I’ve got the travel bug. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember. Exploring to see what this world we live in has to offer makes my heart thrive. It is a goal for me to take one large family trip a year and several shorter ones throughout the seasons. To make these goals a reality, that means road trips are always in our future. Whether we are traveling for under two hours or over ten, we’ve got the ultimate guide to road trips with kids.
Load up the Backseat with Car Games
Invest in games that can be played in the car. We have found these anywhere from Target and Amazon to small, local toy stores. Games can provide hours of entertainment and oftentimes, are quite educational. Some of my personal favorites include a magnetic tic-tac-toe game, car bingo, and a travel art kit, which isn’t really a game but they make it as such.
Pick Up Some Little Gifts
Go to the dollar store or dollar section at any Target and load up on small gifts you can give your kids throughout the trip. My favorites are activity-based toys that will keep them entertained for a while. I buy enough small gifts to help with the end of the trip when we are all just over being in the car. There’s no right or wrong way about how to hand them out. We use them to keep our kids from losing their cool whenever we take road trips.
Bring Plenty of Snacks
Ooooh, yes snacks be a girl’s best friend and your kids’ best friend, too. Ain’t nobody want to be in a car with a hangry kid because we all know whining is the best way to lose your sanity! We bring more snacks than we honestly know what to do with. We’ve found that having a variety of both healthy and junk food keeps our kids content and us from going nuts.
Pick Your Battles
Traveling is sometimes challenging, and when traveling with kids it can happen more often than not. We live by the motto of “pick your battles” in our house. This motto runs even deeper on travel days. We find ourselves bending the rules or letting things slide that we maybe wouldn’t normally when traveling. Again, just another way for us all to stay on the positive side of things!
Allow for Extra Time
Everything with kids takes more time. By now you probably know that. Pit stops are more for stretching and running than anything else, and inevitably, someone will have to “go” ten minutes after you get back in the car. Plan on that extra time so you aren’t disappointed or let down when things just don’t go as planned.
Have Patience
This is your best friend when traveling and pretty much in life with kids. This ties in with all of the above tips, from picking your battles to allowing extra time. Know that road trips with kids may require more patience than usual, but the most important part of it all are the memories made. Just roll with the punches. Deep breaths work well here!
Got more tips for road trips with kids? I want to hear them. Check out more about traveling with kids here. Comment below and let’s grow a massive list together!
