Diaper Bag Must Haves For 12-24 Months

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You can see what our must-haves were for 0-12 months in my previous post here.  Now that our daughter is 2, I thought I would share what our must-haves were for 12-24 months.

1. Diapers & Baby Wipes

The earliest I have ever heard of potty training happening is 18 months. Our pediatrician claims the best time is somewhere between 20 - 30 months, so you will most likely be using diapers still for a while. Our daughter just turned 2 and is still in diapers, but showing interest in the potty, so I think we may be there soon!

Besides wiping bottoms, baby wipes are great for cleaning messy faces, so you will probably be carrying these for a long time!


2. Changing Pad

You will still want a changing pad for using while on the go! We have this JJ Cole one and I love it! So easy to fold up and go. It has an inner pocket too so you can stick a pack of wipes and a couple of diapers in it for quick trips.

3. Food Pouches

Instead of a bottle, you will now need food pouches, and other on the go treats as your 1-year-old should be on solids by now. We love food pouches as they are less messy. The downside is many are full of sugars, so they aren't exactly healthy. We love Serenity Kids baby food as it has only 3g of sugar per pouch! It's also one of the few paleo baby foods available for purchase!

However, food pouches should be used sparingly as in order for your child to learn how to eat, they need to get messy and use their hands. We only use them when traveling.

4. Spare Clothes + Wet Bag

I recommend keeping at least 1 extra outfit in your diaper bag, but never hurts to have 2! You'll also want a wet bag to store the messy outfit in!

5. Bibs

Even with food pouches, toddlers can make messes, especially if they squeeze the pouch when it's not in their mouth, so having a bib will save their shirt. It's also great for if you do choose to eat out or offer a messy snack, like yogurt, while on the go. We usually carry around disposable bibs so we can just toss them too. If using cloth, you may want a wet bag to store the mess in.

6. Toys & Books

Toddlers get bored easily, so having toys to preoccupy them or a book to page through while you are shopping or running errands will keep them busy.

I highly recommend Indestructibles for books as they can't be destroyed! Plus they are light and easy to shove into a diaper bag.

Toy links are a great travel toy as you can attach them to shopping carts, strollers, etc, so you don't have to worry about losing them. You can also use them to attach other toys as well.


7. Disinfecting Wipes 

These are great for wiping down public high chairs, shopping carts, airplane seats, etc. You can find the travel packages in the travel section at Target or on Amazon.

8. Hand Sanitizer

This is mostly for you. Perfect for after diaper changes or before eating. Way faster than trying to find a bathroom to wash your hands. Hand sanitizer is not recommended for babies or toddlers as they put their hands in their mouth and the alcohol in hand sanitizer should not be ingested. However, as long as you are monitoring your child, you can use a small amount. What I usually do is rub a little on my daughter's hands till her hands are dry, then use a baby wipe to wipe her hands.

9. Diaper Rash Cream

Our favorite is Pinxav, but you can see all 5 we tried and reviewed in this previous post.


10. Sippy Cup

Always carry a sippy cup. I usually carry a full one with water, but you could also carry an empty one and fill it at a water fountain should your child get thirsty.


You can find most of these items in my Amazon Shop!