Packing the Family Car for Epic Road Trips: A Mom’s Survival Guide
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If you have read any of our other posts then you will know that we love to travel. And we love to travel as a family. We live in Ontario Canada and quite often our trips require fairly long car rides to our destinations. We have driven to Florida a number of times with all of our kids and many shorter journeys as well. We have learned along the way things that will help the voyage go smoother and keep the stress down.
Divide Your Vehicle
We have 4 kids so we are always traveling in a minivan or SUV with 3 rows do dividing the vehicle into areas may be different for us than others. But this part is key. You don’t want to end up having all the snacks at the front and then nothing at the back or the opposite.
Plan for your trunk to be the “off limits” area. Nothing should need to be accessed in the trunk if you have packed the rest of your vehicle properly. It has probably taken you a lot of time to get everything to fit in there so don’t go messing with that!
Make Kid Entertainment Kits
These don’t have to cost a lot of money and they can even be made with things around your house that your kids have forgotten about but these have been life saving for us. Small fidgets or handheld games are great. If you can create a few of these bags per chi
ld and then put them in a bin in their zone that works best. We always try to have the rule that you can get your new bag at a stop but you can create whatever works for you. These bags https://amzn.to/3L44B4H and bins https://amzn.to/44IkB3c work great for the car .
Magnetic puzzles using a small cookie tray are a great idea. Dry erase markers for the windows- I know some of you may have just gasped but they do wipe right off and this is always a favorite on our trips. If your kids have tablets be sure their headphones have a full charge.
Strategy for Snacking
If your kids are anything like mine they snack as soon as they are bored and may not even be hungry. Now I often give in because lets be honest on a long drive you have to pick your battles! But having the right snacks on hand is really helpful.
For dry snacks they can go in the kids activity bins in pre-portioned bags or containers. Try to avoid giving them an entire bag of Goldfish crackers or Chips because one too many times the whole thing has spilled as soon as it is opened.
In the middle zone of your vehicle throw in a small cooler- this one works great https://amzn.to/3YEAxzP. Add in cheese sticks, nuts, yogurt tubes, apple sauces and your other favorite snacks. If your journey is a multi day event then be sure to re-stock this with either extras from the trunk or stopping at a store to refill.
Safety and Comfort Must Haves
Pretty much anywhere we travel I have one of these bins. It is kind of like a first aid kit plus type of bin. In it you will want to throw some bandaids, kleenex, medication (you never know when sickness will hit), motion sickness bracelets and zippered bags. If you have any kids that get car sick the zippered bag is a must, they can get sick in the bag and then you seal it and can throw it out. It really cuts down on the mess and smell (speaking from experience).
Overnight Bags
If your trip includes a night at a hotel have a bag packed for that. It is much easier to just grab a bag that is
already ready rather than pulling out all your luggage. We make sure everyone has Pjs and another pair of clothes and of course swim wear- and don’t forget the goggles!! Your zippered bags will work well here too to throw in your wet bathing suits that may not dry overnight.
Travel Well!
I hope these tips will help you in your next journey. For more tips and travel ideas be sure to check out our other posts at Blog – Together We Can Travel.
