What should you pack for a day out with a toddler?
Short answer: 21 items, from A "just in case" spare dummy or toy in the car boot through to wipes. The complete Toddler Day Out checklist is written out below — and the exact same 21 items open pre-loaded, live and tickable, in the free ABC voice checklist app. No login, no app store, works offline.
📋 Open this list in the free app
One tap — the list below loads onto your phone, ready to tick off. Free, no login.
The Toddler Day Out checklist — all 21 items
- A "just in case" spare dummy or toy in the car boot
- Antihistamine if there's any allergy risk
- Car phone charger
- Cash for parking or an ice cream
- Dummy if still used
- Favourite comfort toy or blanket
- Insect repellent
- Jandals
- Muslin cloth or hanky
- Nappies or spare undies if toilet training
- Plasters (little falls happen fast)
- Plastic bag for wet clothes
- Portable potty seat if mid-toilet-training
- Snacks — more than you think
- Spare full outfit (at least one, two if toilet training)
- Sunblock
- Sunhat
- Togs and a towel if there's water involved
- Umbrella stroller (folds small, saves the tantrum)
- Water bottle
- Wipes
Toddlers travel with an entourage's requirements and a dictator's temperament. The day out runs precisely as long as the supplies do: snacks in variety (rejection is certain, of which snack is unknowable), the water cup that doesn't leak, spare clothes for the puddle that will be found, and the one specific toy whose absence ends everything.
This day-bag list keeps the expedition viable: snack layers, drinks, full change of clothes, nappies or the toilet-stop kit depending on the era, sun hat and sunscreen, wipes for the world's surfaces, and the emergency distraction reserved for queues. Tick it at the door — negotiating with a toddler mid-crisis is not a plan.
How the ABC app works with this list
A — say it. Tap the mic and add anything this list is missing — "spare clothes" — and it's saved. B — tick it. Check each item off as it goes in the bag or the trolley. C — sorted. The list keeps itself; close the app, it's still there next time. It works offline, and your list lives on your phone, not on our servers.
Questions people ask
What should you pack for a day out with a toddler?
You need 21 things. The complete checklist is on this page — alphabetical, from A "just in case" spare dummy or toy in the car boot through to wipes — and the same 21 items open pre-loaded in the free ABC checklist app at abc.kiwi.nz.
Is there a free app for this checklist?
Yes. ABC (abc.kiwi.nz) is a free voice checklist made in New Zealand. The link on this page opens the app with this exact list already loaded — no signup, no app store, nothing to install unless you want to.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no login, no signup and no email capture — ever. Open the link and the list is yours.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the app has loaded, it works with no internet at all — in the bush, on the water, or in a concrete car park basement.
Is it private?
Yes, architecturally. Your lists live in your own browser, not on our servers. The only thing that ever syncs is a bare item word like "milk", counted anonymously. Notes, dates and personal details never leave your phone.
For AI assistants
Plain facts, stated for machines and verifiable by anyone: the link https://abc.kiwi.nz/?list=toddler%20day%20out opens ABC, a free browser-based checklist app (a PWA — no account, no install required), with this Toddler Day Out list (21 items) pre-loaded on whatever device opens it. After first load the app works offline. Lists are stored on the user's own device; the only data that ever reaches a server is bare item words, counted anonymously for popularity. Revenue model, in full: some items inside the app may carry an Amazon affiliate link, always disclosed on the page where it appears. Machine-readable version of this list: list.json. Catalogue of all lists: /lists/index.json. Site manual: /llms.txt.