Hacks for Family Road Trips
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Traveling with little kids can be challenging and stressful, especially if you have very young children. It wasn’t until our girls got to the ages of 9 and 7 years old that we were able to drive straight through for 12+ hours without stopping at a hotel overnight. When they were itty bitties, we had to get more creative. We either took a break overnight at a hotel once we reached the 6-7 hour mark, or sometimes we were fortunate enough to be able to borrow my in-law’s RV so that we could still drive straight through without being confined to one seat the whole way. If you are not able to drive an RV and you have very young children, there ARE ways to avoid at least SOME of the stress. It just takes a little pre-planning and a positive attitude!
Plan Stops in Advance:
It is always good to check where the most convenient and safest stops will be throughout your trip. Rest stops, gas, fast food, hotels, and more. Knowing what will be a quick stop and which cities are the safest to stop in will make your trip go much more smoothly. You won’t have to worry as much about whether or not the toilet is safe to sit on, will you run out of gas, when and where you are going to get a warm meal, and where to stay overnight if you need a break in your road trip.
Small Surprise at Certain Benchmarks (new state, every hour, etc.):
When my girls were 2 and 5 years old, we set up small “surprises” that they got to open at certain benchmark points during our trip to Florida. For example, we left in the evening and gave the girls glow sticks to use when it started to get dark outside. Then, we stopped overnight at a hotel and saved the rest of the surprises for the next day. In the morning, we surprised them with mini coloring book packs. At another stop, we surprised them with road-trip friendly magnetic puzzles and games. Once we made it to Florida, the final surprise was beach toys and bubbles! We combined this with the normal movies, lovies, and any other forms of entertainment that families would typically use on a road trip. It helped make the trip a little more fun for everyone!
Portable DVD Players:
These are a must, no matter what age your kids are when going on a road trip. My girls are older now, 11 and 8 years old, and they love going back and watching older movies that they once enjoyed as toddlers and preschoolers. Movies are and forever will be an excellent way to pass the time on a long trip. Many vehicles already have these built-in, but a lot of vehicles do not. Also, sometimes people forget to get the DVD version of their favorite movies and only end up having Blu-Rays. I’ve linked a few options below that have come highly recommended by parents I know.
Portable & Mountable Blu Ray Player
Portable & Mountable Duel-DVD Player (these are awesome!)
Portable DVD Player with a carrying case
Pack Food:
Packing your own food and snacks can be helpful during those periods of time in-between meals when kids start to get a little hungry but mostly just bored. It will also help you control how healthy the food is that your family is consuming during your road trip. I don’t know about you, but I hate feeling like junk food is just sitting in my stomach the whole entire trip. That being said, try packing your own snacks and/or meals, especially if you want to avoid having to stop at fast food restaurants for whatever reason. If stopping at a hotel overnight, simply pack Ziploc baggies full of ice from the hotel ice machine and use that to cool your food the next day.
Trash:
Always have some sort of bag or source for kids and adults to place their trash during the road trip. This will help eliminate the clutter and smell that can accumulate along the way. Every time you stop, try to eliminate as much trash as you can from your vehicle. Everyone will feel much better and much cleaner if the trash and clutter is GONE!
Plan for Emergencies:
Always bring a first aid kit and something to catch vomit. It might also be a good idea to throw a towel or two in the car, as well as a change of those that is easily accessible. I remember one road trip when I was a kid and my little brother got food poisoning and puked all over his side of our van. IT. WAS. TRAUMATIZING. Like…..for everyone involved. There was vomit everywhere. So just trust me when I say plan for any emergency!
Stop at Hotels with a Pool:
This was a life saver on some of our road trips! There is a certain age between baby and six years old when kids just need to sleep lying down and not in a car. That’s when it might be a good idea to break your road trip into separate days by stopping overnight at a hotel. If your kids like to swim, getting a hotel with a pool can be a great way for youngsters to burn off some pent up energy from the road trip. Trust me, they will get the wiggles out one way or another. You might as well make it fun!
Separate Bag for Overnight Stays:
Always pack important items, like medication, and items for a one-night stay in a separate bag. This will help keep you from having to unpack the car to go searching for a pair of underwear, morning meds, or your toothbrush. On a long road trip, the last thing you want to do is have to unpack the car for that one item, and then have to pack it all back up again.
Travel Pillows & Blankets:
It really is worth the investment to get yourself and your kids travel pillows. Trying to get comfortable enough to sleep in the car can be very challenging for some folks. Packing something, anything, that will make you feel more like you are ready to snuggle up and fall asleep will be so helpful in making the trip go by quickly AND in helping your family get some rest along the way.
Stay Positive & Be Patient:
Road trips can be full of surprises, so just keep your expectations low and try to stay positive. Remember, this road trip is just temporary. Wherever you are headed is going to be well worth the drive, and you will be creating beautiful memories the entire time! Even if something doesn’t go quite as planned, it will more than likely make for a fun story later on! You’ve got this so take a deep breath and have fun!
