Repost from Summer 2010
A couple of years ago, I wrote this mega post of travel tips while on-the-road with kids. I thought I’d share it again with y’all:
- Audio books (my library checks them out) or you can download them here
- Ice chest w/drinks
- DVD player, preferably with movies that haven’t been seen
- We’ve been driving our smaller less gas-consuming car that doesn’t have a built-in TV. So, we strap our laptop on an ice chest with a bungee, so the kids can watch a movie. (Yeah, we are THAT family).
- Bag or backpack with coloring books and small toys for each child.
- This site says pack a plastic box for kids personal things and then use the lid as a tray to eat on.
- Lap Desk for writing and drawing
- Headphones for MP3 players and/or DVD player
- Kid’s camera
- Sketch pad/pencil
- Extra change of clothes, separate from luggage. Because if it can happen, it probably will.
- If you’re traveling with a toddler, leave when they are tired. If you leave first thing in the morning, this is their active time and they don’t make the best travelers
- A package of pipe cleaners (to bend, twist and create)
- Pack paper towels, wipes, and a couple of blankets. Remember, we’re talking kids.
- Buy $5 Tape Recorder and ‘Read’ stories to your kids in your own voice
- Put a trash box in the back seat
- Travel Journal
- Sing silly road trip songs
- Travel games from the store (Target has some great ones in the stationary section that are cheap and magnetic!)
- Travel freebies-links to free stuff for traveling
- Play the I spy game with license plates
- Wipe-off white board/marker
- Magnetic sets (paper dolls, fire trucks, found in book sections)
- Snack bag filled with pre-portioned zip-lock bags of non-messy foods
- Kid’s music
- Tin foil for creations
- Play Go Fish
- Make string figures
- Check out these awesome games (like Noah’s Ark, Build a Story and Fooler, Fooler) to play in the car!
- Kids pillow and blanket
- Treasure Jar
- Rest Stop Box-stock with jump rope, frisbee, inflatable beach ball and Nerf ball, according to July’s issue of Parents Magazine.
- They also encourage travelers to ‘crank up the radio, open the doors and have an outdoor dance-a-thon).
- Printable Car Trip Check List
- Child-safety scissors and paper (it worked on a long flight w/my preschooler)
- Invisible markers/Magic paper
- Chalk Cloth Oil Mat
- Moon sand on a tray
- Post It Notes-draw on them, then decorate the car (Women’s Day, July Issue)
- Spill-proof Bubbles (yes, in the car. My toddler loves this).
- Printable Car Bingo
- Stickers
- Band-aids (again a toddler-pleaser)
- Leapster, DS Lite or hand-held game
- Magna Doodle
- Cookie sheet with magnetic alphabet letters
- The following incredible ideas came from MomsMinivan: travel tickets, surprise packages, and more (Actually EVERY idea on this site is amazing!)
- Printable Boredom Busters
- I spy bags/jars
- Ear plugs for when the “how much longer questions begin”
What works for you on road trips?
Thanks for joining in, you can read the WFMW guidelines here
Hope you are feeling better soon!!! Praying for a speedy recovery!
Everything you’re going through and you still manage to host our weekly linkup…. you’re amazing!
Praying for you and your family.
Well…this list is pretty much…awesome.
Thank you!
Still prayin’…hope you have a sense of the love and support and prayers (not just words…real prayers)…for you!
Prayers for a fast recovery. And cyber ((((hugs)))) for the disappointment and frustration you must feel. You are in His hands. I pray that you are well and able to continue with your plans very soon.
oops….sorry! can you delete my #59…i wasn’t paying attention and got the url and title reversed. doh!
I love the printable car bingo idea! Thanks for sharing and thanks for posting!
This list is so timely as I think about our summer plans for day trips around our area. First, I’m decluttering and organizing my home and dealing with the mountain of school papers with inspiration from the Zero Waste Home blog.
Wow, these are a lot of ideas! Hope you are feeling better. Prayers continuing for you. Blessings.
Oh so sorry to hear about your trial, praying for a speedy recovery!
Methinks I broke your linky xD
Hope you feel better soon though
One thing that we always did when traveling was invest in a new case of Adventures in Odyssey. My kids are all mostly grown, yet still love to listen to them. They would always ask how much farther by saying, “How many more Odysseys?” We also bought most of the Radio Theater stories from Focus on the Family, there are some great stories!!
Thanks for scheduling and hosting! Glad you’re home and praying for a speedy recovery along with some answers.
I remember listening to books on tape growing up and that easily kept us entertained for hours. Awesome posts by the way!