I’m a stay-at-home mom on the go. Yet, the first time I buckled my backseat babbler into his car seat, mom guilt hit harder than a contraction. Even now that he enjoys our destinations, I still feel a twinge each time I snap the harness in place for another ride.
What I’ve done to make his drive time better has made local errands and outings easier for both of us. Here’s hoping you’ll find these tips helpful, too.
Create a Car Basket
Step one: Find a basket for the car. This will hold toys and books that your tot only has access to during transport. Because he has limited time with these items, my son willingly crawls into his car seat, eager to play. “And what does he play with?” you ask.
Engage with Screen-Free Toys
My son’s favorite screen-free toys include board books, musical toys and a play steering wheel. For button-loving babes, try the Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy or upgrade to the Discovery FM Radio, which adds a dial for fine motor skills and cause-and-effect learning. Choose durable, washable and lightweight items to ensure safe, long-lasting fun.
If you’re at a loss for where to start, here are some toys I recommend:
- Bright Starts Steering Wheel
- Discovery FM Radio
- Light switch busy board
- FAO Schwarz Glow Palette
- OombeeCube
- PlayTab Sensory Board
Leverage Local Consignment Stores for Travel Gear
Choose secondhand toys and books that can handle the inevitable wear of backseat play. Check out Buy Nothing Facebook groups in neighborhoods such as Overland Park, Lee’s Summit and Waldo, or browse Facebook Marketplace for free and discounted finds.
Visit Savers locations in Overland Park, Independence or Kansas City, Mo., to snag deals like five children’s books for $5.
Rotate Interactive Board Books for Story Time on the Go
Turn car rides into story time with board books that boost toddler dexterity and literacy. Stock up on flap, slide-and-pull, touch-and-feel, trace, pop, button and read-along titles. Visit your local KC library branch or browse their catalog for interactive board books and read-along audiobooks (hardcovers with preloaded audio players that offer narration and Learning Mode questions).
For durability, try the Indestructibles series by Kansas City’s Amy Pixton, a mom of triplets. Her chew-proof, rip-proof books, made of washable, nontoxic material, withstand toddler wear and tear. Find them at Fat Brain Toys.
Toddlers practicing dexterity will enjoy books with scaling pages or tabs to turn. Introduce sensory reads like Usborne’s That’s Not My series. Other favorites include Busy Bug Hotel and Noisy Vehicle Garage by Rebecca Weerasekera, or Baby on Board: Bus by Ruth Symons, which features slides and wheels. As your baby’s skills grow, rotate in Melissa & Doug’s Poke-a-Dot books or Johnny Dyrander’s Make Tracks series for tactile fun.
Keep your toddler’s car library fresh by adding a new title each month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which mails free (and often tear-resistant) books.
Curate a Toddler Playlist
Be it a head bob or clapping hands, my little guy has a little dance in him, even in the car seat. Unless he’s asleep, we’re jamming to a playlist of tunes he loves.
Stretch Naps with a Portable Fan
Kansas City’s variable weather can make car rides stuffy, but a portable fan changes everything. Ours wraps around a headrest to face my son. It’s been a nap extender like no other. When the fan is on, he stirs far less at stoplights and tends to sleep a little extra.
Pack a Snack Stash
Prevent meltdowns on the go with easy-to-eat snacks. For us, that means chewy That’s It bars from Costco or freeze-dried fruit and Bamba peanut snacks from Trader Joe’s. Don’t forget water bottles in case of emergencies.
Keep an Extra Outfit
Spills and potty-training accidents are toddler trademarks. Keep a spare outfit in a ziplock bag for quick changes after a sippy cup mishap or diaper leak. You can store the soiled outfit in the ziplock until you make it home to your laundry room.
Keep an Umbrella Stroller Handy for Quick Stops
I try to learn from mistakes. But I kept finding myself in the middle of one with my pants down in a public bathroom stall as I precariously held a wriggling toddler and tried to hula my undies back up to my hips. Then came the task of buttoning and zipping one-handed. How could I keep my toddler clean while doing my business and still have both hands to put myself together?
An umbrella stroller. It’s too simple, too easy. The standard one I use locks into place with one step. I don’t even need to put shoes on my little one. I just buckle him and wheel us into the handicapped stall. He’s confined and keeps his hands clean.
These lightweight strollers fold compactly to fit in your trunk and are lifesavers for the post office, bank or rest stops. In KC, snag one affordably at a local Target or Walmart, or check consignment shops for barely used models.
Shop at Kid-Friendly Businesses
Kiddos love to be included in our daily tasks. Look forward to grocery shopping with them by choosing stores that cater to families.
- Sign up in store for Hy-Vee Kids Club! As you scratch off your shopping list, your tag- along may choose a piece of fresh fruit from the produce section, a cookie from the bakery, a slice of cheese from the deli, a balloon from the floral department, a sticker from the pharmacy and a sucker at checkout. What’s more, Hy-Vee hosts monthly events, such as Pot a Plant for Mom on May 9 from 10-1 and Grill-Out With Dad on June 20 from 10-1!
- Opt for Price Chopper locations across the metro for child-friendly carts with steering wheels up front that turn shopping into pretend drives. McKeever’s Price Chopper (Leawood) offers a free balloon from the floral department.
- Trader Joe’s takes it up a notch with kid-sized miniature carts that let tots navigate the aisles alongside mom and dad. Each store has its own unique stuffed animal mascot hidden for a scavenger hunt. At the Leawood location, it’s Howie the Hippo. At Ward Parkway, it’s Waldo the Walrus. Don’t forget a punny sticker at checkout!
- Bulk shopping at Costco and Sam’s Club often means samples! These are great little munches that won’t spoil their next meal and are clearly marked with allergens.
Traveling with toddlers can be easier if you’re willing to put in a little extra effort before you pull out of the driveway. Make your KC outings a win for the driver and rider with these tips!
Now that I have, my mom guilt fades with each new memory of passing back a book when he says “peas” or navigating the aisles at Price Chopper as he uses both wheels to drive the cart.