Road Trip Tips and Tricks
[Reading time: 9 mins]
9 tips to help you survive a road trip with kids
Photo from vecteezy.com
Let’s face it— vacationing with kids is not easy, nor is it a cheap endeavor! I personally hate taking road trips, but since having 4 kids, it’s the more affordable way for us to travel. We’ve gone road trippin’ quite a few times now, with our longest trip being our annual [supposed to be] 15.5hr drive to Florida — ahem: or with small kids… an almost 20hr drive done over a span of 2 days.
We’ve learned a few tips & tricks along the way to help survive our long road trips!
01. Bring those screens along and let your kids have at it.
Very surprisingly, my family has actually been able to survive our long road trips with no screens. However, I know that this can be nearly impossible for the majority of families! So, even if you’re normally a scree-free or limited-screen family, make those road trips the special exception for those kids and bring along a tablet or portable DVD player to keep your kids entertained. Stock it up with kid-friendly TV shows & movies and voila! You’ll have some very-occupied kids in the back seat of your car! Just make sure the devices are charged up and ready to go before your trip and that you pack extra chargers.
My friend recommends this tablet holder for the car:
Tablet Holder Mount for Car
Seems like it would work great for multiple kids to watch on one screen!
02. Stock up on those screen-free travel activities too.
Even if you have your screens all set for the drive, don’t underestimate your child’s want for some traditional activities as well. I have put together a list of our favorite travel games & activities that keep our kids occupied on our long road trips. You can check it out here:
Screen-Free Travel Activities & Toys for Kids
I also have many friends that swear by the Toniebox or the Yoto Player. We have yet to try one, but they’re great audio devices made for kids, to listen to music, audiobooks or even podcasts.
03. Make sure all the activities are easily accessible.
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Even when you’re not on a road trip, this is probably one of the most annoying things to a parent: not being able to reach something your kids dropped on the ground.
It’s not fool-proof, but we just put a small bin in between my kids, that’s filled with all their travel games & activities. It’s fairly easy for them to just pull things in and out of the bin, without needing our help to do so.
Additionally, these back seat organizers can be very helpful:
Car Backseat Organizer with Tray
Not only does it have a section for a tablet already, there is a small tray to put things on and of course all the additional pockets.
But if the backseat organizers are still a little hard for your kids to reach, we also like using this travel tray:
Car Travel Lap Tray
04. Load up on snacks.
Snacks are another must-have on road trips. And if your kids are anything like mine, they will constantly ask for snacks just because they’re bored. So have a rule [or rules] in place so they’re not eating nonstop for 5+ hours. Maybe something like “Snacks only come out every 100 miles” or “Snacks are given only when we make pit stops”.
If you have toddlers, these snack cups are great to have for those little fingers:
Munchkin® Snack Catcher®
05. Buy a rooftop cargo carrier.
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Depending on what kind of car you have and how many people are traveling in it, you may not need this. But for my family, having 6 of us in the car taking up all 3 rows of our minivan, we are still extremely strapped for space.
I am quite the cheapskate and I don’t like buying frivolous things if they’re not necessary, so it took me a little bit to get on board with buying one of these. But as much as I hate to admit it, my husband was right with this purchase! It saves us so much room in our van and we no longer have to worry about what we can and cannot bring on our road trips. It is definitely worth the cost.
We have the Thule brand and are very happy with it. There are a lot of different sizes to chose from: Thule Rooftop Cargo Carrier
06. Rest stops are your best friend.
Photo via Talent Network System
I remember the first time we took a long road trip, I mapped out our entire drive, figuring out which exits to get off at so our kids could stretch their legs. I quickly realized on our drive that the best stops were the simplest: Rest Stops.
You don’t realize until you’re a parent, how genius rest stops are. I mean, you’re looking for a place to stop and get out of the car for a bit, take a potty break and maybe pick up some snacks. All of that is right there at the rest stop!
The only thing rest stops don’t have is a gas station. But let me tell you why I don’t like gas stations as a place for the kids to get out of the car. Where are they going to run around? I found my kids literally doing 1 or 2 stretches on the sidewalk, trying not to get hit by a car, and then having to get right back into the car. At a rest stop, they can safely burn off their energy, running around the large grassy fields.
07. Playgrounds are the next best thing.
If you are going to map something out on your road trip, a playground is the next best thing to a rest stop. You’d be surprised how many random playgrounds are off of the highway too, but often, you will have to do a little bit of research before heading out on the road, to find the most convenient and safe location to stop at.
However, the main reason I do prefer rest stops over a playground though is because it can be a lot more difficult to get your kids back into the car. Before you know it, you’ve spent an hour at this “quick stop”!
08. Eat your meals at a park if possible.
If you’re planning to make a stop to eat at a restaurant, and if the weather permits and you’re able to, plan to pick up food and eat it at a park instead. A park is just another means to be able to let your kids out and run off some energy while you’re eating. Essentially, you’re also killing two birds with one stone, with only needing to make this one stop. Plus, imagine getting your kids out after being in the car for a couple of hours or more, and now you have to hope that they’ll continue to sit down quietly and behave inside a restaurant setting. That doesn’t sound fun to me at all!
09. Pack a “one-night” bag.
If you’re planning on stopping overnight in the middle of your road trip, pack a “one night” bag. A duffel bag usually does the trick- just throw in your essentials for your whole family: pajamas, underwear, clothes for the next day and only necessary toiletries.
Trust me, this will be so much easier than having to lug your suitcase around for just the one night!
[Disclaimer: If you click on any of the Amazon links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. However, all opinions are still my own] [All photos are taken via vecteezy.com, unless otherwise noted]
It’s so easy to plan a staycation when you live in or so close to such an amazing city as Chicago. Between the world-class museums, popular tourist attractions, outdoor parks and beaches, broadway theater and so much more, you will never come up short of ideas for the perfect staycation!