Preparation

Traveling with children can be a little overwhelming to prepare for.

Personally, I enjoy traveling with our children. I think it is because while growing up, every summer we used to do a lot of traveling around the United States.

I have a lot of fond memories built spending quality time with my family. My hope is after you read through this post you will feel prepared and excited to travel with your children too.

Questions

When preparing for the trip here are some things to think about:

• How long the trip will take?
• How many stops you will be making? I try to estimate 2-3 hour stretches.
• Do we want to pack our food and snacks or buy on the way?
• Do we need to make stops that have grass to picnic lunch and let the kids run?

After asking these questions, I zoom in on the map and look at exits around those miles and time patches that have variety of gas and food options we would want to stop at.  I look for grassy options where we can picnic lunch and let the girls run around and get energy out.

Packing

When packing for trips, I recently started using packing cubes which has been very helpful with the girls clothes not getting thrown around in the luggage.

Although this does not eliminate it completely it certainly does help. Packing cubes are not necessarily a necessity. You could also use ziplock bags to do the trick.

Here’s how I organize it:

Cube 1: I pack pajama’s with underwear folded in as one. We usually do bath before bed so it made sense to keep the underwear with the PJ’s. I pack both girls’ pajama’s in one cube so I only have to take one thing out before bed.

Cube 2: I pack a top, bottom, and socks folded as one for my oldest child. I pack some pant options, shorts (weather permitting), and pack either a jacket or sweatshirt for evenings.

Cube 3: I pack a top, bottom, and socks folded in as one for my younger child. I pack the same items but a few extra because she still gets very dirty and some extras in case of an accident.

Currently, I only have 3 cubes but so far this has been very handy. I imagine as the girls get older I’ll have to get more cubes to compensate the size of their clothes.

Also, I have seen people use the ziplock bags for each outfit of the day and then they vacuum it shut to save space.

With swimming suits, towels, and gear I have a large bag I put it all in to keep it all together.

Snacks

***If feeding while driving, always monitor and make sure they are bite size appropriate for your child’s age. Make sure your child is quickly accessible in the event they choke.***

Some of our favorite travel snacks are:

• Siete Chips
• Popcorn
• Bananas
• Beef Sticks or bites
• Carrots
• PB&Honey (place in freezer and then ready to eat)
• Clementines
• Apples
• Made Good Bars or bites
• Pretzels
• Venison bars
• Once upon a farm pouch or Mamma Chia Pouch
• Trail Mix
• Banana bread
• Dried Mango
• That’s It or LARA bars
• Reusable Water Bottles and a big jug of water to refill.
• We also do a surprise drink like the apple juice drinks with the character heads.  They don’t drink juice except or orange juice so this is a special treat.   We also try to only give them this drink within the next hour of a stop because it sometimes makes them have to go sooner.  Sometimes we purchase these ahead or sometimes we let them pick which one they want out at the gas station.

Activities

We do not have a DVD player in the car nor do we have tablets for the kids. Maybe if they’re older it’d be a different story but our 3 and 5 year olds’ are fine looking out the window, cuddling a stuffed animal, snacking or doing an activity in their seat.

We take breaks, we get out and run in the grass and have a picnic when needed.

When traveling with kids with no TV, tablet or phone here are some activities to do in the car to keep the children busy:

• Wrap up little items or fidgets they can open like a gift. E.g. Poppers, something soft, something squishy, hard toy, slinky, etc.
• I Spy (Letters, Numbers, Colors, Signs) See Freebie Print out below
• Memorize a bible verse (use tricks like hand motions or making it in to a song)
• LCD Drawing Pad
• Magic marker pack
• Coloring book
• Water WOW! books by Melissa and Doug
• Purchase a new or pack their favorite stuffed animal or toy.  If it’s a new toy save it for when you start your trip so the excitement stays strong and doesn’t diminish.
• Sing along to your favorite songs or movies soundtracks.
• Books and CD Books. It’s always fun to pack a new book or hit up the library before you go.

Tips and Tricks

The first thing has to be the BEST item we have ever purchased for the car. It has helped us NOT only on road trips but also when we are out and about going to the grocery store, hikes or the playground.

• It’s an OXO travel potty– It folds up and comes with very absorbant bags. It is perfect for traveling when your kids have to potty and you have to pull of the side of the road or because there is NO WAY you will take them in to that gas station bathroom.
• Own backpacks– I pack them each a mini backpack bag with their activities in it. It also holds a pair of socks and a change of clothes if needed. I make sure they have a blanket nearby if they get cold.
• Quick Shoes– If your children are anything like one of mine, their shoes and socks will be off in a matter of seconds. So when traveling I always make sure they have quick and easy shoes they can throw on with or without socks so it makes getting in and out of the car easier.
• Easy Access– Make sure all snacks and water are easily accessible
• Drive Early- If you are trying to get a longer stretch of time in driving I highly suggest you wake up early to leave.   It takes a little while for our kids to wind down and fall back asleep but more than likely they will sleep a little longer and you can get at least an extra 2 hours of drive time.
• Be flexible– So many things can pop up when traveling. They can be frustrating and make it hard to enjoy the trip or you can decide to make the best of it. Just remember the most important thing is you get there safe.

Thanks for sticking with me! I hope this was helpful in sparking ideas for your next trip with kids.

We’d love to hear about how you travel with kids.  What tips and tricks do you have?  Please share them below in the comments!