My baby, the tiny little bundle I held in my arms only a year ago, was now pulling herself up onto the coffee table, her bright blue eyes gleaming with excitement as she took her first few wobbly steps. I felt a mix of pride, emotion, and a little panic. How had we arrived at this stage so quickly? My sweet baby was now a toddler—an adventurous, fast-moving, and endlessly curious toddler who needed new things to explore. The simple infant toys that once captured her attention no longer seemed to do the trick. As we transitioned from the baby stage to toddlerhood, it became clear: my little one was ready to explore in a whole new way, and with that came a new set of needs.

We no longer needed the Exersaucer, jumper, or playmat.  We’ve gone from bottles to sippy cups and added lots of snacks throughout the day.  We’ve even upgraded her car seat from an infant to a convertible seat that makes her look like she’s grown. We folded up and put away the onesies, and now she’s in big girl clothes.

I am so grateful for a crew of real moms to reach out to who could help answer all the unknown questions about what my toddler really needed.  As usual, they’re offering great insight for all we need as we walk together through this new toddler stage.

Toddler Must Haves:

On The Go

Convertible Car Seat

A safe and convertible car seat is essential for your growing child. We love the EvenFlo Revolve360 because of its excellent safety ratings and how it can grow with your little one. It’ll take your toddler from rear-facing to forward-facing and up to 65 lbs, and then it turns into a booster seat for a child up to 100 pounds. As the name promises, its rotating feature makes getting your child in and out of their seat a breeze! Plus, it’s easy to install and has a quick adjustment, 14-position, 5-point harness that keeps your child nice and secure!

Portable Potty

A significant milestone of the toddler stage: ditching the diapers and potty training! In those early stages, you’ll want to promote as much time on the potty as possible, and this portable potty is a must.

Real Mom Jen M. said she cannot go anywhere without her car potty. It’s perfect for those times when a toilet isn’t available, and the included liners make disposal easy! This little potty is also helpful for public restrooms: the seat fits most adult seats, giving your little one a comfy and clean place to go!

 Munchkin Snack Containers and Princess Snack Containers via Amazon

Portable Snack Containers

Real Mom Rachel G. says, “The  Munchkin portable snack containers are a lifesaver,” every toddler needs a couple of them. They’ll easily hold your toddler’s favorite snack and fit nicely into your car’s cupholder or purse. Plus, their little fingers can easily navigate the soft flaps on top without having an open container waiting to spill in the car or out at the doctor’s office. We also love Whiskware stackable snack cups (pictured on the right). They come in many cute colors and characters and fit perfectly in a diaper bag.

Water Bottle

Remember to add a durable water bottle (or two—you know how those always get left behind somewhere) to your toddler must-have list. We love the Reduce cups; they’re spill-proof, and the water stays cold all day.

Meals + Snacks

Bibs

With the amount of snacking and eating going on these days, you’ll also need a great bib (or 3) for your toddler. We love these Hudson Baby silicone bibs. They are humorous, cute, and so easy to clean, thanks to the silicone. I love the added pocket to catch any food that lands between the tray and my kids’ mouths when they’re having a meal. They are also super easy to roll up and take to restaurants!

Bento Lunchbox

If your child heads to daycare or a sitter, they’ll need this Bentgo lunchbox to carry their meals or snacks easily. It’s also great for packing lunches and picnics at the park. The lunchbox is divided into perfect-sized compartments, fits easily into an insulated lunchbox, and is spill-proof! This Bentgo box, in particular, has an ice pack inside to keep your food nice and cold.

Toys + Fun

Playhouse via Amazon and Kitchen via TinyLandUs

Playhouse, Kitchen, or Tool Bench

Encourage your toddler’s growing imagination with a playhouse and some dress-up clothes. Both will provide hours of entertainment and independent playtime. For more imaginative play, we also really love our wooden play kitchen.

Sensory Table

Real Mom Lindsay S. suggests a sensory table for fun with your toddler indoors or outdoors. This table on Amazon is great because it can be used as a regular table for coloring and crafting and then opened up and filled with your favorite sensory options. If you’d prefer an outdoor splash table, this Step2 Water Table is a great option. Add a few more water toys like this set for more fun in the tub or the kitchen sink!

Sleep

​​ Sleep Sack and Dreamsuit via Amazon

Sleep Sack

Real Mom Naomi S. has a few essentials for toddler sleep. First up is a sleep sack. Maybe you’re like me and thought your little one had fully graduated from the sleep sack. However, I’ve found it even more helpful as they have gotten older. They need it more than ever in their toddler years because of all their new mobility! They can stand, walk, and climb out of a crib, so a sleep sack will help keep all of that at bay. Neither of my babies climbed out of their cribs because of the sleep sack. On the contrary, my niece did not love the feeling of a sleep sack but much preferred wearing a Dreamsuit to sleep to free her feet.

Sound Machine and Blackout Curtains

As with babies, toddlers need a good environment for sleeping. Real Mom Madi C. says a good sound machine and blackout curtains are still essential in your toddler’s room.

These linen blackout curtains from Pottery Barn Kids will bring a stylish yet functional look to your toddler’s room. They’re super convenient, with three ways to hang them (loops, hooks, or pockets), and they come in four lengths and nine colors.

Our favorite sound machine is the Hatch. It can be fully accessible from your phone, and if your little one has developed a fear of it being too dark, you can make it glow. You can also use it as a sleep-training alarm clock. My kids know they stay in bed until their sound machine goes from its sleep time color and sound to its morning settings. It has been a game changer in our house. 

Soak in every minute of engaging and imaginative playing with your new little toddler. Even though it is so much busier, it truly gets more fun through every new milestone. Your toddler will be ready for this next stage–and so will you–with this list of toddler must haves!

For more kid essentials, check out our GiveIt Blog, where our Real Moms share their tried and true tips and where you can easily shop!