy on the flight! Emilia was beyond thrilled to have her own little suitcase and even MORE excited to open it and find some goodies inside! Most of these activities are durable, multiple use toys, which I love! I didn’t want to pack things that we’d have to throw away and replace for the way home. So here’s my list!

1. Peppa’s Storybook Collection: I figured rather than bringing multiple books in our carry-on, I would bring one book with multiple stories. It was less to keep track of and still had lots of stories for Emilia to read!

2. Let’s Play and Learn Soft Activity Book: I LOVE this!! This is a beautiful hands-on book that I got from @happytinker_ . It has so many cool activities for Emilia to do, like a Velcro puzzle, counting beads, and matching emotions! This book is great for Emilia’s age! (but @happytinker_ has a variety of soft books for all different ages.) The little pieces were a challenge to keep together on the flight but this book was great for Emilia to do at our AirBnB.

3. Melissa & Doug Water WOW!: This is a great NO-MESS activity! Fill the pen with water and “color” on page to uncover the pictures! So fun and so easy!

4. Sticker Book: This was my one disposable item but you can’t go wrong with stickers! After giving Emilia a pack of stickers, I typically get covered with them but it entertains her so I’m fine with that!

5. Melissa & Doug Wood Puzzle: Emilia is obsessed with these right now! She has spent hours doing these puzzles! If we weren’t out exploring or in the pool, she would ask to do a puzzle. It’s made out of wood so it’s super durable and I just put them in ziplock bags for the flight.

6. Waterdoodle: Similar to the Melissa & Doug Water WOW!, you fill the marker with water. But with this one, you can draw your own picture! The water will dry fairly quickly so that you can draw lots of different pictures!

If you’re going on a family vacation with a toddler, do yourself a favor and bring along some of these durable activities!

What are your tips for travelling with a toddler and a baby? I’d love to know!!