Toddler Packing List: Interactive Checklist by Age and Trip Type

Pack a toddler in two layers. The carry-on or day bag holds everything for the travel day plus one day of delay: diapers, a full change of clothes, food, medicine and the comfort object. The checked bag or trunk holds the rest of the trip. Below the checklist you'll find what goes where, what TSA allows for formula and milk, how the list changes by age, and the extras for international trips, cruises and road trips.

Quick answer

• Carry-on: diapers and wipes for the travel day plus extras, two outfits, snacks and milk, all medication, the lovey, entertainment, documents.
• Checked bag: clothes for the trip (split across bags if you can), full-size toiletries, sleep gear, shoes beyond one pair.
• Buy on arrival: most diapers, wipes, sunscreen and snacks, unless you're headed somewhere remote or on a ship.

Use the interactive checklist

Set your child's age, how you're traveling, how long you'll be away and where you're headed. The list adjusts, suggests quantities for your whole family, and sorts everything into the travel-day bag or the main luggage. Tick items as you pack, mark the ones you'll buy at your destination, and skip what you don't need. Your list saves in this browser. Print it, copy it into your notes, or share a link with the other adult packing.

What goes in a toddler's carry-on bag for a flight?

The carry-on should get you through the whole travel day and one more if your checked bag goes missing. Pack diapers for the flight time plus several hours, wipes, a changing pad, two outfits for the child, a spare shirt for you, sealed bags for soiled clothes, snacks, a sippy or straw cup, milk or formula, every medication, the comfort object, a layer for the cold cabin, and entertainment with headphones. Put documents in a pocket you can reach without unpacking. A packing cube or pouch system keeps these sorted so you aren't digging at the gate.

Carry-on checklist

• Diapers (count the travel hours plus a generous delay buffer) and a full pack of wipes
• Changing pad, diaper cream, sealed bags
• Two complete outfits for the toddler, one top for each adult
• Snacks, an empty water bottle, a spill-proof cup
• Formula, breast milk or toddler milk for the travel day
• All medications, a thermometer, and a few basics from your first aid kit
• Lovey, pacifier, small blanket
• Tablet with downloaded shows, toddler headphones, two or three small toys
• IDs, passports, boarding passes, insurance cards

Can you bring formula, breast milk and baby food through TSA?

Yes. TSA treats formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby or toddler food, including puree pouches, as medically necessary liquids. They are allowed in carry-ons in quantities over 3.4 ounces and do not need to fit in the quart-size bag. Tell the officer at the start of screening and take them out of your bag to be screened separately. Ice packs, gel packs and liquid-filled teethers are also allowed. TSA suggests clear bottles rather than pouches, because pouches may need extra screening. Read TSA's traveling with children page and its breast milk guidance before you fly.

The same exception covers medications. TSA's liquids rule page lists medications and infant and child nourishment as exceptions to the 3-1-1 limit. Your own toiletries still follow the normal rule: containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, all in one quart-size bag. Our TSA rules for formula, breast milk and baby food guide goes into more detail. For anything else, search TSA's What Can I Bring list.

What goes in the checked bag?

Everything you won't need before you arrive. That means clothes for the trip, pajamas, sleep sacks, extra shoes, full-size toiletries, swim gear, a portable crib if you're bringing one, and any sleep accessories such as blackout shades or a sound machine. If you check two bags, split each person's clothes across both so a single lost bag doesn't leave anyone with nothing to wear. Put a contents list and your phone number inside each bag, because outside tags can tear off. Bag liquids in zip-top bags so a leak stays contained.

Checked bag checklist

• One outfit per day, plus two or three spares (fewer if you'll have laundry)
• Pajamas and sleep sack, with the TOG matched to the destination's temperature
• Swimsuit, swim diapers, sun hat
• Full-size toiletries, toothbrush and toothpaste
• Night-light, sound machine, blackout shade
• Travel crib or toddler travel bed, if you aren't renting one

Strollers and car seats usually travel free on US airlines, but policies differ, so check with your carrier. Our airport guide covers gate-checking, and our renting vs bringing guide helps you decide whether to fly with bulky gear at all.

How does the packing list change by age?

Baby (under 12 months)

Feeding drives the list. Bring bottles, formula or a pumping and cooler setup, more burp cloths than seem reasonable, and spare outfits, because blowouts and spit-up happen more often at this age. For sleep, use a crib, bassinet, portable crib or play yard that meets federal safety standards, with only its own firm, flat mattress. The AAP's safe sleep guide lists the rules. A carrier is often easier in airports than a stroller.

1-year-old

Mobility changes the list. Add outlet covers and cabinet locks for the hotel, a portable high chair or booster, a snack catcher cup and soft-soled shoes. Most 1-year-olds are moving from bottles to cups, so pack whichever one your child is actually using right now.

2- to 3-year-old

Entertainment and independence change the list. Add a small backpack your child can carry, activity kits and headphones. If your child is potty training, add a folding potty seat, pull-ups for travel days and extra underwear. Our potty training travel guide covers the full kit. A toddler who has outgrown a play yard may need a travel bed with rails.

What extras do you need for an international trip?

• A passport for every child. US citizens of any age need their own passport book for international air travel.
• A consent letter if one parent is traveling alone with the child. It's widely recommended, and some countries ask for one. Check your destination's entry requirements.
• A universal plug adapter for the sound machine, tablet and bottle warmer.
• Medication in its original labeled packaging, plus a note of your child's weight and doses from your pediatrician. Brand names differ abroad.
• Formula and a familiar snack supply for the first few days. The same brand may not be sold where you're going.
• Health guidance for the destination. The CDC's family travel page covers vaccines and illness risks.

Our international travel guide and jet lag guide cover the rest.

What extras do you need for a cruise?

Ships are self-contained, so anything you forget costs more on board or isn't sold at all. Bring enough diapers and wipes for the whole sailing, plus swim diapers. Bring a night-light, because interior cabins are completely dark, and a sound machine to cover hallway noise. Pack a lanyard or pouch for cabin key cards and over-the-door hooks for storage. Check your cruise line's rules before you pack. Many lines limit children in diapers to dedicated splash areas, set minimum sailing ages for infants, and ban some electrical items such as surge-protected power strips. Our cruise guide goes further.

What extras do you need for a road trip?

In a car, the risk is not being able to reach what you need, not running out. Keep a grab bag behind the passenger seat with wipes, a change of clothes, sealed bags, paper towels and snacks. Add window shades and a backseat organizer, a portable potty if your child is training, and the car seat manual. Keep coats off in the car seat, since bulky layers leave the harness loose, and use a blanket over the buckled harness instead. Our road trip survival guide covers timing and stops.

What not to pack: buy it there

• The whole trip's diapers and wipes: pack the travel days, then buy the rest at your destination (cruises and remote places are the exception)
• Full-size sunscreen and toiletries: easy to buy on arrival
• More than a day or two of snacks
• Bulky toys: two or three small, new-to-them items go further
• More than two pairs of shoes

Packing tips that prevent common problems

1. Pack a day early. Packing the morning you leave is when the lovey gets forgotten.
2. Photograph each suitcase's contents. An airline claim for a lost bag asks for an itemized list.
3. Wear the bulkiest layers. Coats and heavy shoes go on bodies, not in bags.
4. Bring an empty water bottle through security and fill it at a fountain.
5. Take a photo of your child each travel morning. If you get separated, you have a current picture showing what they're wearing.

Related guides

• Flying With a Toddler: Complete Guide
• Navigating Airports With a Toddler
• Hotel Room Baby-Proofing Checklist
• Feeding a Toddler While Traveling
• Renting vs Bringing Gear

How we put this together: we compiled this list from TSA, AAP and CDC guidance and from product specifications. We have not tested the products linked here. Check your airline's and cruise line's own policies before you travel.