Oh the joy of road trips! I literally have a love/hate relationship with them.

I love them because they can be so fun, and I tend to hate them because with kids it can sometimes be stressful. For us, with a baby crying nonstop and my 6 year old asking questions and talking every 5 minutes, it’s enough to drive you absolutely insane!

My husband is from Houston, Texas, which is 4 hours from Dallas where we live. So we take trips often to visit his family. We’ve been on the road quite a bit and these tips/tricks have helped us-

  1. Leaving really early or in the evening right around bed time. – This way they have a chance to sleep majority of the trip or even the entire trip.
  2. Packing snacks and giving less liquids – They will get hungry and want a snack, but giving them less liquids will save you from having to stop somewhere to use the potty. I also have a portable potty that comes in handy when I don’t want to stop and use a public bathroom.. that isn’t Buc-ee’s!
  3. Stopping for stretch breaks – Now when you do have to make a stop, let them get out and move around and use the bathroom…even if they don’t have to.
  4. Allowing screen time! – Download some movies they will love, or games, and let them watch until they get tired. Also don’t forget headphones if you rather not listen to it.
  5. Packing other activities for them – coloring, workbooks, games, or things that you know will keep them entertained. They have a short attention span and even though they have the tablet, depending on how far the ride is, they may take a break from the tablet. I like variety!

Also, you may want to pack a blanket and a neck pillow. My kid gets cold easily, and I like to make sure she is comfortable. The more comfortable, the more likely they will go to sleep, or at least that’s my theory.

Here are some activities that I pack for my 6 year old.

  1. Lap Tray – I got mines from Michaels a few years ago. It has a side pocket and a cupholder. This is really good for eating and helps limit the mess in the car. You can find it here!
  2. Age Appropriate workbooks – You can find these at the Dollar Tree or Target Dollar section. I specifically got the ones shown in the dollar section at Target.
  3. Pencil box with crayons, stencils, etc. – Substitute the crayons for Crayola Twistables. This way I don’t have to worry about broken crayons, or even worse lost broken crayons that could melt in the car!
  4. Coloring books – I like to get the Color Fun Packs from Dollar Tree. They come in a small bag with a coloring book, crayons, and stickers. (Remove the crayons. You’ll thank me later)
  5. Boogie Board Magic Sketch with games – I got this a few years ago at Michaels and it’s super cool. It’s makes no mess and has a ton of different activities kids can do. It’s a semi-transparent LCD eWriter and with the press of a button, it erases! The only thing is having to keep up with the little pen that comes with it. You can find it here!

I hope these help you as much as they helped us! Happy Road Tripping!