Travel Activity Box for Toddlers

Keeping toddlers entertained while traveling can sometimes be difficult. That is why preparing a travel activity box is such a great idea.

Before we went on our trip last week I put together a little box of activities for Janna, who is 14 months old. I was hoping it would provide us with some things to keep her occupied while in the vehicle and at the house we were renting for the week.

It got more use in the car than in the house, but it was definitely something I am glad I put together. I used a Sterlite Show-offs container with a locking lid. The dimensions of the container are 10 1/2 inches by 7 7/8 inches by 7 inches.

The box had to include a few favorite books. I chose The Very Hungry Caterpillar (along with our little stuffed caterpillar) and Who Says Quack? (Which is obviously well-loved.) board books. (Affiliate Links)

I included a few non-toy items because, while my children do enjoy their toys, they always seem to be interested in my things. So, I put the following items into the activity box:

• a used gift card
• an old CD
• an old set of keys
• a set of metal mixing spoons (I used a key ring to keep them together.)
• an old cell phone which had the battery taken out of it.

I also included some homemade sensory items.

• In the back is a glitter bottle which I made similar to this mind jar. I would have liked to have had a smaller bottle. Maybe next time. I did hot glue the lid.
• The bottle with a red lid is an old plastic spice jar that I cleaned out and and filled halfway with colored sand. I also hot glued this lid.
• The small pill bottle filled about halfway with unpopped popcorn kernels. This lid is hot glued, too. (A reader pointed out that the pill bottle might make kids think that all pill bottles are toys. While this hasn’t happened with my children, please use your best judgement about including this item.)
• I found a wooden ring that was about 2-3 inches in diameter and tied small ribbons onto it. I heat sealed the ends of the ribbon with a candle to prevent fraying.
• I filled an empty Eclipse gum container with 4 strips of flannel fabric that I had cut using pinking shears.

Janna loved these items because they were fun to shake. The gum container and fabric may have been her favorite item of the whole box. She spent a lot of time opening and closing the lid and taking the fabric out and then putting it back in.

The box also included a homemade wool ball, a tiny netting “scratcher”, and a piece of shiny ribbon.

I did put a few toy items in the box such as:

• a Thomas train
• a few LEGO Duplo Blocks (Dora came with a set I can’t find on Amazon anymore.)
• Sophie the Giraffe Teether
• a baby safe mirror
• a small Magna Doodle (Janna was supervised at all times with this one.).

Everything fit right inside the container. I have taken a couple of items out since our trip, but most things will stay in it and will be helpful for shorter car rides.

My niece who is just a few weeks older also loved the items in this activity box. So, it kept two toddlers entertained for the price of one. 😉

What kinds of toys and/or non-toys do you take on trips for your toddler?

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