Congrats, your baby is now a toddler! I realized that as our baby got older and entered the toddler phase, that the things I needed in my diaper bag had to align with the new developments.

In this guide, let’s get right to it: here’s what I’ve been keeping in my toddler diaper bag, and how you can replicate these ideas. From changing diapers to staying entertained while on the go (and eating snacks), here are the diaper bag essentials for any toddler who has an awesome parent (you).

Diapering and changing

Chances are that your toddler is not yet potty trained, if your child is between 12 months and close to 3 years. You’ll still be toting diapers for a while! A lot of the suggestions here will be the same as the things in your baby diaper bag or newborn diaper bag, but I have some great brands to recommend in the list here.

Diaper bag fanny

If you have room in your diaper bag or diaper bag backpack, and sometimes we do, we take along a diaper fanny or diaper belt bag. These types of products have made dipping into a restroom (or an airplane bathroom) SO much easier than carrying each piece of a diaper change and dropping them, fumbling with them or forgetting one of them (like a changing pad - yikes).

I’ve been testing out the No Reception Club Sidekick Waist Bag: it slides into our Getaway diaper bag, and in it, we can fit diapers, the included changing pad, hand sanitizer and diaper cream. On the backside, it has a convenient magnetic flap that holds a packet of wipes! Changing diapers was never so easy.

Changing pad

If you won’t be using a diaper bag belt bag or don’t have space for one, opt for a slim (and cheap!) changing pad that soon, your toddler can help carry to the restroom. This Ubbi one is the cheapest and smallest.

Wipes

While you could certainly just bring a big pack of wipes in your diaper bag, what’s smarter (as well as smart for not dropping them on the way to the restroom in a service area, restaurant or airport) is this On-the-Go wipes dispenser for the diaper bag. It has a handle. No more dropping!

Diapers

I’m sure you have your chosen brand of diapers by now. I keep 4-5 in the diaper bag, or I tack on a bonus 6th if we’ll be out on a day trip with our toddler.

Interested in exploring new brands? I rated the best and worst diapers in this list.

Diaper cream

You’ll need it in travel-size, and I’m sure you know this by now. We typically stick to a 2-ounce travel-sized diaper cream bottle, like the Butt Paste Max Strength or Triple Paste Cream in travel size.

Toss-away garbage bags

I use produce bags from the grocery store, but you can also use doggy waste bags or travel diaper disposal bags. This dispenser from Ubbi makes it easy (and it’s really cheap).

Toys and entertainment

Yup, now that your baby is a toddler, being out and about may mean the need for more toddler-friendly stuff to fidget with. Is your child into books? Finger puppets? Here are some things we keep in the diaper bag for either car rides or just whatever comes our way.

Flat books

Can’t go wrong with the Indestructible Books that are impossible to rip. In addition to the fact that they can’t be “destructed,” they’re lightweight, flat and PERFECT for toting in the toddler diaper bag.

Small balls

Ever been stuck somewhere (doctor’s office waiting room, for example) and you ran out of things to do with your toddler? Enter the need for a small ball: you can use it for rolly poly, playing catch, squishing it in your hands, or using it at the same time as another toy.

Finger puppets

We got little finger puppets and they’re the perfect lightweight diaper bag toy to bring out when we need some amusement at this age!

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Stickers and crayons (and some paper)

I’ve collected small travel-size packets of crayons whenever we’ve flown or been to restaurants, and I keep them in our diaper bag. They come in handy if we’re somewhere where we need to wait, or visiting someone who doesn’t have a kid our kid’s age (and therefore they are crayon-less).

Stickers are a bonus, too! We found that our toddler really got them hang of them toward 22 months and beyond. (Before that, stickers were kind of frustrating and confusing)

Coloring books (or paint with water kit)

Toddlers 2 and up may grasp the concept of coloring books, and a slim one can be good to keep in a diaper bag for your little one. We personally like the Melissa & Doug Paint with Water kit, which was one of the key things we took when flying for the first time with our toddler.

Snacks & fooooood!

Thanks to our Nike diaper bag, we always have a cooler in which to keep snacks, and re-stock when we get home. The No Reception Club travel diaper bag also has its own cooler for snacks or cold drinks, and this came in super handy when we traveled with it as our daytime diaper bag, in Mexico with a toddler.

Juice box

I always keep a juice box on hand! Many parents who are also into the “low sugar” thing will agree with me and will probably choose Honest brand juice boxes for toddlers.

Pouches

Our toddler didn’t fall in love with slurping down “pouches” until between 18 to 24 months, but after that, they became the easiest go-to snack. They provide hydration as well. We often enjoy the GoGo Squeez ones or simply, the Costco Kirkland ones with veggies added in the flavors (below).

Snacks for parents

I’m a hungry mama, so we always have our diaper bag stocked with fruit leather, granola bars or snack bars for me. GoMacro is totally my favorite, and I’ve taken a liking recently to MadeGood bars, which I share with my toddler during outings! (They’re allergen-free!)

Toddler granola bars

I’ll propose MadeGood again here, as well as their allergen-free mini cookies for on the go. Another really good one is Happy Tot, to keep a stash of.

Snack-sized packs of crackers or crunchy foods

When your toddler hits the veggie straw and Pirate’s Booty phase, oh boy: there’s no turning back. To calm or appease a restless toddler while you’re out and hoping there’s something good in the diaper bag, bring out one of these in a snack-sized bag.

Spare toddler water bottle

I didn’t know it at the time, but when I chose my toddler’s water bottle for day care, I chose a best-seller. We have the Thermos “Funtainer” water bottle and we fill it up while we’re out for a day.

Extra utensils

We’ve been grateful that I threw in a clean baby spoon in the diaper bag when we’re out at a restaurant and want to give our toddler her own “my-sized” spoon and fork.

OXO makes this cute travel utensil set for toddlers. It even comes with a travel case.

Travel bib

The best idea for a travel bib for a toddler for keeping in a diaper bag is one that folds up TEENY tiny! You don’t need to create any waste by getting disposable bibs (I think those are silly), so getting a pack of fold-up thin bibs, in a smock style or traditional bib style work fine. Check out the photo of mine.

Attire

As much as I try to minimize how many articles of clothing comes in our toddler’s diaper bag, here are just a few essentials that I never miss.

Sun hat or winter hat (seasonal)

While toddlers are known to reject offers of jackets, hats and accessories, having a toddler-sized sun hat or warm winter hat is constantly important when you’re out at the playground.

I find the toddler winter gear from Patagonia to be super cute and warm.

Backup “mess” outfit

Messes happen, whether with diaper accidents still at this age, or food or water that spilled literally everywhere. I’d be silly not to pack an extra pair of bottoms and an extra top for my toddler, no matter if we’re going 5 hours or 5 minutes away from home.

I’ve also learned that keeping a dull or ugly outfit in the diaper bag also probably means that we’ll be out at a birthday party or an event and I have to embarassingly dress my toddler in the odds-and-ends outfit I stashed in there as the emergency outfit. (Aw, shucks!)

I’ve learned over the months to have something cute on hand in case we’re taking photos on a day trip or an occasion, and I’m taking along cute toddler clothes from Quince.

More socks

Does your toddler pull their socks off in the car (and shoes, too)? I think every toddler goes through this phase. If your toddler is a sock-tosser, sock-sucker or just prone to losing his or her socks, pack an extra in your packing cube inside the diaper bag.

For sleep

Of course, if I’m taking my diaper bag out with me to the supermarket or to the playground, there aren’t going to be naps involved. But if we’re going to be driving an hour or more, to visit family or friends, and try to facilitate a nap at someone else’s house, we have to be prepared with some sleep essentials for on the go.

Lightweight sleep sack

I’ve found that the most packable sleep sack is a cotton one from HALO. We’ve been using these (they’re affordable) ever since our child went from swaddle to sleep sack. Still, in size L and sometimes XL, they do the trick as a wearable blanket for a nap on a day trip when we’re packing light and only taking the diaper bag.

Travel sound machine (and charger!)

Whether we’re putting our toddler down for a nap at a grandparents’ house or at our friends’ apartment in the city during a trip out, having our top pick Yogasleep travel sound machine is crucial! This one packs small, holds a great battery life and is easy to plug in and get some Zzzz’s.

Another even smaller option that clips on to your diaper bag is the Dreamegg Sleep Lite 1 Portable Sound Machine that we just found out about. It’s tiny and powerful, perfect for diaper bag use (toddlers will think it’s cute, too!).

Duplicate of favorite stuffy

Only if we’re really taking a day trip do I put our toddler’s #1 stuffy (a duplicate of it) in a packing cube inside our diaper bag. This is totally necessary (you know what I mean!) for nap-time in our Guava Lotus travel crib or BabyBjorn travel crib if we’re 1.5-2 hours away visiting family.

And if you’re looking to introduce a travel-sized or diaper-bag-sized stuffy into the mix, take our toddler’s advice and try one of the cute small ones from Jellycat.

Best diaper bag for toddlers

I’m a firm believer that it’s not which diaper bag you have, but how you pack it, that makes it ideal for you and your toddler. But if we’re on the topic, we have two great ones to recommend.

Conclusion

There you have it - that’s everything in our toddler diaper bag. We’re prepared for anything, whether we’re at the doctor’s office, or out at a nature reserve on a hike! With the ideas above, you’re hopefully also prepared for adventure with your toddler, all in the diaper bag you choose.