When travelling by car with babies, toddlers, and young children, you must ensure you pack all necessary items that will not only keep them entertained but safe too. Whether it’s a short or long road trip, you know that packing extra snacks, nappies and toys are just some of the essentials to keep your little ones occupied. Here at Shevron, we created the ultimate checklist for your next road journey with the family.
Absorbent and Environmentally-Friendly Nappies
The number one rule for travel nappies is at least one change after every hour or two. While this may seem quite involving, the idea is always to pack extra for emergencies. You can go for the cheapest, environment friendly but still comfortable choices.
Blankets
They may seem easy to work with, but blankets can give you a hard time when travelling. Instead, you can opt for all-purpose blankets that can double up as baby clothes, sun covers, and even a changing pad. These blankets are perfect for covering your baby when lying down.
Car Seat Undermats
Infant car seat under-mats are a great way to prevent slipping & falling. If you have a leather car seat, it gets dirty and slippery with the baby’s shoe prints over time. The mats provide a barrier between the baby’s feet and the actual seats – preventing them from sliding around as you drive down your favourite roads.
Shevron’s Universal fit Baby Days Deluxe Car Seat Undermat is a perfect choice to protect your upholstery and includes convenient pockets for your child’s essentials.
Baby Wipes
Baby wipes should be an essential part of any traveller’s kit, so it’s no surprise they’re often included as a standard essential for any kind of travel. Baby wipes are great for quickly cleaning little hands and faces, sticky fingers, dummies, toys and just about anything else that might need a quick wipe-down.
Travel Bottles
You have to keep on sanitizing every time you take a break to change the baby. The problem is that you cannot carry the whole sanitiser bottle from home because it will take up too much of your car space. So instead, go for those mini-sized sanitisers to prevent further inconveniences once you are already on the road.
Favourite Toys
Tagging along toys is always a great idea. For example, if your baby is the type to hug their favourite toy once they wake up, you want to ensure that you pack that toy and a few other lightweight toys for extra choice. Depending on the baby’s age, you can pack purposeful toys like teethers, colours, and patterns.
Extra Clothes
Your child will generally need two changes of clothing per day so make sure you pack extra when travelling, especially long road trips. Pack the essentials such as onesies, jumpers, cardigans, leggings or pants and any additional clothing that will be required depending on the weather such as beanies and raincoats.
Try our Baby Days Stroller Tote Bag for those extra essentials.
Washable Bibs
Bibs are like baby aprons to protect them against dirt such as spills and debris. You want to go for the most convenient bibs – easy to wash and use. Bibs will keep your baby safe from messes and prevent unnecessary cloth change on the road.
Sun Safe Hats and Sunscreen
Depending on the weather, consider packing the baby’s hat. A sun safe hat can protect your child from harmful UV rays and prevent skin irritation caused by the sun. It’s also a good idea to use sunscreen if your baby is over six months old.
Porta Cot and Pram/Stroller Shades
When it comes to baby gear, porta cot and pram shades are very popular accessories on the market and are useful when travelling so that when you stop for lunch in the park or a long break, your baby is safe from bugs and UV rays.
See our Baby Days Porta Cot Shades and Pram/Stroller Shades available here.
Travel Tips
1. Safety First
When travelling with young children, you don’t want to end up in a difficult situation where you are stuck in the car for hours waiting for assistance so make sure you have a spare tyre and know how to change one, check that your car has been serviced recently and you are aware of where you need to be and when to refuel your car.
2. Keep Your Supplies Nearby
Keeping supplies in the car is always a good idea. While it may seem easier to grab baby supplies out of the boot, sometimes you’re going to need a nappy or a baby wipe quickly, so it’s handy to have them readily available.
Our Baby Days Travel Seat Protectors are a great way to store everything you need and access it when you need to.
3. Schedule Vital Stops
When you travel with your children, it often helps to make scheduled stops along the way. That way, if your child seems tired or restless, you can pull over and allow them to play for a while before continuing your journey.