Can You Bring It Through TSA? Baby and Toddler Items A–Z

Almost everything a baby or toddler needs can go through TSA security. Formula, breast milk, toddler drinks, baby food, puree pouches and children's liquid medicine are exempt from the 3.4-ounce liquids limit, as long as you declare them at the start of screening. Ordinary creams, lotions and sunscreen still follow the 3-1-1 rule in your carry-on. Strollers, car seats and carriers are allowed but must go through the X-ray. Power banks are carry-on only. On every item page, TSA adds that the final decision rests with the TSA officer.

The short version

• Over 3.4 oz is fine for formula, breast milk, toddler drinks, juice and water for your baby, baby food, pouches and liquid medicine. Declare them and take them out for separate screening.
• 3.4 oz or less, in the quart bag: diaper cream, lotion, sunscreen, regular juice, yogurt and other non-baby liquids or gels.
• No liquids limit: wipes, solid snacks, Play-Doh, putty, toys.
• Carry-on only: power banks and spare lithium batteries.
• Gear: strollers, car seats and carriers go on the X-ray belt.

What can you bring? The A–Z table

Each link goes to the TSA's own "What Can I Bring?" page for that item, checked on the date shown at the top of this page. Where TSA has no page for an item, the note says so.

Feeding: what is exempt from the liquids rule?

TSA classes formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby/toddler food, including puree pouches, as medically necessary liquids. You can carry more than 3.4 oz, they don't go in the quart bag, and your child doesn't have to be traveling with you. Tell the officer at the start of screening and take them out of your bag. Officers may test the liquids, but TSA says screening never involves placing anything in them. Clear bottles are recommended because pouches and bags can need extra screening. Our TSA formula, breast milk and baby food guide covers declaring, testing and opting out of X-ray.

Can you bring juice or water for a toddler?

Yes, if it is for your child. TSA's "Juice for Babies" page applies the same exemption as formula and toddler drinks, and "Water for Babies" allows water in reasonable quantities, screened separately. Juice in general is limited to 3.4 oz in your carry-on. Declare your child's drinks rather than hoping they pass as regular liquids.

Are ice packs and gel packs allowed?

Yes. Frozen-solid packs pass without limits. If a pack has started to melt, TSA's gel ice pack page says it must meet 3-1-1, except that medically necessary gel packs in reasonable quantities are allowed in any state, with or without breast milk. Cooling packs for formula and breast milk count, so tell the officer about them.

What about snacks?

Solid snacks such as crackers, puffs, fruit and sandwiches go in either bag. Spreadable or creamy foods, such as yogurt cups and peanut butter, are limited to 3.4 oz in your carry-on unless they are baby or toddler food. Keep snacks together in one pouch: TSA says officers may ask you to take food out to get a clear X-ray image.

Toiletries and medicine: what counts as a liquid?

TSA's liquids rule covers liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes. Each container must be 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less, all in one quart-sized bag. Medications and infant and child nourishment are the named exemptions.

Can I bring diaper cream?

Yes, in a container of 3.4 oz or less in your quart bag. TSA has no diaper cream page, and its "Cream" and "Lotion" pages both say 3.4 oz or less for carry-on. Larger tubes go in checked luggage. If the cream is a prescribed medication, it may qualify under the medication exemption. Declare it, and if you are unsure, ask TSA before you fly (see below).

Can I bring children's liquid medicine over 3.4 oz?

Yes. TSA allows larger amounts of medically necessary liquids, gels and aerosols "in reasonable quantities for your trip," but you must declare them to the officers at the checkpoint. That covers children's fever reducers and prescriptions. Keep them in original labeled bottles and pack them with the feeding items so everything you declare comes out together. Our toddler travel first aid kit guide lists what to bring.

Can I bring sunscreen?

In your carry-on, only in containers of 3.4 oz or less. In checked bags, TSA points to FAA limits on toiletries and aerosols: no more than 2 kg (70 oz) or 2 L (68 fl oz) in total per person, and no single container over 0.5 kg (18 oz) or 500 ml (17 fl oz). Aerosol nozzles need caps.

Are baby wipes and baby powder allowed?

Wipes are allowed in both bags, with no liquids limit listed. Powder is allowed too, but TSA says powders over 12 oz must go in a separate bin for X-ray and may need to be opened. A travel-size container avoids that.

Gear: strollers, car seats and carriers

TSA requires strollers, umbrella strollers, baby carriers, car seats, booster seats and backpacks to go through the X-ray machine. Anything too large for it gets a visual and physical inspection. Take your child out of the stroller or car seat and carry them through the metal detector. A baby can stay in a sling or carrier, but may get additional screening. For carrying a car seat on board, TSA's car seat and carrier pages tell you to check with the airline that it fits. Our guide to gate-checking or counter-checking a stroller covers what happens after security.

Electronics and batteries

Can I bring a power bank in checked luggage?

No. TSA's power bank page says portable chargers and power banks with lithium-ion batteries must go in carry-on bags. The FAA's lithium battery page adds that if a carry-on is checked at the gate, spare batteries and power banks must be removed and kept with you. Check the stroller basket too.

Can I bring a white noise machine or bottle warmer?

Yes, in your carry-on. TSA has no page for either; its "Speakers" page allows similar devices in both bags. If the device has a built-in lithium battery, the FAA says you can check it only when it is completely powered off and protected from accidental activation, and it recommends carrying lithium devices on. A tablet is allowed in either bag on the same terms.

Toys and activities

Can I bring Play-Doh, putty or slime?

Play-Doh and putty are allowed in carry-on and checked bags, with no liquids limit listed. Slime has no TSA page. Because the liquids rule covers gels, the cautious approach is to pack slime in a container of 3.4 oz or less inside your quart bag, or put it in checked luggage. TSA's gel-filled toy page follows the same 3.4 oz rule.

Are toy guns allowed?

TSA says toy guns and weapons are generally permitted but recommends packing them in checked baggage. Its page states that items resembling realistic firearms or weapons are prohibited, and realistic replicas of firearms are not allowed in carry-on bags. Replicas of explosives are banned from both. Leave toy weapons at home or in the checked bag.

What about crayons?

TSA has no page for crayons. They are solid, so the liquids rule does not apply, and TSA lists similar items, such as pens, as allowed. Small craft scissors are allowed in carry-ons if the blades are under 4 inches from the pivot point. For quiet, plane-friendly activities, see our guide to keeping a toddler entertained on a plane.

Who decides, and how do you ask before you fly?

The TSA officer at the checkpoint makes the final call. TSA states this on every item page. For a specific item, message AskTSA by texting "Travel" to 275-872 or on X or Facebook Messenger (live help 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET), or call TSA Cares at (855) 787-2227 about 72 hours before your flight (TSA, Traveling with Children). These rules cover US checkpoints only. Flying home from abroad, the departure country's rules apply.

For a full list of what to pack, see our toddler packing list. Our airport guide walks through screening with a toddler.

How we put this together

Every rule here comes from the TSA's "What Can I Bring?" pages and the FAA's battery guidance, linked in the table and text, as checked on the date shown. TSA updates these pages, so check them before you fly. We have not tested any products.