Taking a road trip is fun, however when it comes to bringing little kids along with you it can be a challenge. I want to share some of my tips on how to survive a road trip with little kids with you. It can be a scary thought but being prepared for a road trip with little kids can really help with the stress level.

How to Survive a Road Trip with Little Kids

Keep them entertained.

Plastic Bins: I went to the dollar store and bought a bin to keep in between the two car seats. This way your kids can reach different toys without them getting lost under their seats. If your child is still an infant carrier they most likely will not be able to reach the bin. So I purchased a smaller bin that my son was able to hold onto his lap.

Cheap Toys: While I was at the dollar store I purchased a bunch of toys for them to play with. They were excited because it’s all new toys but it didn’t break the bank and I didn’t care if they got lost because they’re from the dollar store.

Travel Tray: My toddlers favorite thing to do in the car was play with her travel tray. Check out here to learn how to make your very own travel tray (link here). Since it was made from a cookie sheet she was able to use magnets on it. And since part of it is a dry erase board you can draw a road on it with dry race markers and she would drive her little car around the track. One mistake I had made with the tray was because it was a dry erase board I figured dry erase crayons would be a safer choice for her to use in the car. When I didn’t think about was the crayons would be sitting in the hot car and will make a huge melted mass. So make sure you buy the washable dry erase markers.

Activity Bags: I came up with little bags of activities for her to use on it. When she got bored with one activity with it I would bring out a new activity.

Tablets: I know some people don’t believe in letting your children use tablets but they are really a help in the car. We try to save them for the point where they were starting to lose it and wanted to get out of the car. I loaded both of our tablets up with different movies and apps for each of our children. Since our baby is still rear facing we purchased A tablet holder then went around the head rest of the backseat.

Car Organizer: I was able to purchase an amazing organizer (this one here) that went on the back of my seat for my daughter that had a tablet holder in it. This was able to keep all her stuff within arms reach.

How to Survive A Road Trip with Little Kids

Food:

Snacks: I had a bag full of there favorite snacks right at my feet. This way I was able to grab something for them when they were starting to complain.

Packing lunches: You could pack lunches to save some money but I recommend stopping at a rest stop to eat them. This way everyone get a break from the car.

Restaurants with play places: We always try to make one meal on our stop somewhere we know will have a playground or kids toys.

When to start your trip:

Part of how to survive a road trip with little kids is you need to know your child’s schedule and try to not leave when you know they’re most active. The best time to leave is at their bedtimes or nap time. If you are able to feed them dinner than get them relaxed with a nice bath. Get them dressed in their comfortable pajamas and put them in the car. If you are traveling with another adult you can take turns sleeping and driving. Pack a eye mask and a pillow for comfort. If you can swing it driving while kids are sleeping will help a lot, if not then follow the tips above for How to Survive a Road Trip with Little Kids.