Headed on a road trip with kids? I get it – taking your little ones on long car rides can be overwhelming! I have ALL the simple tips and tricks for keeping kids busy for car travel that I guarantee will help your next cross-country road trip be a successful (and peaceful) one. Try some of these new ideas and see what works best for your family the next time you pack the car for a long drive!
RELATED: Want a large variety of activities that can be used at home and on-the-go for toddlers and preschoolers? Check out our activity cards.
How to prepare for your road trip
I’m going to be honest: prepping your family, car, and sanity for a long trip, is overwhelming! But I’m here to remind you that traveling on an eight-hour drive with your entire family doesn’t have to be met with misery. It’s actually quite the opposite!
If you’re prepared and organized, a long road trip with young kids and older kids is a good way to make memories, bond, and spend quality time (in close quarters)! You may even get to press play on that audio book you downloaded a few weeks ago.
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What to pack
Your packing list is essential. But it doesn’t have to take up an entire notebook. With a few of the best travel essentials, your mind will be at ease and everyone will be happy travelers! Check out some of my favorite things to pack for a successful road trip.
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Travel Potty
You got that right. Pack a potty! This travel potty has a permanent home in our car and has been used countless times.
Pro tip: Skip the OXO bags and reuse plastic shopping bags as inserts instead. The bags are expensive and can easily be swapped out. Remember to double-bag it! 😉
Packing Cubes
Organize each child’s clothes ahead of time using packing cubes! Each fits 3-4 outfits, and I use the other for underwater and pajamas. PRO TIP: I get each child a different color.
Snacks for traveling
Now, I realize that taking a family vacation may mean doughnuts and sugar. However, do your best to keep foods familiar to your eating style at home. I make sure to feed my kids food that help them feel comfortable for such long stretches in the car.
Doing so means I need to pack snacks that last and snacks to keep their little bodies feeling strong. Snacking on the go can feel tricky during travel, but it is important to offer healthy options that will fuel and nourish your kids. Some of my favorite go-to’s for easy packing and guarantee full bellies include:
- Granola bars
- Beef jerky sticks
- Fruit (some fruit is not as travel friendly – I usually stick with apples, pears, and clementines)
My oldest son also has a peanut allergy, so I always pack allergy-friendly road trip foods I know and trust. When I pack snacks for a road trip, I think about what my children are familiar with and which snacks go a long way.
PRO TIP: This may seem like a no-brainer, but NEVER forget everyone’s reusable water bottle! This is a MUST (for those thirsty moments and your wallet)!
How to pack your snacks
No one likes a messy snack! So choose containers that make life easier on the road. Containers with two sides are a great way to keep car snacks organized and easy to access. Go healthy on one side, and add a treat on the other. These road trip snack containers are our favorite:
Quick Tip: Offer the protein, veggies, and fruit before the crackers and chips. It can be challenging to go in the other direction.
Portable Cooler
The travel cooler is life for long car rides with kids! I pack our snack containers into this portable cooler from REI. I found this one to be more reasonably priced than some other bigger brands, and I prefer how it stores the food.
Refreezable Reusable Cooler Ice Pack
I swear by this YETI Ice Pack! It keeps everything cold for hours on the road.
Multi-purpose snack container
Prep your snacks in a multi-purpose bento box style container for fun and easy snacking on the go that still gives kids lots of options!
Toys for traveling
I always make sure to pack toys that are open-ended. It can help to keep packing light(er)! There is no official start or end to the game. Preschoolers manipulate the items in an endless amount of ways, which encourages curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving. Make sure to check out my top 15 Travel Toys for Kids for more amazing options for your next road trip!
LCD Writing Tablet
This mess-free doodling pad (with an attached pen) is perfect for on the go in the car! It helps boost creativity and imagination and is a great way to practice fine motor skills.
I Spy Travel Card Game
Inspire some seek-and-find on the open road with this easy-to-grab and pack I Spy card game that will keep the whole family entertained on long drives.
Yoto
Once you have your Yoto audio player connected to the app, you can listen to what you have stored through the app on your phone! Take the Yoto player or leave it at home. You can still stream your favorites! (FIVE stars from us!)
Melissa & Doug Children’s Book – Poke-a-Dot
Books are truly the best time! I love these hands-on Poke-a-Dot books by Melissa & Doug that keep little fingers busy and their minds learning in the car.
Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow!
There might not be anything better than Water Wow! Simply add water to allow a fuss-free way of staying creative during travel. This all-in-one paintbrush and reusable coloring pad is the ultimate road trip must-have.
Plus Plus Portable Case
Our family LOVES Plus Pus everything! And now we can take it on the go. Choose from Plus Plus Big or the smaller-sized Plus Plus with base plates if you prefer the small. I am team BIG!
Road trip activities
Road trip activities don’t need to be complicated or require lots of supplies. In fact, it’s the opposite. Some of the best ways to entertain your kids in the car are the simplest ones that involve the entire family.
Cue the classic: road trip games! We love playing a seek-and-find alphabet game, the license plate game, or simply I-Spy! But if you’re looking for more options to bring along for that upcoming summer road trip, check out these other go-to car activities that I use for road trips!
- Activity/coloring books – Grabbing some activity books really help to keep kids entertained and busy.
- Books on tape – Who loves listening to an audio book? I do! It’s an excellent choice for the kids to sit back and listen to their favorite stories.
- Mini versions of Breakfast Invitations – Taking some simple supplies to create a mini version of a breakfast invitation as a “busy bag” is a good idea.
- Movies – Long road trips may require movies, and that’s okay too! We have our routine at home that promotes independent play. When it comes time for long road trips, the portable DVD players come out for my children. They are not something we use every day, making them extra special.
Some additional screen time makes a much more enjoyable trip for all. Even better? I do this guilt-free. Do not be your worst critic when it comes to road trips. Decide what you are comfortable with ahead of time and allow yourself some flexibility. Once we arrive, the screens are disconnected until the return trip home.
Pro Tip: Rent movies from your library rather than buying them or renting them from Redbox and return them to the nearest drop-off after watching.
- Podcasts for kids – If you get tired of audio books, then there are tons of kid’s podcasts to choose from.
- Songs – What’s a road trip without music?! I like getting a few kids’ CDs so they can sing along in the car.
- Toddler books to feel different textures – A simple yet amazing sensory activity! My little boy keeps coming back to his texture books again and again.
- Toddler books to lift the flap – Perfect for some light entertainment, pack some lift-the-flap books for casual fun when the kids get bored.
Tips for road trip activities
- Allow your child to pack a small backpack before leaving the house – I handed my two-year-old a small mini backpack and said, “Go ahead and put some toys inside your backpack for our trip.” Like most two-year-olds, he only has a small understanding of what he is packing for, but the trick here is that the toys are self-selected. These are your “round one” toys. I do the same for my older boys.
- Find a few small bags to pack a couple more supplies – Again, keep this bag for when you need it most. Do not show all your bags and items in one session. What you are doing here is creating a mystery bag of fun. Toy bags work best when the object connects in some shape or fashion. Think, a handful of Picasso Tiles, LEGOS travel kits, Mega Bloks…your turn!
- Keep packed toys hidden and pull them out as needed – Allow your kids the time to look out the window and get bored. When frustration kicks in, you will be ready.
Where to take car breaks
Taking a break at the grocery store is truly one of the best road trip hacks of all time. It took me a couple of road trips to realize what a great place this was to make a pit stop. Truthfully, this may be one of my favorite expert tips of all time.
Why stop at a grocery store on a road trip? For one thing, everyone gets to stretch as they walk up and down the aisles. Get that body moving! This is essential after being buckled up in a car seat for so much time. We may or may not be known for throwing a ball around the toy aisle as we shop!
Stopping at the grocery store is a great time to allow everyone to pick a favorite snack for the next stretch of the road – making it one of the most fun stops for everyone! Some grocery stores, such as Publix, have great sandwiches! Grocery stores have familiar brands and great air conditioning. This is much better than sitting down in a crowded fast-food joint.
Find a unique rest stop on your next long journey! Grab your phone and Google search to see what’s around.
Tips for car breaks
Have you ever thought that rest stops could be more like movement breaks? I know Chick-Fil-A is quick in and out to feed the whole family. But what if you took the time to grab the chicken tenders at the drive-thru and spend more time running around?
Our last eight-hour road trip took a break at a splash pad. It. Was. Glorious. As the kids ran, they also cooled off and burned energy.
It took a quick change of clothes when we were ready to leave, and we were back in the car to sit for the final stretch. This made the holiday traffic a lot more bearable.
Many road trips over the years mean I’ve learned a thing or two to entertain the kids and make traveling that bit easier. What are the things you’ll bring for your next road trip?
Need more kid’s trip tips?
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- 20 Travel Accessories for Kids
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep snacks on hand, and allow time for movies if it feels right to you. I like to go to the library and collect a few favorites to help pass the time. I also like keeping a few tricks up my sleeve with hidden toys and taking them out as needed. Road trips with kids have ups and downs, so try to be flexible and go with the flow.
Road trips are both fun and educational for kids. Road trips help expose kids to the world outside of their bubble! Despite the stressful moments, spending quality time together as a family and making memories along the way as you explore new sights is such a gift for your kids.
Traveling with young children, between the ages of 3-9 months old, is best. Simply because they are not mobile yet. As kids grow older, potty breaks, constant snack options, and pit stops can make car trips more exhausting. But as little kids become big kids, travel will become easier as they develop their independence.
We are all about the movement break! I look up malls along our route that have play areas or places to grab lunch then head to a nearby park. The boys usually end up eating their lunch in the car and we eat at the park and they play. Our last trip, we found a Whole Foods, grabbed lunch to go and hit up a park. On the way back we hit up the same Whole Foods and the boys played in the kid area there and got a treat before we left. It’s the only way we road trip!
All of these are great ideas!! Thanks for the reminder about the mall and Whole Foods playspace!
We do road trips all the time and our FAVORITE tip is this- get an ASTC pass. We have one for our local children’s/science museum and it works for so many museums across the US. So we find one every few hours and stop there so they can get a body and brain boost. Because it’s free, we don’t feel like we have to be there all day, or it doesn’t have to be an amazing one!
This is such an awesome idea!! Looking into this, thanks!
My preschooler gets carsick in EVERY ride, even just 15 minutes away, if she’s not looking out the window the entire time (and even then she sometimes complains of her tummy hurting). We try giving her peptobismol for kids but that doesn’t help if she is doing things other than looking out the window. Do any of your kids get carsick and what would you suggest for surviving a road trip in this situation?
Hi! My boys do not get sick, but I did reach out to my good friend who has children that do. She says: "DOn’t give them milk or any products that are hard to digest (like applesauce) before any trips. They pack trash bags, rolls of paper towels, sanitizing wipes, Lysol, and go" – You may already try these suggestions but wanted to pass along just in case. Also, my cousin growing up would always get car sick so I understand how difficult it can be. The good news is she outgrew it and now a huge boss lady and world traveler. 🙂
Mine do! I agree with keeping supplies ready and my 4 year old is pretty good about “aiming” 😉 Also, for longer trips, talk to your pediatrician. They may Children’s Dramamine and also some kids sized pressure point bracelets that may be appropriate for your child.
Ha! Nothing beats a four-year-old with good aim! LOL
Window drawing of some sort.
What a fun idea!
We also have an 8 hour drive to my inlaws in Canada. My now 7 year old has always been a great car traveler. We still pack and have had great success with water wonder books, Richard Scarry books(lots to look at and now read), markers and a sketch book, Melissa and Doug sticker stories( he has a pirate one.) We don’t watch movies, but do listen to audio books that he picks from the library. And loads of snacks, so, so many snacks!!
I love the reminder to include more audio books!
Is there any way to place her seat in the middle spot so she can look straight ahead, as if sitting in a front seat?
We found the pressure point bracelets to be very helpful and we keep hospital barf bags handy. We have also found books on cd to be a great sub for movies – the older the child the longer they can listen but my youngest even enjoyed the books at age 3. We also started a game where they call out terms for unique cars; “Bingo” for yellow, “racer” for one with stripes, “Jeep” and maybe one other. Kinda like the classic slug bug. However, if you have too many names, and more than one kid, it will get on your nerves fast.
A kids travel tray that fits on top of their lap was life changing for us! It provides a flat space for activities and helps prevent snack spills- ours is made entirely of foam so I’m not worried about it in an accident!
That is so smart. I will look into these!
We just bought this one on Amazon for our drive out to Wisconsin next week. We have made the trip every year (from Connecticut) since our daughter was born, and have always done it in one day, but now that we have two, we are going to break it up into 2 smaller legs. Hoping she gets a lot of use out of it! LUSSO GEAR Kids Travel Tray – Inspire Active Toddlers & Big Kids for Years w/Dry Erase Board & Eating Snack Tray, No-Drop Tablet iPad Holder Stand & Art Supplies Storage Pockets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NQPZN7F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mo-jDb2TDBM5X
Excellent! I will be sure to check this out. Thanks!
We just came off of a 14.5 hour road trip with our 5,3, and 1 y/o’s.
Travel potty is great, but we always keep a sports drink bottle (think wide spout) in the van for our son and those “I HAVE TO GO RIGHT NOW” moments. Stop the van, nobody has to get out. He can use it in the van, hand sanitizer to clean hands, and I can put the cap on it and dump the contents into our next real stop that has facilities.
No such method for our daughter but we’ve used it countless times with our son.
Ha! Love it!
I love this post! I just did a 16-hr road trip with my 4yo and 18mo and they were fantastic. I had healthy snacks ready to go and would fill up their own snack cup when they asked. We listened to audio books a lot (Amazon audible has great kid stories!) and I kept their backpacks filled with books and toys within reach of their car seat so they could choose what to play with next. But I must say, the training POTTY in the trunk was the MVP! We used coffee filters as inserts for the #2 stops and it was a game changer. Thanks for sharing this post!
I will be sure to check out Amazon audible! Thanks for the heads-up. So true – the potty is GOLD. 😂
Thank you for giving me the idea to stop by at any grocery store we see if we were to go on a long drive with our kids. We’re thinking of taking them out for the weekend and we’re trying to see if there are any places that offer a dolphin tour that our whole family can enjoy. I’ll keep your tips in mind and hope that our kids won’t be tired enough before we get to our destination.
Excellent! Have a great trip!