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Going on a road trip can be hectic with kids, especially young kids. Depending on if it is a day trip or an extended trip, there can be a variety of issues that pop up.
Although unexpected things will always happen, if you are able to plan things out and prepare for your trip as much as possible, you will have a better chance of enjoying it. These tips will help you stress less and enjoy your trip more.
1. Use Backseat Organizers
Organizers throughout the car are a great idea to help keep a wide variety of items organized. Backseat organizers are especially great because they allow each child to have access to their own items easily and in an organized way, so they don’t have to ask you where everything is.
You don’t have to hand anyone anything or worry about where you put whatever they need. They are responsible for keeping up with their own items.
This of course only works if they child is old enough to reach the organizer and keep up with their own items.
A tray like this one will help smaller children keep their favorite items within reach. Just swap out their items the next time you stop at a rest stop, gas station, or for a bite to eat.
2. Bring Snacks
Make sure that the snacks are something that each child would like to eat and are road trip friendly. Ensure that there aren’t any foods brought on the trip that can trigger anyone’s allergies.
In a tight space, like a car, it is very easy for things to get contaminated and the lack of sufficient air circulation can help airborne allergens trigger an anaphylactic reaction in the sensitive person depending on the severity of their allergy.
You could even add some of the dried fruit to their water to flavor it so they will drink more water.
3. Listen to Audiobooks
An audiobook could be played in the entire car or on a device for each person, depending on the interests of those riding in the car and the length of the road trip, it may be easier to select an audiobook for each child.
I love utilizing Libby, which is an app that allows you to borrow books, magazines, and audiobooks from a digital library account setup by your local library. You use your library card information to sign in and checkout the items you want.
Overdrive and Hoopla are two other great free apps that you can use, but Libby is by far my favorite. Audible is a great option for the book and audiobooks that aren’t available on Libby.
Get a free 30 day trial of Audible Plus with access to the Audible Plus Catalog or get a 30 day free trial of Audible Premium Plus, access to the Audible Plus Catalog, and get up to two free premium books during your trial. Audible Premium Plus also includes: one free premium title every month, 30% of all additional premium titles, and exclusive access to sales.
4. Bring Cleaning Supplies
A mess will eventually happen regardless of whether it was because someone got sick or they just spilled something.
A stash of cleaning wipes, grocery bags, hand/ dish soap, a couple rags, and a small vacuum cleaner will come in handy at some point during a road trip.
5. Bring Books
The books that you bring will depend on who you are preparing for and what they like to read.
Young children will prefer picture books and coloring books, while older children will prefer a good book series that they have been looking forward to reading or rereading.
A word search or puzzle book is a good option to bring so you can satisfy anyone that might be tired of their book selection.
6. Work on Skills
Consider bringing a portable skill that will be able to be completed in a moving vehicle such as: knitting, crocheting, and embroidery.
7. Play Car Games
Car games such as: Would you rather, I Spy, “I’m thinking of…”, and Bingo are great options to keep all of your children occupied while engaging with each other. These games are great because they don’t require you to keep up with any pieces.
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8. Bring Car Friendly Games
Outside of the games you can download beforehand on a tablet, car friendly games are a great option to keep your children occupied while on your journey. If you are considering bringing a tablet, make sure the games they want to play don’t require an internet connection if you don’t have a hotspot available for them to use.
Also, make sure they have a way to charge their tablets with either a UBS port in the car or with a portable battery pack. It is always a good idea to leave some extra charging cords in the car as well. Always be sure that you are storing any electronic devices away when you leave your car. A trip with young kids will be stressful enough without someone breaking into your car.
Games like chess and checkers have smaller magnetic versions that aren’t easily knocked over and are very portable. They are often in a zippered case so all of the contents are contained within the pouch.
9. Utilize Rest stop and Gas Station Breaks
This is a great way for everyone to stretch their legs and let out some pent-up energy before you hit the road again.
It is also a great way to make sure that you aren’t completely sedentary while on this road trip. Jumping jacks, running laps, pushups, squats, and stretches are all great options.
10. Practice Reading Maps
Before the trip, make a colored map together with your young kids. Show them how it translates to a normal map and get them ready to learn how to read a normal map.
Mark landmarks and places visited on the map. Everyone that gets the map points correct gets a prize.
