Road Trip with Kids Must-Haves

When I was younger, I loved road trips.  We didn’t have tablets or phones back in my day, but I was on the cusp of technology in the car.  I remember my mom would bring a 9” box TV with a VHS player in the car and use a giant power converter in order to plug it in. Road trips can be very long and boring, which makes for very impatient kids. Don’t miss these road trip with kids must-haves to make your trip as smooth as possible.

1. COMFORT

First things first, when you are taking a long road trip you want to make sure you are comfortable.  I let my kids bring one blanket, one pillow, and one stuffed animal in the car.  It makes it easy for them to fall asleep in the car, which as we all know makes the time go faster for everyone involved.

My son used to sleep so soundly when he was sitting in a car seat.  The moment he transitioned to just a booster, he struggled with the dreaded head bob that would constantly wake him up.  If you are experiencing the same thing, I recommend trying this head rest that easily attaches to the car head rest.  It helped him have some where to lean his head while  still being able to properly sit in his booster.

Another travel pillow we are currently trying out is the Trtl Plus.  I bought this more for plane rides, but it can be used in the car as well. It helps keep your head propped up while leaning against a window making it pretty easy to sleep sitting up.

2. SNACKS

The next most important thing for any road trip is having great road snacks.  For easy access, I keep a bin of snacks and a cooler filled with waters within reach of the kids.  We typically like to eat our lunch on the road while traveling, so I always make ham and cheese roll ups since they seem to create less crumbs than your typical sandwiches.  I also make sure to have a lot of individually wrapped items – such as granola bars, carrots, and some small miniature chocolates or cookies.  Fruit snacks, raisins, and goldfish also make good snacks but I always seem to find these on the floor and in the cracks between seats so I tend to do those less.

3. KID ACTIVITY TABLE

We recently just bought a new car that I am trying to keep clean as long as humanly possible, so I also found that this tray helps to keep all crumbs and messes contained.  Not only is it a great for food on the go, but it also is a great place for kids to play legos or work on a coloring book.

4. ENTERTAINMENT BACKPACK

This brings me to one of the most important things for a road trip with kids – an entertainment backpack!  I give this responsibility to my kids to pack things that can entertain themselves for any trip we go on.  My one rule is that they bring items that don’t require another person to use.  For my daughter, this might include a lot of different art supplies and books.  My son on the other hand loves legos, fidget toys, and Pokemon cards.

I love this backpack for traveling because it has wheels on it, which makes it easy for kids to use regardless of how much stuff they chose to bring along.  It prevents us parents from having to drag yet another piece of luggage along.

5. TABLETS

You can get a Kindle Fire for relatively cheap on Amazon, which can be a lifesaver on road trips.  It allows each kid to have something tailored just for them whether it be movies or games.  If you are a subscriber to streaming services like Netflix, I suggest pre-downloading a number of different movies or tv shows for each kid prior to the trip.  This means they don’t have to connect to your phone’s hotspot and can easily watch movies offline.

6. MUSIC OR PODCAST

While I love to drive on road trips, it is also probably one of the most boring jobs.  Everyone else gets to be on their devices or reading or coloring, which in my car often results in most people having headphones on.  So, as the driver, it is important to make sure you are entertained as well!  I often make my own playlists on Spotify that I can sing along to or find a good podcast.

I once did a 10+ hour road trip by myself with both kids so I instigated a rule where they were one hour on a device and then one hour off of a device.  This allowed us time to play road games and interact, which frankly made the time go by faster for everyone.  I recommend the Family Road Trip Trivia podcast which is one that everyone can enjoy and participate in.

7. WIPES & TISSUES

Even when traveling without kids, it is important to have wipes or napkins for easy clean up when spills inevitable happen.  We found this tissue visor holder that keeps tissues at arms reach.  It is great because it doesn’t take up extra space, leaving you more foot room that can easily get taken over on road trips.

Hot Tip: If you are eating out on the road, be sure to stock up on extra napkins and keep them in the glove compartment.

8. TRASH CAN

This leads me to my next must-have – a trash can!  With snacks and spills, trash is going to accumulate.  You can always just grab an extra grocery bag, but we prefer this one that can hang in a variety of different spots.  We personally keep this right behind the center console in the back seat so kids can easily reach it themselves.  This is a must-have because the last thing you want is an old smelly banana peel somewhere hidden under a seat (not like I am speaking from experience!).

9. DIAPER BAG WITH EXTRA CLOTHES

Finally, if you are traveling with young kids, make sure your diaper bag is somewhere close by and not hidden under all your luggage.  We love this diaper bag that doubles as a backpack and can hang on your stroller.  Anyone with a diaper bag knows your typical items to include, but on road trips make sure you include extra clothes!  Even if your kids are newly potty trained, extra clothes are a must! 

With road trips, you never know when you are going to get stuck in traffic or how close the nearest rest stop is.  When kids are often nose deep in their devices, they tend to forget to tell you that they need to go to the bathroom until the last possible second.  I can’t tell you how many times we have had to stop on the side of the road for a code red bathroom emergency, so don’t forget extra clothes just in case an accident happens.

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Just to recap here is your travel checklist:

• Comfort items
• Individually wrapped snacks
• Kid activity table
• Entertainment backpack for kids
• Preloaded movies and games on tablets
• Music or podcasts for the driver
• Wipes & tissues for clean ups
• Trash can
• Diaper bag with extra clothes

Do you have any other must-have items that have been a lifesaver during your road trips?  Let me know in the comments below!

Considering flying instead? Check out my post on surviving a flight with kids.