
Helpful Road Trip Tips for Families
Here is a collection the best road trip tips for families and kids! From packing to entertainment, these helpful tips for long road trips will set your crew up for a smooth ride cross country. The perfect road trip embraces the journey as much as the destination. Enjoy national parks, new state borders, terrain and culture! Hit the road and enjoy your epic family adventure!
Keep Your Car Clean
Shila said: With your car packed full of snacks, wrappers, and fast food, it's a great idea to collect the garbage as they're opened in a portable trash bag. Prepare for other unexpected messes, too! Pack a paper towel roll for liquid spills and hand wipes for sticky fingers! Trust us, with kids in the back seat, your car could get very messy and you can lose important things. Avoid the clutter, and spend more time enjoying your travel space!
Plan Unique Pit Stops
Shila said: Plan for the perfect road trip by making everlasting memories at unique and interesting pit stops along the way! Rest areas can be MORE than gas stations. Instead, pull over at jaw-dropping scenic overlooks, quirky statues, national monuments, historic points, and more attractions that kids will love! Be spontaneous or map them out in advance as planned breaks.
Load The Trunk Efficiently
Shila said: Arrange a good method in properly loading the trunk with suitcases and bags before you get on the road! For example, overnight luggage should be packed first because you won't likely access it throughout the day's drive. On the other hand, snack containers and food coolers should be placed on top where they can be easily accessed throughout the day.
Create a Music Playlist
Shila said: Does your family agree on the same taste of music? Create a playlist in advance by selecting some adult albums that kids can appreciate too! From The Beatles to ABBA to The Jackson 5, exposing kids to widely-acclaimed and timeless hits can be a great form of car ride entertainment and an excellent tip for long road trips.
Bring an Extra Car Key
Shila said: One of the best road trip tips is to pack an extra set of car keys! It acts as a safety just in case one key accidentally gets lost. Avoid getting stopped in your own tracks!
Celebrate New State Borders
Shila said: When you pass through a new state, celebrate! It's an educational moment for kids to achieve this geographical accomplishment. Pull over at the first rest area, and take a family photo by the "Welcome" sign!
Balance Sugary Treats with Healthy Snacks
Shila said: Snacking is such a fun part of family road trips! Quintessential treats like chips (Funyuns, anyone?), beef jerky and candy bars are great, but be sure to offer healthy snacks for kids on road trips, too. Healthy food choices (i.e., nuts, fruit, granola bars) supply us with good energy, while too much junk food may make kids tired and irritable after the kick wears off. Balance is key!
Wiggle Breaks
Shila said: One of the best road trip tips for toddlers and kids is to carve out breaks to stretch, especially before or after nap time. This helps young ones burn off built-up energy and play! Consult your guide for the best rest areas en route. Some rest stops will have picnic tables, playgrounds, and large lawn areas to run around and shake the wiggles out.
Headphones For Kids
Shila said: Invest in a quality pair of headphones for kids on a family road trip. Your children will each have the opportunity for some "undisturbed alone time" to enjoy their own music channel, chat with friends, watch movies on their devices, listen to a kid-friendly podcast, concentrate on schoolwork, or more.
Road Trip Toys
Shila said: Purchase a few road trip travel toys that will occupy your kid's attention even for a bit of entertainment. The best road trips toys for kids can include activity books (i.e., cross word puzzles, word searches, Mad Libs), pocket board games, mess-free coloring pages, books with funny knock knock jokes to share out loud, etc.
Prepare for Tolls
Shila said: Most major cities charge tolls for cruising their highways! Tollway charges can run anywhere from fifty cents to ten or more dollars, and every vehicle is required to stop and pay to pass. Bring cash!
You can also invest in an electronic pass/transponder that sits on your dashboard (i.e., I-PASS, E-Z Pass). As your vehicle enters the tollway, your account is automatically charged. Transponders share compatibility in most states. In many cases too, this option allows you to significantly avoid the slow-moving "cash only" toll lanes. Spend less time in traffic, and more time ahead on the road with your family!
Car Sick Tips
Shila said: Collect some tips to avoid car sickness on road trips! Depending on your symptoms, adults and children can take over-the-counter medicine too. Additional recommendations include: spending more time looking out the front window (to gain a sense of balance), taking breaks and time for fresh air, chewing gum, eating salty snacks/carbohydrates, having a comfortable seat with room to breathe, etc.
Towels
Michael Farina said: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy strongly recommends bringing a towel with you on all trips, and I heartily agree. My car normally has a beach towel (for cleaning up big messes and doubling as a blanket), a handful of kitchen towels (napkins, bibs, lap-based crumb catchers, and small-spill soakers), and a packet of baby wipes (my kids are well out of diapers, but bigger kids make bigger messes).
Keep Extra Plastic Bags in the Car
Alexandra F. said: You never know when they will come in handy! To collect toys or trash, for the surprise car sickness, for holding any wet or dirty clothes...we always find ourselves in need of a bag or few on every long car ride we've ever taken!
Leave Early/Late
Sunshine Girl said: Leave extra early in the morning or late in the evening so the kids sleep for most or at least half of the car ride. If you leave extra early, pack the car the night before assuming it’s parked in a safe place over night, so all you need to do is load sleeping kids, click seat belts and go. Travel in pjs too.
Play Games
Alexandra F. said: Car games help to make the time on the road pass more quickly, and are a great way to engage with each other and create those special road trip memories! The alphabet game, the license plate game, categories, name that tune...be sure to have a few car games in mind to increase your chances of suggesting something everyone will be willing to play!
Plan Your Route Ahead of the Drive
Shila said: For a more confident drive, familiarize yourself with the directions and highway routes you plan to take. Take a peak at your GPS for any major traffic, road closures, detours, and weather ahead in order to best assess your intended plan. Although the roads can be unpredictable too, even a bit of advanced notice can help put more calm and control in the driver's seat. And that can make for a pleasant road trip!
Vehicle Tune Up
Shila said: One of the best tips for long road trips is making sure that your vehicle is in good driving condition to withstand an extended drive. For a safer ride, take your car in for a quick tune-up before departure. Check the tire pressure, motor oil levels, windshield wiper fluid, etc. To that, your vehicle should also have emergency resources packed to help with roadside issues (i.e., extra tire, jack, flashlight, etc.).
Pack Each Day in a Smaller Bag
Kate Wille Murray said: Put a complete outfit for each person in a bag and label the day. Pack all bags in larger bag. Pack a separate bag of extra shirts, shorts and undergarments.
Audiobooks
Jaclyn Keifer said: Each time we prep for a road trip, I rent an audiobook from our library’s online service. We’ve enjoyed some fantastic books together and it passes time!
Keep. Things. Moving.
Amy S. said: By “things” I mean bowel movements. Long travel days in the car combined with less-than-healthy road trip snacks can lead to constipation in kids (and grown ups too). Make sure everyone stays regular by drinking lots of water, packing lots of fresh fruit and veggies (especially berries and pears), and stopping regularly for physical activity. It’ll spare your kids some serious discomfort, and spare you that particular anxiety of wondering when they will finally go and how hard it will be.
Be Prepared to Picnic
Amy S. said: Although it can be tempting to consume your meals in the car to shorten travel times, we try to be ready to eat outside if the weather’s nice. We always have a big, thick blanket ready for picnics, along with reusable water bottles, napkins, and utensils. Whether we’re eating fast food or stuff we’ve packed for the trip, it’s nice to make a festive attempt at a family meal. Sometimes the kids abandon the picnic blanket to run or play on the playground, but we can relax while they move, so it’s still a win-win.
Pack Separate Bags for Each Stop
Kate Wille Murray said: Pack separate bags for each stop to prevent bringing extra stuff into hotels for quick visits.
First-Aid/Emergency Kit
Alexandra F. said: Buy a basic first aid kit or assemble your own to be ready for any unexpected surprises - and for additional peace of mind. Some extra items to consider adding could be duct tape, reflectors, a flash light, drinking water, blankets, and an umbrella or poncho.
Car Seat Organizer
Sarah Calamita said: Kids of all ages will love this car seat tray! It is perfect to eat on, color on, play cars on and organize their toys. Makes travel so much easier (we even use it for quick trips around town, too!)
Primary photo: Simon Rae on Unsplash
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