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There is nothing that is more fun than making memories with your children. Now that it is summertime, many of the memories come in the form of a road trip with kids.
Whether it is 2 hours or 14 hours, road trips with kids can be incredibly fun and stressful all at the same time. It seems no matter how much prep work you do, someone is unhappy, tired, and hungry.
This summer let’s focus more on the fun and try to limit some of the stress. Here you will find 10 activities, hacks, and tips to make the road trip with kids more about memories and less about “are we there yet?”
#1 Activity Pages
It is no secret that the kids get bored. They are being asked to sit in one spot for hours, which is difficult any day for anyone!
You can beat the boredom with these simple activity pages. You can choose to put them in a binder altogether or offer a page when boredom is setting in.
I highly recommend putting them in sheet protectors (you can find some here) and using dry erase markers! This way you only need to print a few and use them many times!
You can download the FREE road trip activity pages here!
#2 Must-Haves
With any road trip with kids, there are a few must-haves you need to pack. Of course, you will have the pillows, blankets, chargers, but don’t leave without these items as well:
Wipes
Tissues/napkins
Extra utensils and straws (there is always one left out of the bag)
Hand sanitizer
Grocery bags (trash, storage, accidents, vomit, you just never know)
Scissors (Think about it. How many times have you needed them but were out of luck?)
#3 Lego Box
This is a great way to keep your kiddos entertained during your trip. You can easily make your own lego box using this tutorial or if you’re short on time (or have too many other things to worry about) you can buy one here.
The key to this is making sure you don’t pack too many pieces. If you do, you’ll have a meltdown about that one piece falling under a seat.
If your kiddo is lego crazy, you can always pack backup pieces or set pieces in separate bags and label them.
#4 Personal Trash Can
The accumulation of trash you find in the back seat after a road trip with kids is astonishing. Even if you are always emptying the car at the bathroom stops, it still ends up everywhere.
You can give your kids their personal trash can made out of a cereal container. Super easy for them to use, keep clean, and saves a bit of your time and stress.
Add a grocery bag to the inside and secure it with the lid for a quick clean-up.
#5 All Things Shower Caddy
Momma, if you don’t have a dollar store shower caddy by now, you must get one! These are a lifesaver for many things, but especially on road trips!
You can either use this to stuff all your kiddos’ goodies into or for those quick on-the-go meals.
Either way, they make it easy for the kids to manage, there is room for all their things, and maybe you can actually enjoy that $2 cheeseburger this time.
#6 Car Sick Kit
Do you ever cringe at “Mommy, my belly hurts”. It seems as if you are always going 75 on the interstate in a construction zone.
If you have a car sick-prone family like I do, then you, my friend, need a car sick kit!
This is truly a lifesaver and I love keeping it close by in its own little container so it is a quick grab and hopefully avoids any catastrophes.
This is what we pack in our car sick kit:
Emesis bag (as a nurse I feel like it’s normal to have some stashed at home.)
If you are a normal person and don’t have a stash, you can buy some here or use a ziplock gallon size bag.
Dramamine. A must for me but, have to plan ahead.
Motion sickness bracelets. Sometimes I think it just makes the kiddos feel safer.
Wipes. Any kind, just make sure you have plenty.
Tissues, paper towels, napkins, just something dry to help any clean up needed.
Washrag. Use some cold water and make a cool rag for the head or neck.
Bottled water and Gatorade
A small snack. Crackers are a favorite.
Garbage bag. For all the nasties when everything has calmed down.
Hand sanitizer (you could even have gloves if you are on the queasy side.
#7 Surprise!
Surprises are always nice (at least for the kids). You can incorporate a nice small surprise to either get the kids excited about the road trip or entertained when boredom creeps back in.
My son LOVES stuffed animals, so we decided to have a brand new one buckled in right next to his seat to surprise him when he got in the car.
I have also seen mommas have a new surprise for each hour. You can go to the dollar store, get small fun toys, wrap them up, and pass them out to the kids every hour.
You choose what is best for you!
#8 Snacks
Snacks, snacks, snacks. You can’t road trip without some snacks!
Snacks are not only great to keep the hunger away but they keep the kids occupied and their mouths closed (is that mean?). However, make sure you aren’t sabotaging yourself.
Have a box ready for healthy snacks. Things your kids love, but won’t create a sugar rush or a bad cranky crash. This is what we put in our snack box:
crackers
cheese sticks
carrots
grapes
blueberries
chips
applesauce
trail mix
craisins
Then have a box of treats, because a little fun is important too. Offer these after a meal, once in a blue boon, or just when you are feeling brave. Keep the kids happy and excited and of course, you get some too! This is what is in our treat box:
cookies (we perfer oreos)
sour gummy worms
gummy snacks
nerd rope bites
mini brownies
M&Ms
chocolate covered raisins and blueberries
teddy grahams
Pack whatever is your family’s favorite. I also surprised my husband (the driver) with his favorites. You can also keep drinks up front with you and refill as needed. We love Gatorade so it was easy to get a big bottle and refill my son’s cup on the go.
#9 Keep it charged
Now of days, most cars have USB ports that we can use to keep everything charged. However, it still feels like there aren’t enough for a full-on road trip and the amount of devices.
Before you leave, make sure everything is fully charged. That is probably a no-brainer. I also suggest fully charging and taking a portable charger.
Most of these are inexpensive and work wonders! If you have a free USB make sure this guy is charging, that way when something is running low and there is no spare plug, you have a backup.
I’ll tell you a secret, my family has about 3 of these.
#10 What to buy
With every road trip with kids, there are a few items that are better off just bought. Here are my favorite things I choose to spend money on to ensure a nice and easy trip:
Seat belt pillow. This is selfishly for me.
Kids grabber. You’d be surprised by what they can do on their own now.
New movie. Whether it is downloaded on an iPad or on a portable DVD player, a new movie always keeps the kids entertained for a while.
Seat Lap Tray. These can make the road much smoother for your kiddos while keeping all their favorite things within their reach. This one is my favorite!
Now You Are Ready
Your road trips were good before but now they will be great with these 10 activities, hacks, and tips!
Don’t forget to get the road trip activity pages to keep some of that boredom away!
Leave a comment sharing your best go-to tip when you road trip with kids!
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