Summertime means travel time. And this year traveling with a toddler it’s even more special for us. Last year, we took the car to our annual summer vacay to the South of France. William was just 6 weeks old back then and slept most of the drive. This year, at 1 year and almost 2 months we decided that flying would be the better choice.

Traveling and summer vacation with a toddler is far different from traveling alone or as a couple. Thankfully, there a few things that make traveling way easier. Find all my favorites below:

On the plane

Busy Board – I first saw this Busy Board on Caitlin Covington’s Instagram Story from the blog southerncurlsandpearls.com and immediately knew that William would love it. It’s amazing, even for restaurant visits. He is especially fond of the Velcro fastener. 

Steiff elephant “Timmi” – This stuffed animal is by far the best purchase I made so far. William absolutely adores it. He wouldn’t take a pacifier as a baby, but he surely loves chewing on the leaf attached to the elephant. It’s amazing for take-off and landing when the pressure changes.

iPad games – When all else fails, iPad games are a surefire way to keep your little one entertained. My mom always has several Candy Crush games. William also loves Talking Tom a lot. He will pet him constantly and giggles happily when he purrs. 

On the beach

Beach Towel – William, the prince he is, doesn’t really like sitting in the sand. So, I bought this blue and white striped beach towel and absolutely loved it. He’d sit there with his shovel, bucket, and sand shapes and be happy. 

Beach Toy Set – Even though he was still a little small playing with all the shapes and digging in the sand, he loved sticking the shovel in the sand. 

Sun Lotion Spray – Spraying your toddler with sun lotion instead of putting lotion on is a total game changer. William is used to being moisturized but he has way more fun with the spray. It also spreads easier. So yes, I would always choose the spray over the lotion for toddlers. 

Floatie – Guys, I absolutely love this floatie for little kids under the age of 2 that can’t have swimmies yet. They get the feeling of what it feels like swimming without the danger 

Little Lamb Swim Diaper – The ever nature conscious person I am, I wanted a reusable swim diaper that also had a cute design. Not the easiest task to be honest. Until I stumbled upon this swim diaper by the company Little Lamp. To me, the usefulness is a little questionable as the diaper is not leak proof. So, you either need to put in an additional inlay or you risk having all the pee in the water (which is not a big deal in the ocean but could cause some hygiene problems in a pool). Thus, it’s not really a thump up for me and I’m happy for any suggestions and tips.

On the go

Sonarin Travel Buggy – Again, I wanted a travel buggy that’s lightweight, not bigger than your usual hand luggage, and still looks good. Easier said than done. Most buggies come in black or grey, not really color schemes I prefer. My friend had the Sonarin Travel Buggy in beige and the rose gold frame and leather optic parts convinced me already back then. I initially opted for the blue and gold version but since it was sold out everywhere, I decided to take the beige one as well. The buggy is very easy to use but it’s not quite comfortable. William hates sleeping in there so if you have a very picky kid like me who prefers comfort over everything, know that this buggy is great for getting around and that’s it. 

Buggy Organizer – My mom actually picked out this buggy organizer. It’s perfect for when you have an older kid and don’t want to carry around a diaper bag everywhere you go anymore. Throw in a few diapers, clothes for change, wipes, bottle, and a few toys and you are good to go. We even used it to store groceries in once. 

Snacks and Quetschies – Total game changer when on the go and your kid is hungry. William loves the apple rice waffles, corn puffs and the veggies sticks. He is also a big fan of the cream of wheat quetschies by Freche Freunde. If all fails, I always have a banana in my bag too. Nothing puts more stress on traveling than a hungry kid. 

That’s my list of things I totally swear by when traveling with a toddler. If there is anything else you like to add, let me know in the comments below. Wishing you a great summer with lots of memorable moments!