PREPARING FOR MY TRAVEL WITH MY 3-YEAR-OLD SON FOR OUR RESORT POOL VACATION (2023)
Soon, I’ll be traveling with my 3-year-old son and my 11-year-old daughter (without a husband) on a 3+ hour plane ride to a pool resort for our spring vacation. I’ve traveled with toddlers several times in my life, but I still feel the need to make a detailed list of every single thing that I’ll need. As I’ve been doing this for my upcoming vacation, I decided to make my list into a post for you.
MY PACKING LIST & TRAVEL TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH MY 3-YEAR-OLD
Here is my packing list of things I want to remember to bring and some tips I wanted to share with you prior to my trip:
SUN PROTECTION:
- Sun Protection for Lips
- In case anyone's lips get burnt while out at the pool or at the beach, use the Vaseline Lip Therapy with Aloe (the green container) (if it happens and your lips do get sun burnt, then this stuff is hard to find because it's often out of stock at drug stores during vacation breaks .... and sun burn on your lips REALLY HURTS)
- Here is what the Vaseline Lip Therapy with Aloe that I used look like (I used it after I burnt my lips in Mexico one year). It helps a ton if that happens to you.
- Banana Boat After-Sun Moisturizing Lotion
- Sun glasses for toddler
- Swim suit with long-sleeve swim shirt cover
AIRPLANE ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOUR TODDLER:
- Tiny toy airplane for toddler
- TIP:
- I get a toy airplane from the airport gift shop (I try to find one that looks exactly like the plane we’re about to get on - Southwestsells toy airplanes in airport gift shops and they look exactly like their actual airplanes). Make a big fun thing about it and then talk to them abojt airplanes. My son played with and malice airplane noises for 45 minutes as he played with the airplane once we got into the air.
- "Squishies" toys for the airplane
- Amazon Fire for kids
- TIPS:
- Download things on iPad.Fire Tablet THE DAY BEFORE you get on the plane - it takes longer than expected almost always, and it's almost impossible to do at the airport (the WiFi usually has slow download speeds).
- Headphones for kids
- Stickers from dollar store
- Battery Charging Bank Chargers
- For a complete list of toys to bring on the airplane to entertain your 3-year-old, see Top 20 Toys to Bring On the Airplane to Entertain Your Toddler Who Won’t Sit Still.
FOOD FOR AIRPLANE:
- Animal crackers
- Trail mix
- Ritz crackers
- Caramel Apple suckers for the airplane
- TIPS FOR EAR PRESSURE CHANGES WITH YOUR TODDLER ON THE AIRPLANE:
- Yawning is the most effective but if that’s not working die your toddler, then suckers and drinking something is the next best. If your toddler is still drinking milk from the bottle, then try to wait for them to drink it as the plane takes off (wait until AFTER the plane's wheels have literally lifted off of the runway) AND as it lands (right when decent begins and you start to feel that pressure on your ears).
- Apples
- Bananas
- Smuckers Peanut Butter and Jelly (pack still frozen)
- Insulated thermos & Insulated sippy cups (plane and pool)
- TIPS:
- Learn the rules about liquids past the security checkpoint
- Bringing a thermos saves a ton on Airport priced water
PACK THESE FOR ENTERTAINMENT WHILE WAITING FOR DINNER AT A RESTAURANT WITH YOUR TODDLER:
- Water proof playing cards
- See the waterproof playing cards that we purchased from Amazon.
- Crayons and paper
- TIPS:
- When you make reservations at a restaurant, request a BOOTH! If you have a toddler, you probably know why booths are so much easier than actual tables.
POTTY & DIAPER PACKING LIST:
- Pool diapers
- Faucet extender for washing hands in the hotel bathroom
- See the faucet extender that I am bringing with me for my trip (it's from Amazon)
- Post it notes
- TIP:
- Use Post-It Notes to easily cover the sensor of any automatic toilets (those things scare the cr** out of toddlers when they start flushing while the toddler is still sitting on it!)
- Travel potty seat
- Toilet wipes
- Diapers
- Diaper wipes
- Changing pad
- Dirty diaper poop baggies
- TIPS:
POTTY & DIAPER TIPS WHEN TRAVELING WITH YOUR TODDLER:
- If you need to bring your toddler to the bathroom (for a dirty diaper for to use the potty), do NOT use the bathroom in the bath of the plane if possible - it is SO loud back there!
- Be prepared that when you flush the toilet in the airplane bathroom that it’s super super loud and this can be very scary for a toddler. Talk to your toddler about it before you flush.
- Washing your toddler’s hands in the tiny airplane bathroom is a challenge I have yet to overcome - do your best but bring Kleenex hand wipes with you as a backup
LUGGAGE & LAUNDRY:
- An over the shoulder pouch
- Apple AirTags for suitcases
- A diaper bag that’s a backpack
- Gallon sized bags
- Suitcase dividers - color coded by child
- A backpack for my toddler
- A wet swimsuit bag
- A waterproof purse
- Alligator clips to hang swimsuit
- Mesh bag for dirty laundry
- Two small bags of laundry detergent
- Closed Toe Sandals (Toddler)
- Tide Stain Pen and Wipes
- TIPS FOR LUGGAGE WHILE TRAVELING WITH A TODDLER:
- Get a suitcase that connects to other suitcase
TODDLER FUN FOR THE POOL:
- Goggles for kids
- Diving toys
- A waterproof underwater phone case for my iPhone
- My pool bag
- Collapsible raft for pool
- Refillable water balloons for the pool
- Puddle Jumper
- TIPS:
- Puddle Jumpers aren’t available in-stores (that I’ve found yet at least). I HIGHLY recommend packing these in your suitcase - yea, they are worth it
- Here is a photo of our toddler in his puddle jumper and loving it.
- Reminder: Puddle Jumpers are NOT ANY TYPE OF SUPERVISION OR REPLACEMENT FOR SUPERVISION OF A CHILD OF ANY AGE IN THE POOL! This is legit so true.
TOILETRIES TO REMEMBER TO PACK:
- A Velcro Bath Towel Wrap for me - for the hotel room (so I can walk around after I shower and not be naked or have to be worried that my towel is going to fall off of me.)
- Hair detangler (for tween daughter)
- Travel baby shampoo (my toddlers needed the tear-free stuff - most hotels I’ve been don’t have that on hand.)
TODDLER HEALTH STUFF TO PACK IN SUITCASE - JUST IN CASE
- IB Profin, Tylenol and Benadryl (for toddler)
- TIPS:
- I give my child Tylenol and IB Profin 30 minutes prior to the flight (right when we get to the gate). This way, your child won’t ignore the pressure in his ears as the plane takes off and the altitude changes (the medicine won’t have completely kicked in yet), but it will also kick in for them just about right when the plane is done ascending.
- If you’re planning on giving your child Benadryl to help them sleep on the plane (ask your doctor first!), be sure you test this ahead of time (with approval of your doctor) because sometimes Benadryl can have the opposite affect - it can cause them to be the OPPOSITE of sleepy.
- Band-aids and Neosporin
- Anti nausea medication
- Decongestants
- Snot sucker
- Saline spray
- TIPS:
- If a humidifier is needed (and you probably didn’t pack one), then turn the hotel room shower on full heat and run in the bathroom and it will fill up the entire hotel room
- TIPS FOR TODDLER HEALTH EMERGENCY PLANNING:
- Research ahead of time the closet children’s urgent care and ER in the area you will be - the front desk might not always have a recommendation and even if they do, it might not be the best one. I wish I would have found the best nearby hospital prior to going up north a few summers ago - my daughter needed stitches and we went to an extremely small hospital in a very small town and it was obvious that they were fluent in giving stitches to children (and the doctor left a bad scar - thankfully it was only her knee). If I could go back on time, I would have driven an additional 20 minutes to a larger, my repeatable, hospital for her stitches.
PACK IN YOUR DIAPER BAG FOR AIRPLANE:
- Spare change of clothes for the airplane
- Their Lovies (my son’s Lovie is the stuffed light brown dog from IKEA - he named him Fluffy)
- Disinfecting wipes for surfaces
- Hand disinfecting wipes for hands
- Pedialyte individual packs of juice
- Crystal light individual packs of juice
- I found these at Costco for a great deal!
- Suckers for the kids to suck on while on the airplane
- Suckers will help with the pressure on their ears.
- Fruit snack gummies for ears
- TIPS:
- Bring spare change of clothes on plane if checking bag
- Bring changes of socks for everyone
TRANSPORTATION ITEMS FOR YOUR TODDLER:
- Stroller
- Convertible car seat - travel
- TIP:
- If renting a car seat, call rental car place way ahead of time
- Look into renting a car seat from a local baby gear rental company
OTHER TIPS FOR YOUR TRAVEL TRIP WITH YOUR TODDLER:
HOTEL ROOM TIPS:
- Ask for a room near elevator if noise is ok. This makes going up and down and back and forth to the pool soo much easier!
- If there’s a complimentary breakfast buffet, ask your hotel about bringing a to-go plate up to the room with you instead of eating at a table. My toddlers have needed downtime on some mornings during vacation and it’s much more relaxing to have them eat in the hotel room before starting the day than it is to try to keep them in their seats during breakfast (especially before you’ve had your coffee).
- Utilize the ice machine with your insulated thermos to save money on water.
TIPS FOR A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP FOR TODDLER IN THE HOTEL ROOM:
- Find a hotel that has two separate rooms - one for you and one for your toddler - similar to a living room and then a bedroom area.
- Use a white noise machine (see the travel white noise machine we have here).
- If white noise isn’t your thing, check out my playlist on Apple Music that I made for my toddler that helps him relax and sleep (it’s Spanish guitar music - Acoustic - to the melodies of the best Disney songs).
TIPS FOR THE AIRPLANE AND THE AIRPORT
- Utilize family boarding (for Southwest Airlines, families board between Group A and Group B).
- Give your toddler the window seat - where they can look out the window AND be contained. This might mean you have to sit on the middle seat but I promise it’s worth it if you can comfortably fit in the middle seat.
- Don’t forget to CHECKIN to southwest!
- Wear comfy shoes
- Bring layers for the plane - snap pants over shorts if coming from a colder climate
- get there early and let them run around BEFORE the airplane
- Check TripAdvisor ahead of time for kid friendly ideas for the area you’re visiting
- Print the paper form of your airplane ticket - your hands are going to be full
- Have a plan for the plane and be prepared for a tantrum
- Keep your toddler's seat belt on AT ALL TIMES - not only just for safety reasons , but because if you don’t, and if your toddler gets a taste of freedom to roam up and down the airplane aisles, they might not want to go back to their seats when the seatbelt sign turns back on. In my experience, this is when tantrums are likely to occur.
MY FAVORITE APPS FOR A 2-YEAR-OLD
- “Make It Pop” in the Apple AppStore
- Any Drawing app
- TIP:
- ENABLE GUIDED ACCESS ON YOUR IPHONE (if your have an iPhone)!
- This is SO helpful! Guides access prevents your child from doing anything on your phone other than the app that you have opened for them (they won’t be able to accidentally open your emails or texts, etc.). Once enables, all you will need to do is triple click on the side button of your iPhone (and create a passcode) to enable Guided Access; and then to disable it, you triple click the side button and then enter the passcode once again.
- Here are instructions for enabling Guided Access on your iPhone from the Apple Support website
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