Road Trip Essentials for Traveling with Kids
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Are you planning on going on a road trip with little ones soon? Perfect! As a mom who has taken four different 12-hour road trips with kids under age 5, I’ve got all the best tips, ideas, and activities you need to make your trip bearable (and maybe even fun!).
The Top 6 Screen-Free Activities to Keep Kids Entertained in the Car
1 .Water Wow books - These are mess-free and kind of addicting! You can sometimes find them for cheap at the dollar store, but otherwise you can check out the Melissa & Doug version here.
2. Melissa & Doug reusable sticker books - These are an absolute favorite. Over the years we’ve had the princess, mermaid, and dress up themed books. Of course, they make them in all different themes -farm, safari, vehicles, and more!
3. Road Trip Fun activity pack - this activity pack from my store is so fun! It includes coloring activities, a road trip scavenger hunt, and fun preschool learning activities. None of the pages require anything other than crayons or markers so it’s car-friendly. Pro tip: hole punch and place it in a binder for easy access!
4. Colorforms sticker set - Again, you may be able to find some at the dollar store! Or of course you can click here to check out tons of different options on Amazon and choose your child’s favorite.
5. This coloring book and markers - Or any coloring book and markers or crayons, really. When all else fails, coloring is a fun and relaxing activity in the car. Your kiddo can either place their markers in their cup holder or in a chair back organizer in front of them (see below).
6. Toy catalog for circling favorite toys (from Amazon) - This is obviously seasonal, but whether you’re going on a road trip or not, save your Black Friday toy catalogs! This activity is an oldie but a goodie. Give your child a toy catalog and a pen and tell them to circle their favorites! If you didn’t receive a catalog, you may be able to order one during the holiday season - check it out here.
Other Products You’re Going to Want
Chair back organizer - We got this for Ella (my older daughter) last year and it was such a game changer. It has a spot for a tablet so she can watch shows in front of her (more on that in bonus tip #1, below), and lots of pockets for markers, toys, and other goodies.
Kindle or other tablet - I know I gave you a list of screen-free ideas, but you didn’t think our whole trip was screen-free, did you? In our family, road trips are a time to ease up on screen time rules. You can download shows and movies from Amazon and Netflix, so your child won’t need WiFi to watch!
Sun shades - These were so beneficial for both girls. They allowed Ruthie to nap better in the car, and Ella was able to see her shows better without the glare from the sun. And these ones are kind of like magic. They stick to your window without suction cups or anything. They work great!
Above car storage - We’ve spent Christmas in Georgia twice now, which means Santa visits us up there. As you can imagine, we had a LOT to transport! Whether you have gifts to transport or not, this above car storage is easy to use and gives you so much extra space.
Bonus tip #1: Hang the tablet for screen time!
We learned this tip the hard way on our very first road trip. Looking at a tablet in your lap can easily make you carsick! Poor Ella (who was 2.5 years old at the time) had a ROUGH time until I remembered a trick I’d seen online. We stopped and got some ribbon, and hung the tablet from the seatback in front of her. She felt better almost instantly!
These days we put the tablet in the chair back organizer I mentioned. Either way, hang that tablet so your little one isn’t looking down at their lap!
Bonus tip #2: Consider a hotel stay!
When we traveled with just one child, we had no trouble making it through the whole trip in one day. But after my second was born and we made the trip for the first time as a family of four (she was ten months old at the time), we realized it was too long of a day for her. Right now we are splitting the trip in two parts and staying at a hotel, a little bit past the halfway point. When both girls are a bit older, we’ll do the trip in one day again. It’s all about being flexible and leaning into the season of life you’re in!
So there you have it! My best tips for road tripping with toddlers. I would LOVE to hear about any other tips you have that I’ve missed! Comment below or message me on Instagram!
