A comfort toy and travel – 5 fun and stress free ways to bring them everywhere you go

A comfort toy is everything for some kids. Sometimes your child cannot leave home without them. And trips can be really hard on kids.

We went on a road trip across the country earlier this summer with a 2 year old and a 5 month old. They both did really well in the car, but my 2 year old daughter did not handle the places we stayed well. She cried unless she was being held almost the whole time we were at my husband’s aunt and uncle’s house. Every kid is different, but whenever you travel there will be some level of stress involved. Enter the importance of being able to incorporate your child’s favourite comfort toy into your trip.

My daughters comfort toy is referred to as a lovey – which is how I may refer to it in this handy idea list.

A lovey has a strange life, or at least my daughter’s stuffed elephant blanket named Lumpy does. One minute she is being hugged more than I ever am and the next she is being launched through the air. Lumpy acts as my daughter’s baby, BFF, and baseball. Due to this strong bond, I have realized how important it is to include Lumpy in some capacity on trips. Here are 5 easy things you can make to help incorporate a lovey into your trip whether they get to physically come or not.

5 Ways to Incorporate a Comfort Toy on a Trip

Check out my 5 tried and tested ways to incorporate a comfort toy on a trip

1. Make your toddler a backpack just for their comfort toy

Trip souvenirs are great, but your child’s lovey doesn’t need them. You don’t want a gum stain from being dropped on the sidewalk, a tear from catching on a railing, or a whole new lovey after the original got lost. We always bring a backup just in case, but all of these “souvenirs” are still better avoided. To keep Lumpy close, safe, and off the ground I made a backpack that is just the right size for Lumpy to fit in. My daughter absolutely loves carrying her around in it.

2. Familiarize your toddler with new people using their comfort toy

Whether your kid’s gets to come on your trip or not, make these fun wipe lid photos. They are especially great if you are going to a family reunion or meeting up with friends that your child is not familiar with. Make a wipe lid picture for everyone you are going to see and include one for their lovey. Your child will know the people they meet are friends and family just like their lovey is. If you have to leave a special lovey behind, having a protected and small picture of them might be perfect for helping your child cope.

3. Embrace pretend play to keep your child entertained

My daughter loves playing mommy to Lumpy. One of her favorite activities is to put her down for naps. To embrace this and keep her entertained for the hours we were on the road, I made this bed out of a Dollar Tree caddy. It conveniently sticks to a car window to keep a napping lovey in arms reach of your child. If you want to take your toddler’s pretend play further, make a lovey sleep sack to go with it.

4. Use a variation of an old favorite to keep your child entertained

Papers dolls have been around forever as an easy way to keep kids entertained. You can improve on this idea and make a laminated paper doll of your child’s lovey. You can use Velcro to attach laminated clothes. This won’t take up much room and should be able to handle the roughness of traveling. A lovey lookalike doll can also be a substitute for a real lovey if they can’t come on the trip.

5. Keep in touch with a comfort toy left behind by writing them letters

If you need to leave your child’s lovey behind for any reason, let them keep in touch. Make this simple portable mailbox and let your toddler write them postcards and letters throughout the trip. If they are younger you can write for them. When you get home you will have a fun trip journal from your kid’s perspective. You might want to have someone they know send them a letter before you leave to help them understand how letters work.

Conclusion

Whether you are going on a trip across town, the country, or the world, have a wonderful time. Traveling with kids is tough and you deserve credit for choosing to go anyway. I hope these crafts help you incorporate a comfort toy into your trip and make the best memories possible. Safe travels!

For these handy ideas click on the links throughout, or head to Crayons and Spice to subscribe to more great ideas.