7 Amazon Must-Haves for a Road Trip with a Toddler
Road-tripping with a toddler can feel overwhelming, but after three 12+ hour road trips in the last two years (yes, we were crazy enough to start when our youngest was still in diapers and breastfeeding!), my husband and I have learned a few tricks.
With two kids now 3.5 and nearly 6, we’ve fine-tuned our packing list to include the essentials that keep everyone happy, comfortable, and entertained. Whether heading out for a weekend getaway or a cross-country adventure, these 7 Amazon must-haves will make your road trip smoother and more enjoyable for everyone!
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1. Backseat Car Organizer with Tablet Holder
Why You Need It:
Long car rides mean snacks, toys, water bottles, and activity books. A backseat organizer keeps everything within reach so you don’t constantly have to turn around to grab things.
✨ Our Pick:
This car seat organizer has multiple storage pockets, a tablet holder for occasional screen time, and a built-in cup holder.
Bonus: It protects your seats from little feet!
2. Toddler Travel Tray
Why You Need It:
Road trips mean snacking, coloring, sticker books, and toy cars rolling everywhere—unless you have a travel tray. This keeps everything contained and gives your toddler a little “table” in their car seat.
✨ Our Pick:
This travel tray has a cup holder, storage pockets, and a wipeable surface—perfect for messes (because, let’s be real, there will be messes).
We previously used hard plastic travel trays. I liked the sturdiness of them, but the ability to fold this travel tray up allowed it to earn first place in our rating.
3. Leak-Proof Snack Containers
Why You Need It:
Crushed homemade sourdough Goldfish on the car floor (because yes, I am THAT mom when I start making snacks for a road trip)? No thanks. Leak-proof snack containers let kids feed themselves without turning the backseat into a disaster zone.
✨ Our Pick:
We actually have two that we love
These snack cups are spill-proof and soft for tiny hands. Hello, double win!
This awesome little snack spinner doubles as a great snack holder but also a form of entertainment. Something about having snacks in a spinning dispenser makes snacking way more exciting. My littles even enjoy filling their spinner snack holder up before we get on the road.
4. No-Spill Water Bottles
Yeti Insulated Cup
Available in 23 awesome colors
Why You Need It:
Hydration is key, but you don’t want to be dealing with spills at every stop. A toddler-friendly, leak-proof water bottle is a must.
✨ Our Pick:
This Yeti insulated cup keeps drinks cold for hours and is easy for little hands to open and close on their own.
Plus, there are tons (23 to be exact) of color options to satisfy all the kiddos in your car and help differentiate between whose is whose.
5. Melissa & Doug Mess-Free Entertainment
Why You Need It:
Keeping toddlers entertained without creating a massive mess is the goal when sitting in a car for hours. Melissa & Doug offer a handful of really great limited mess options that are sure to keep the kids entertained but the car as clean as possible. Each of these items doubles as a great quiet bag item for taking the kids to church or any sort of event that might last for more than 30 minutes but requires being quiet and calm.
✨ Our Picks:
Melissa & Doug Water Wow! is reusable and only requires water—so no stains on car seats!
Melissa & Doug Sticker Wow! provides fun sticker entertainment, without the worry of stickers that will end up on your windows and be a royal pain to clean off.
Melissa & Doug Seek and Find Sticker Pad offers great entertainment and a great form of brain exercise. However, these stickers might end up on your windows, so save them for a slightly older child.
Melissa & Doug Take-Along Magnetic Jigsaw Puzzle is a darling little magnetic puzzle that keeps kids away from screen entertainment a little bit longer.
6. Toddler Headphones for Quiet Entertainment
Why You Need It:
If you’re allowing some audiobooks, music, or a favorite show, volume-limited toddler headphones let your child enjoy their entertainment without blasting it for the whole car.
✨ Our Pick:
These toddler-safe headphones are volume-limited, comfortable, and foldable for easy storage.
7. Travel Potty (Because Accidents Happen!)
Why You Need It:
When you’re miles from the nearest rest stop, a portable potty is a lifesaver—especially for potty-training toddlers!
✨ Our Pick:
This compact travel potty folds up small, uses disposable liners, and can double as a seat reducer for public restrooms.
Pro Tip: Toss a diaper inside of the toilet before your little one goes. This will help soak up the mess, and you can just tie up your disposable liner and be on. your way. Is this 100% necessary? Maybe not! BUT, if that liner has a leak before you get to the next trash can, you will be mighty glad you did.
Pro PRO Tip: Do you have a little one who you recently potty trained, and this will be their first road trip since? To play it safe, but avoid reverting all the hard work y’all have already put into potty training, put a diaper or potty pad underneath your child in the car seat. If they do have an accident, you will have to change their clothes, but, your entire car seat won’t be soaked in urine for the remainder of the drive. #momwin
Bonus Tip: Pack a Road Trip Surprise Bag!
One trick we’ve found super helpful is bringing a “surprise bag” with small new toys, books, or fidget toys. Every couple of hours, we pull something out to keep things fresh and exciting!
✨ Need a quick packing checklist? Download my FREE Toddler Road Trip Checklist [here]!
Whether you’re heading out for a short drive or a cross-country adventure, these essentials will keep your toddler happy and your sanity intact.
What’s your #1 road trip must-have for kids? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear!