5 Must-Have Items for a Successful Family Road Trip with Kids
Ms. Jenny Liz may earn a commission from any links clicked on this post. See my full disclosure statement here. Updated: January 2024
It is that time of year again when we pack the car full and head off on all our summer adventures. Now when it comes to long car rides and traveling with kids there are a few things that I have found that make travel days easier (we also plan lots of stops for bathroom breaks and to get some energy out on longer trips). These are 5 things that I have been using this summer that I hope you find helpful too.
1 Kid Travel Trays
These travel trays have become a staple in my van for my kids. They easily go around the car seat for a secure fit. They give the young kids a nice flat surface to eat on when it comes to meals on the go all the time, not just when traveling. The trays also have lots of pockets to keep things close, but mainly we use them for eating in the car.
2 DVD Player ( or tablet)
Now this might come as a shocker, but my kids don’t have tablets. We just don’t see a need for them to have it. So instead on long trips we set up the portable DVD player. The set allows the kid to either watch the same movie or they can plug in some headphones and each watch their own movie.
3 Toy Baskets
The third item on our list of must haves is a toy basket. Now both of my kids are still in full-back car seats so their ability to move and grab items they want is limited compared to a child in a regular seatbelt. I have found keeping a basket on the seat next to them with all of the small toys and trinkets that I have collected helps them reach what they want without too much trouble.
BOUNS
As your trip gets closer hit up your local dollar store, Target dollar spot or even garage sale to find new toys for your car trip. I like to have some coloring items, small dolls or cars to play with, or new books to read to help keep thing interesting and fresh and avoid the dreaded ” Are we there yet?”
4 Cup Tethers
Now if you are a mom of a toddler that loves to throw their cup you might already know of these handy tethers to keep you child’s cup from hitting the floor, but have you tried them in your car yet? This is a game changer! No more falling cups that no one can reach as you drive down the highway. This allow the kids to pull on the tether and fish up their own cup!
5 Snacks
To finish off our list of 5 must have items for a successful family road trip of course we have snacks! I mean if your kids are anything like mine that are constantly asking for snack when we are at home and tht doesn’t change because we got in a car. I like to keep a balance of fun snacks and healthy snacks. So you will normally find a cooler filled with apple slices, cut up sweet peppers, mini cucumbers and carrot sticks. Along with a bag filled with some cookies, crackers, apple sauce pouches and a little bit of candy.
I hope you add these 5 must-have items to you next family road trip and that they help curve that question of ” Are we there yet?”