Traveling with kids can be a daunting idea, especially those with younger kids or special needs. I have always loved to travel and I was determined to continue exploring once we had children. We took our daughter on her first 20+ hour road trip just after she turned one. It was great on the way down, and pretty awful on the way back because we all caught a stomach bug. But we’ve continued to do short and long trips through the years, and I’ve learned a few things along the way that have made packing and traveling easier for us.
As a momma with anxiety who loves to travel, I look for the best ways to make our trips smooth and functional. For me, that starts with planning. I have online folders with old packing lists, so I can refer to past adventures and update them as my family’s needs change from trip to trip.
When it comes to packing, I need to start by declaring that I am on Team Minivan and proud of it! I can fit anything and everything in our minivan and it is great for road trips. The extra space allows me to organize using laundry baskets, however smaller baskets are probably more practical for other vehicles. For longer trips I make an easily accessible Entertainment Basket and a Snack Basket (which I store by the kid who munches the least). These have served us well and make travel much more enjoyable.
Entertainment Basket
We fill our Entertainment Basket with items such as tablets, crayons and sketch books, lap desks, fidgets, and a couple of small toys. Normally I like to balance screen time for my kids, but when we travel, all bets are off! They can stare at the screen as long as they’d like.
For more options, we visit our local branch of the Monroe County Library System. We check out piles of search and find books, chapter books, and graphic novels. Our library also has other great resources for road trips:
- Wonderbooks– These are regular books with a little speaker attached to the cover. With the press of a button they read themselves and are great for pre-readers to follow along.
- Playaway– These are little MP3 players loaded with an audiobook. My daughter loves to check them out along with the book to follow along.
- Playaway Views– These tiny screens have stories and documentaries that your child can watch. My 8-year-old is able to easily navigate these, however, my 4-year-old needs a bit of help.
- Libby App– This app allows you to access free audiobooks to enjoy as a family. We have a great time as we listen and laugh along to some of our childhood favorites.
- Mobile Hotspots– Portable internet that you can bring with you in your car, so you can use devices without using up your data.
And a quick shoutout to homeschoolers traveling during the school year: roadtrips create a captive audience and are a perfect time to get some schoolwork in! We have done things such as read historical stories, sampled new music, and worked on geography. We especially enjoy making stops along the way to learn through experiences. School on the road can be really fun!
Snack Basket
Our Snack Basket is usually full of the essentials. We like to take light snacks such as pretzel sticks, fresh fruit, granola bars, jerky, and twizzlers. We also bring drinks such as diluted juice boxes, shelf stable milk boxes, and water. In this basket we also include a roll of paper towels, wet wipes, gallon freezer bags, hand sanitizer, and a hand vacuum.
Other Essentials
I may be old-school, but despite having a GPS and email on my phone, I always like to have a folder with printed directions and confirmations. This way, I can access the information no matter what my signal or battery life is.
Another item I like to bring is a little potty for emergency stops that we line with a freezer bag and a paper towel for easy disposal. I also don’t mess around: if we have a child who is mostly potty trained; they get a pull up while we’re on the road.
Suitcases
Whenever we travel, especially if we have multiple stops, I like to plan my packing in a way that makes it easy to grab a suitcase and not have to unload the entire van. First, I use (and reuse) labeled gallon freezer bags as DIY packing cubes. I put one complete outfit per child in each bag.
Every morning, the kids grab a bag containing every article of clothing they need to get ready. This helps us stay organized, be prepared, be able to grab extra outfits easily, and gives them a bit more independence as they get ready. At nighttime, they grab a bag labeled with pajamas, which also includes a pull-up for my little one.
Once all of the outfits are ready to go, I organize them into our suitcases. I designate a suitcase for each stop we plan to make. So, for our latest trip I packed three suitcases: one for a two night hotel stay, one for a week stay, and another for the last two night hotel stay on the way home. This way I grabbed one suitcase for each hotel and did not have to worry about my children creating chaos that would affect the rest of the trip. In our first suitcase we make sure to pack mesh hampers for each person and a wet/dry bag for surprises.
Hygiene Bag
My favorite travel hack is our Hygiene Bag. I load hygiene products and chargers into a canvas bag that is easy to grab and bring into each location. Along with the one rolling bag, I grab our Hygiene Bag, which gets placed into the shared bathroom. If you plan to swim in multiple locations, you can also do this with a swim bag.
Final Thoughts
Road trips can be great fun, even with a car full of kids. While not every trip may go off without a hitch, you can still do your best to make it as smooth as possible. I suggest taking your time and try to enjoy your experience on the road as much as your destination. The whole trip can create lasting memories and a good attitude goes a long way.
For extra added fun: don’t forget to pump your arm at the truckers! I can never tell who is more excited; my kids or the drivers!
