Traveling with Kids: Tips, Activities and Road Trip Planning

Sharing tips for traveling with kids on the road including free activities, my hack for road trip boredom, a list of everything you need, and how to plan your road trip and travel stops. All gathered from my mom-friends and mentors, I hope they will be as helpful to you as they have been to me.

1. Determine your route. Prepare and plan your stops. 

Now, it doesn’t have to be as detailed (read: nerdy) as this or involve a spreadsheet. BUT if you can even jot down where and when you want to stop it can be really helpful in setting expectations with kiddos. Other things that we find hlepful:

• It may even be helpful to leave early in the morning so that you can get a few hours under your belt before the kids are even awake.

• Prep the kiddos if they are old enough. Talk/Hype the trip. Talk about the carride and what to expect. Get them excited about the activities along the way.

• If you are nursing like me, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• How are you planning to feed baby during the trip? Bottle feed, Breast feed, Pump and bottle feed?

• What’s the plan if baby is freaking out and you can’t get him/her calmed down? Pacifier? Cry it Out? Pull Over?

• How often do you need to stop to feed?

From SafeintheSeat: Breastfeeding while your baby is in their car seat or in your arms in a moving car... HARD NO! Yes, this happens. Why? Because sometimes that shrieking scream becomes just too much and we don't know what to do other than stick a boob in their mouth. Feel free to use that plan at your discretion when you are OUT of the car. ⁠

2. Have activities, snacks and books at the ready

via The Simple Sketchbook

Keeping kids entertained on a long car ride can be tough. Here are some things I learned from fellow mom’s that also work for us:

• Estimate one snack, one book and one “activity” or gift/toy per hour. You will likely not use all of them but this gives you plenty of “ammo.”

• Rotate it. I had one mom-friend share that on a solo drive with her two boys she would toss a snack, then a book, then a toy back to them each time they started to tune up.

• Decide in advance if you are going to use screens for the trip. I find that Tommy gets more wound up when he watches too much TV so this is something we have not tried yet. For upcoming 9 hour trip, we will have a movie for him to watch if things get rough at the end. To each his own.

• Try and initiate your “nomal” routine in the car. For instance if you kiddo naps after lunch, set the tone for napping after your lunch stop. Bring along their lovie and blanket. If you read a book before naptime, read a book. 

• Package up your activities in a creative way like Carrie from The Simple Sketchbook did above. “Do not Open Until XYZ” or “Open in Florida” or “Open at TIME”

Car Ride Activities

Favorite FREE Car Ride Activities:

• Singing

• I Spy

• The License Plate Game

• The Alphabet Game

• 20 Questions

• Would you Rather

Favorite Places to Shop for Car Ride Activities:

• Target Dollar Spot

• Five Below

• Dollar Tree

• My own house: Yes, you can wrap up hot wheels, puzzles, and games from home for the car ride. You DO NOT have buy new for it to be fun, usuable and entertaining in the car.

Favorite Screen-Free Car Ride Activities:

• NEW FOR 2022: Magnetic Drawing Board, Poppers, Magna-doodle, Travel Trivia Cards, Water Wows Mess Free Coloring Kits

• Reusable Sticker Books

• Car Ride BINGO (Under $8)

• Brain Quest

• Color Wonder Coloring Pads and Markers: Only writes on certain paper and this set comes with a clip board

• Card Games: Uno, Go Fish, Old Maid, Gin Rummy

• Classic Board Games… made for the car : Connect Four, Guess Who, and Battleship (probably not Operation, hah!)

• Hangman, Dots, and Tic-Tac-Toe (Just use a Notepad and Pen/Pencil)

• Activity Books: Mad Libs,  I Spy, Where’s Waldo, Suduko, Crosswords

• Listen to Music with Headphones

Best Screens for Road Trips:

• Amazon Fire Tablet for Kids: Allows you to lock the screen so little hands can’t touch/change screen.

• Dual DVD Player Portable: Great option if you are not wanting a tablet, but okay with some screentime movie watching. Have fun before the trip shopping for DVDs at a local store like McKays Used Books. Allows full parental control via a remote. Straps to the back of the headrest.

Most importantly, MAKE IT FUN! In life and in road trips, so much is about the journey. And also know its okay to cry tears of joy and relief when you finally see the ocean because you are so dang sick of being in the car with your family.