My Road Trip Top 10 Tips
Taking a road trip with the littles? It doesn't have to be hard or stressful if you're well prepared. I have been traveling with Reid and Evelyn since they were barely more than 2 months old. I credit our long car rides to them being such good travelers. In fact, I just got back from taking them to visit my parents so this "Top 10" list is really fresh in my head. Here are my secrets to making these trips successful.
1. Have a list and check it twice:
Writing everything down and checking it off as I pack the car ensures I don't forget anything. This is how I personally stay organized and sane. And trust me when I say, my family is thankful for my preparedness because Mom thinks of almost all the details when it comes to traveling!
2. Snack attack:
Having snacks on hand means fewer stops. I bring enough for the ride there, back and in between! Things like goldfish crackers and applesauce pouches are fan favorites and fairly mess free. Bring refillable water bottles for drinks. My favorite spill-proof ones for the kids are by Contigo. You can fill them up as needed when you make stops, preventing you from having to spending money on drinks along the way.
Pro Tip: If you're traveling for a full day or more, bring a cooler with protein options and foods with some "staying power" that will leave tummies full longer like sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, trail mix, etc. Don't forget plastic utensils for eating with. Or, if you have smaller ones, or for the sake of avoiding a mess, bring straws for things like yogurt. If it's not Greek yogurt, you can shake it to make it a little more smoothie-like and then poke a straw into it. Pass it back to your kids and let them drink it right up.
4. Back packing it:
Who remembers Dora the Explorer singing “Back pack, back pack...”? I think about this every time I ask my kids to pack their back packs before a trip. I let them each pack their own back packs filled with whatever they want to bring, offering guidelines upfront. I make sure they have chosen to pack a few toys to play with, books to read, tablets to keep them entertained, head phones for their tablets, along with their “blankies”. Mom gets “veto power” on some things, encouraging them to make good choices. If I left it up to them entirely, Evelyn would shove her entire collection of plush friends in for the ride and Reid would only bring blankets and a Lego or two.
5. Charged and ready:
Reid and Evelyn's tablets can both plug in to our portable charging device. It charges up to 3 devices at one time via USB
It goes without saying that all electronic devices you plan to bring should be charged the night before your road trip. I'm extra paranoid so I plug things in a full day ahead. Having a portable charging hub and spare cables for electronics will save you so much whining and stress on your trip. I promise you will not regret investing in a portable charging device that can charge tablets and cell phones multiple times over in one sitting. Especially if you're in for a full day of travel.
Gone are the days of me having to worry about tablets or cell phones running out of batteries thanks to this little investment. Ours can charge three devices at once! I bought ours on Amazon and used it for the first time on our Alaska trip last July. Honestly, I cannot believe we haven't owned one sooner. No more meltdowns from the back of the car when the tablet dies mid way through a movie. Sweet relief from the screaming 6 year olds when the low battery alarm starts to sound!
6. Master the quick change – just in case:
A spare changes of clothes on hand and easily accessible is always a must. You never know when someone's going to spill a drink down their shirt, throw up on themselves, get pooped on by the dog (just happened to me!), or poop themselves. This saves you the trouble of having to access the suitcase when it's potentially very, very inconvenient and your elbow deep in God knows what.
7. Things are going to get a little messy:
Be ready for it! Speaking of getting pooped on, make sure you have paper towels, hand sanitizer, and trash bags in the vehicle at all times. You just never know when these things are going to come in handy!
8. Dancing in the rear view?:
Identify places to stop along your route that are kid-friendly (and pet friendly if you have fur babies – here's a list) and have clean bathrooms. McDonald's has always served me well. They have decent coffee and often times I can find one with a play area. My kids can get the wiggles out while I get my caffeine fix (the coffee part is important!). During the warmer months, we'll look for neat parks with playgrounds. When traveling with our pup, we’ll sometimes stop at places like Home Depot to stretch our legs, take a potty break and grab a pack of gum. They're pet friendly and big enough that a walk around the store and back is usually enough movement to hold us over until our next stop.
Pro Tip: For those with kids who are still potty training or have little ones who are newly potty trained, this tip is for you. Bring a portable potty with you on the road! You never know when the next exit is going to be too far away and your kids are going to need a bathroom break. This allows you to stop roadside. I cannot tell you how many times I pulled over and let my kids take a potty break on the training toilet.
9. Time for a refresh:
Reid as a pirate. We grabbed lunch at Wendy's before we hit the road home and the activity came with his meal. Bonus entertainment!
When I'm traveling solo with Reid and Evelyn they need to be able to mostly keep themselves entertained while I drive. Knowing that the same movies and games on their tablets can get boring, I try to download new things before each road trip we take. Same goes with books. If I bring something they've read a dozen times, I'm going to hear “I'm bored” five minutes into our drive. They aren't into ebooks yet, so for our recent trip I hit the book store the day before and picked them up a couple new volumes of the series they're currently into. This way they have exciting things to discover and immerse themselves in.
Here are additional mess-free entertainment ideas that work well in the car and are great for 6 year olds: Color Wonder Markers with Coloring Books, stickers with blank paper, I Spy and activity books. Reid especially loves the Mazecraft adventure books from Barnes & Noble.
10. Kids are all set, but what about you?:
If I'm stuck behind the wheel I need something to keep my brain focused, too. Yes, I'm paying attention to the road but what else do I do to entertain myself on a long road trip? If you're a work-from-home mama like me, it's no surprise I use this time to load up on training and inspirational podcasts. I have my phone connected to blue tooth in my car so I can listen to a Facebook LIVE training or Spotify via the audio on my car stereo and it's amazing! Eyes on the road but my brain is getting a power session. Win-win. I will also use my blue tooth capabilities to make calls and catch up with a few people, however, you never know when Reid and Evelyn with pipe in with large potty-mouthed screams from the back (they think it's hilarious) so mostly, I just listen to stuff. Making music playlists is also a great idea. Jam out and just do you. Because what else is there when you've got several hours on the open road?
Don't forget to check out my LIVE broadcasts on Facebook and Instagram on Tuesdays where I bring you special guest contributors. This week's guest is a mama of 3 and a full-time RVer. You can find my social links in the top right corner of my blog.
