LIFESTYLE
Must Have Road Trip Essentials for Kids
Source: Everett Collection Griswolds
Must Have Road Trip Essentials for Kids
It’s the time of year again where many families pack the kids up in the minivan and bravely embark on their annual summer road trip. While sitting for hours upon hours in the car will inevitably prove boring for children and equally frustrating for parents, there are a few must have road trip essentials you can pack to help stop those annoying “are we there yet?” questions in their track.
Portable Potty and Toilet Paper – Of course this depends entirely on what stage your children are, but if you have young kids – even if they are potty trained – it’s always a good idea to pack a portable potty and toilet paper – the potty can also double as a sick bucket should one of your offspring succumb to travel sickness. Naturally, if you have children still in diapers, make sure to pack enough for your trip.
Night Light – Planning to stay overnight in a hotel, or with relatives? Strange places can prove frightening for children, so make sure to pack a nightlight you can place in their room.
Pillows – Not only do pillows provide comfort on a long car journey, they also make excellent barriers between tortured siblings.
Kindle Fire Tablet – Really any tablet will work, but we love the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet because it’s cheap, storage can be increased using an SD card, and you can download your kids favorite movies, TV shows, or books ahead of time.
Battery Pack – Remember to pack at least one battery pack should those Kindles, or cell phones run out of juice.
First Aid/Toiletry Bag – Pack a small bag ahead of time with hygiene and first aid must haves, which can be kept in the car. Include a small first aid kit, car-sick bags, wipes, mosquito spray, sunscreen, headache tablets and motion sickness medicine. Also include a handful of ziplock bags, which come in useful for housing soiled clothing, trash and other miscellaneous items. Include a copy of your health insurance card should you need to head to a local hospital, or walk-in clinic.
Car Seat Organizer – Place one in front of the seat for each child and fill it with crayons, paper, books and snacks.
Change of Clothes – Because accidents happen!
Ball or Frisbee – Having a ball or frisbee in the car comes in very useful for burning off energy at rest area stops.
Travel Games – There are some great games made specifically for road trips. We love National Geographic Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas, Mad Libs on the Road, Travel Scavenger Hunt Card Game, and the various magnetic games you can find in any toy aisle.
Wet Wipes – From cleaning up messes, to wiping dirty faces and hands, Wet Wipes are a must for road trips.
Soft Side Cooler – Easier to squeeze in the car than a hard sided cooler, pack up your cooler with snacks, fruit and water. Freeze water bottles beforehand and they will act as a freezer pack to keep other items cold.
Individual Travel Bags – Provide each child with a small reusable bag and allow them to fill it with their favorite books, toys, or other things they want to bring along to keep them occupied.
Blankets – Even if you are traveling in the summer months it’s nice to have a soft, lightweight blanket to snuggle up with.
