If there is anything I am passionate about, it is traveling with your kids. But trust me, I understand that it can be overwhelming and a LOT of work. Also, expensive. Sometimes the only way to make the trip work is to load up the minivan (or the SUV) and hit the road!
I recently had a trip like this, I took my two little girls (ages two and three) on an epic road trip to Florida for two entire weeks. Luckily, my mom drove there with us, and my husband met us there later in the trip to drive back together. I picked up a few traveling with kids tips tricks I wanted to pass along to you guys, just in case you have one last trip planned before the school year starts!
Road Trip Tip #1 – Pack Your Bags by Theme
This one seems obvious but let me drill down a little bit. I had lots of bags and each one had a theme. Other than our normal trip luggage, I made sure to have these bags pretty easily accessible for the car ride.
- Car Care Bag: Tire sealant, jumper cables, flashlight (and batteries), gloves, rags, duct tape, tow rope, multipurpose tool.
- Entertainment Bag: Coloring books, window clings, stickers, crayons, magnetic car games, quiet games (we love buckle toys!), books, magazines, card games, Kindle/iPads.
- First Aid Bag: Thermometer, band-aids, aloe, saline, tape, Tylenol, Benedryl (cream & actual med), cotton balls/swabs, antacids, scissors, tweezers, cold pack for boo-boos, sunscreen, bug spray, q-tips… and then a few extra things for the kids: change of clothes, diapers/wipes/undies, paper towels, antibacterial wipes, washcloth, hand sanitizer.
- Snack Bag: Bottles of water, raisins, granola, dried fruit, string cheese, trail mix, nuts, energy bars, fruit snacks, goldfish…Try to stay away from things that can melt in the heat.
- Technology Bag: Cell phone, tablet, headphones, chargers, batteries, portable chargers.
Road Trip Tip #2 – Leave as Early as Possible
When we left Plano to head to Orlando, I picked my mom up at 4am. The hope was that the girls would sleep for the first chunk of the ride…but that didn’t really happen. However, starting our day in the car is the way to go. They just accepted the fact that our day was a car day and it was smooth sailing.
When we left Orlando to head back to Plano, we weren’t ready to leave. I decided to go for a run with a friend around the resort, and we sat down for one last family breakfast at our favorite little restaurant at Disney. This was a mistake. When we left around noon versus first thing in the morning, the girls wanted to get out of their seats. It was a much more difficult drive to keep them entertained.
Road Trip Tip #3 – The LOUDER The Better
Meltdowns are going to happen…embrace them. When my girls were getting loud, even though the ONLY thing I wanted out of life was for them to quietly watch Peppa Pig, I just joined in. We turned the radio up and sang songs from The Greatest Showman at the top of our lungs. We had a contest to see who had the funniest laugh.
Not only does this stop the screaming-for-no-reason… but it is an excellent way to burn off some energy.
Road Trip Tip #4 – Create a Countdown
This isn’t a tip I have personally used, but it is one of my FAVORITE tips out there. I actually didn’t get this advice until after I came home, but I will definitely be implementing this tactic on our next trip.
Get a wake-up-light and use it in the car. When the light turns GREEN it’s time to stop to get lunch! When the light turns GREEN, we are going to get gas and go potty! When the light turns GREEN, we are going to find a hotel to spend the night!
You can also put together a road-trip-countdown game if you’re one of those Pinterest moms, using post-its or note cards or even a paper chain to mark down states (or cities or landmarks or whatever) to look forward to seeing on the drive. If you decide on the paper chain, you can countdown time… every half hour one of the kids gets to tear a link off the chain. Or, to avoid the aforementioned meltdowns, each kid can get their own chain!
Road Trip Tip #5 – My Favorite Random Hacks
I’ve got a few more things that I’m just gonna throw out there.
- Throw a bag of ziplock bags in your purse (I told you I loved my bags). If you stay overnight at a hotel with a breakfast buffet, you can grab a few extra muffins or bananas or whatever to take with you in the car. Smaller bags are also good for a handful of dry cereal.
- If you forget your charger, Amazon Prime can deliver one to your final destination. It may even get there before you do. Don’t ask me how I know that.
- Car seat trays are totally worth it. You can buy a fancy one on Amazon or you can grab a cookie sheet for $1 at the dollar store.
Now you tell me, Mamas…what are some of YOUR favorite road trip tips? I know that there is a lot more out there and I would love to hear yours!
