Toddler Diaper Bag Essentials: By a mom of 3!

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So, Asher no longer need many “baby” items in the diaper bag which is such a bitter/sweet thing. He is no longer my little baby he is now a big toddler!

I barely have to pack anything in the diaper bag for Noah (3 years old) or Cayden (6 years old). I will only pack somethings for them depending on what we are doing that day and typically a few extra snacks.

Since my boys don’t need to much in the diaper bag anymore I can get away with using my smaller diaper bag. The smaller bag I use is the Itzy Ritzy Mini Diaper Bag.

However, if we are planning to be out all day I will use one of my larger diaper bags. I have the Freshly Picked Diaper Bag Backpack and the Luli Bebe Monaco Large Diaper Bag.

These are the items I always have in my diaper bag along with a weather appropriate change of clothes for Asher.

Diapers

I will typically keep 3-5 depending on how long we will be out. If it is going to be a day trip I will typically keep a few extras in the car just incase.

Some of my favorite diaper brands to use for my toddler are Pampers Cruisers 360 and Honest Company Diapers.

Wipes

Wipes have sooooo many uses! They are truly a mom’s best friend! I use them for all three boys. From cleaning sticky hands and mouths to wiping up messes they are my go to! I always make sure I leave the house with a decent amount left in the pack or I will throw a new pack in my diaper bag if I am almost out.

One of my favorite brands are the Huggies Natural Care Wipes. I am typically not to picky on brands but I do look for fragrance free and sensitive wipes.

Aquaphor

I absolutely love Aquaphor. It is my go to diaper cream and really everything cream. I can put it on diaper rashes and irritated skin along with cuts and scrapes that happen often with little boys at the park!

Changing Pad

A changing pad is a must for me. It can turn any flat surface into a place to change your kids diapers or clothes. Luckily all of my diaper bags have come with a changing pad. So I would definitely make sure your diaper bag comes with one before purchasing it. I love how the Freshly Picked Diaper Bag and the Itzy Ritzy Diaper Bag’s changing pad opens up very large, so they work well with toddlers.

Mini First Aid Kit

I always keep my Welly First Aid Kit in my diaper bag! It is the perfect size to fit into any bag. I love how it comes with cute fabric band aids in assorted sizes. You can also buy refills of the band aids. I typically will buy a refill at the beginning of each summer. Three little boys equals lots of band aids for real and imaginary boo-boos.

In the Welly Kit I will add my own Neosporin. They have a spray and a cream and both work great and fit perfectly in the first aid kit.

I will also add on dose of dye free kids pain and fever reliever and one dose of an Antihistamine. I love the Genexa Brand of medicines because they are free from artificial dyes, sweeteners, preservatives, flavors, and fillers. Since swapping to the Genexa Brand Antihistamine it only comes in a liquid, so I will keep that in a zip lock bag.

Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizer is a must. I have them all over the place. For kids I definitely love a good spray hand sanitizer! Some of my favorites are the Honest Company Hand Sanitizer Spray and the Touchland Hand Sanitizer Sprays.

I have even used these to clean off the shopping cart handles if the store doesn’t have wipes out.

Snacks

Snacks are a must with kids! They are the ultimate distraction and tantrum stopper for my boys. I typically have GoGo Squeeze Pouches, Pure Organic Fruit Bars, and Archer’s Mini Beef Sticks.

Sippy Cup or Universal Water Bottle Spout

I always keep the water bottle spout in my diaper bag. Since these come in a pack of 3 it is very convenient to have one for each kid. I typically will bring the sippy cup if we are going out to eat because it makes it easier to put my toddler’s drink in there instead of the ones at restaurants.

Silicone Bib with Pouch

This is another item I will throw in depending on where we are going. If we are going to go out to eat I will use this because it saves endless stains and food from constantly falling on the floor. I love the Mushie Silicone Baby Bib because it is easy to wipe clean and rolls up perfectly to fit into any bag.

1-2 Small Toys

The two small toys you take will really depend on what your kid likes. Asher really likes dinosaurs so I will typically throw a cheap dinosaur (one I don’t mind if it gets left behind or accidentally lost) and a thing or two of playdoh.

The Play Doh is nice because all of my boys will play with it. It is nice if we are waiting at a restaurant or even to keep little hands busy in the store instead of grabbing everything.

The dinosaur is nice because it is something he can play with in the car or anywhere else. And it can also be used with the play doh to create an easy and quick sensory play setup if you are at a restaurant, in a waiting room or even on a stroller tray. You could replace the dinosaur with any small toy your child likes and create the same setup.

Seasonal Items

I will typically throw in a few seasonal items as well depending on what we will be doing. If it is just quick errands I won’t really add anything. But if we could possibly end up at the park or something I will add a few things.

In the summer time I may add my Aveeno Baby sunscreen stick and some Babyganics bug spray if we will be outside.

In the winter I may add a hat or gloves if we will be outside any. Since we live in Tennessee it doesn’t typically get too cold here to need to fully gear up for snow or anything.

That is really all I keep in my diaper bag for my toddler and two other boys besides the obvious keys and wallet.

Thanks for reading! I hope this was helpful to you and you were able to take something useful from this post! Be sure to check out some of my other posts and give me a follow on social media for more!