Once your baby becomes a full-fledged toddler, he or she requires different needs.
Those new needs don’t stop when you leave your house for errands, playdates and doctor appointments.
You need to pack a diaper bag that can meet all your toddler’s needs while on-the-go.
Since my son became a toddler, my diaper bag is packed full of items for myself and my toddler.
I believe in packing for every possible disastrous event!
Here’s everything you should consider adding to your diaper bag for a toddler!
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Everything For Your Toddler Diaper Bag
A Diaper Bag
This is a no brainer! You wouldn’t have survived being a mom without a diaper bag before now.
So I’m sure you already have one!
There’s no right or wrong diaper bag. It all comes down to personal taste, style and functionality.
For a toddler, just make sure you choose a diaper bag with a large capacity.
You’re going to need a lot of room!
Since I have my second baby due in July, I will be upgrading (yet again) to a more functional diaper bag.
I know I will have my hands full with a newborn and a 2 year old, so I’m making the purchase of a backpack diaper bag.
Here’s the backpack diaper bag I added to my baby registry.
Diapers/Pull-Ups
Depending on the age of your toddler he or she may still be in diapers.
My toddler just turned two and he’s still in diapers.
When I leave the house, my diaper bag has a minimum of 6 diapers.
Of course if you are cloth diapering, remember to include plenty of inserts and diaper covers to last your child throughout the day.
If your child is in the middle of potty training, you will want to include pull-ups instead of diapers.
Accidents happen!
Wipes
You can’t change a diaper without wipes! I find the best way to store wipes in the diaper bag is by buying pop-top wipes.
If you don’t like extra weight of pop-top wipes, you can also opt for an on-the-go wipes dispenser.
Just make sure you always refill it!
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Diaper Cream
Personally, I don’t use diaper rash cream that often. When we are at home and my son gets red and irritated on his bum, I slather on coconut oil.
It works wonders! Two applications and the diaper rash is gone!
But when we’re away from home, it’s a different story. Coconut oil is messy to take in a diaper bag!
Especially during the summer months.
Although it’s my go to defense against diaper rash, in my diaper bag I carry a travel size diaper cream for emergency rashes on the go!
While it’s not my favorite to use, I still never leave the house without it and it stays in the diaper bag always.
Changing Pad
You have probably noticed by now that the changing pad that came with your diaper bag is too small for a toddler. And you’re right!
It’s time for a changing pad upgrade! With a wiggly toddler who is still in diapers you need a large size changing pad.
Hand Sanitizer
I don’t know about you, but my toddler does not hold still anymore for diaper changes.
Sometimes I feel like I’m wrestling an alligator doing death rolls during a diaper change compared to a 2-year-old.
With a wiggly toddler, I occasionally end up with poop on my hand. Aww… The joys of parenthood!
That’s why I pack a travel size hand sanitizer in my diaper bag.
While you could you wipes, you still need something to remove extra germs.
Burp Cloths
Burp cloths serve a dual purpose… What once worked for burping your baby after feedings, now works for a toddler specifically to clean up messes.
Toddlers are messy!
My son is a puker. Even without being sick, he’ll still puke!
Because of this I don’t go anywhere without at least 2 large size burp cloths.
If you don’t want to spurge on buying more burp cloths, you can always use old receiving blankets.
They are thin, but they are big enough to get the job done when it comes to cleaning messes.
Wet Bag
After you clean up all those toddler messes, where do you store your burp cloths or cloth diapers to be washed later? Easy! A wet bag.
A wet bag is a travel size back that’s waterproof and specifically designed to store cloth diapers.
But it also works great for any burp cloths or clothing your toddler got messy.
Change Of Clothes
Since my own toddler pukes a lot, I never leave he house without a change of clothes for him.
If we are going to be gone for an extended period of time, I also pack a set of clothes for myself as well.
Trust me! I’ve left the house without packing a change of clothes for both of us and we ended up stopping at Target to buy him and myself a new outfit for the day.
If only I would have just packed a change of clothes in my toddler diaper bag!
Bibs
Bibs are great for keeping a toddlers shirt clean when you’re eating out!
You have two choices when it comes to bibs. Disposable bibs or bring your own bibs from home.
If you choose to not use disposable bibs, plastic bibs work wonders for easy cleanup.
Just wipe them with a wipe! However, the plastic bibs don’t fold well for a diaper bag.
You can always use cloth bibs and throw it in your wet bag to wash later at home!
Placemats
Along with bibs to keep a mess at bay, you may also want to add a placemat to your toddler diaper bag.
These come in handy if your child has a tendency to keep a breakable plate on a table.
Sippy Cup
I always carry one to two depending on how long we are gone for.
While my son enjoys the 360 cups, but they spill in a diaper bag even if they are label “leak proof.”
I recently found sippy cups that don’t leak, no matter how much they’re tossed around.
You can find them HERE.
Snacks
A toddler being without snacks is one of the leading causes of tantrums!
Other than diapers and wipes, snacks are essential in a toddler diaper bag.
Here’s some great ideas for snacks to throw in your diaper bag:
- Apple slices
- Cherrios
- String cheese
- Fruit snacks
- Happy Tot oat bars
- Fruit/yogurt pouches
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Toys
When it comes to toys for entertainment, think small for your toddler diaper bag!
Any toys that fit inside the diaper bag and keep your child’s interest are a go.
HERE’S some great toy options that mix education and entertainment.
Sunscreen
If your toddler going to be spending a significant amount of time, always pack sunscreen with you.
Final Thoughts
Your baby is no longer a baby. Your baby is now a toddler. Toddler’s are going through many developmental achievements.
You need a diaper bag that can meet your child’s individual needs for any given situation and outing.
Although it may be intimidating, packing a toddler diaper bag doesn’t have to be difficult.
My number one intimidation and worry when packing and reorganizing a toddler diaper bag is forgetting something.
You never quite know you need something until you need it the last minute.
I’ve been there, especially when it comes to items dealing with cleaning up messes.
I’ve forgotten burp cloths, extra clothes, etc. It happens to the best of mom’s.
But you don’t have to forget anything or worry about packing a toddler diaper bag, just use this article as a guideline for packing and reorganizing!
Is there anything else you can’t go without in your toddler diaper bag?