School winter break and spring break are upon us and it's time to get your next family road trip planned for success.
Kids on road trips can be challenging. Especially kids younger than 12. I once drove my then 3 year old and 5 year old from Michigan to Florida WITHOUT my husband. My 3 year old nearly lost her mind with the drive. But, we made it through and taking that road trip to Florida was an absolute blast!
Here are some of the BEST road trip essentials for kids:
1. Designated trash bags or bins. My kids each have their own. Why? Because they don't bicker about where the trash bag is, who has to empty it, etc. They both take ownership and that's music to my ears:) And when those spills happen, they can grab napkins or tissue asap!
2. Travel trays have saved our family from boredom more times than I can count! My daughter loves to draw and write during a road trip, so having this with the white board is brilliant and one of her favorite things to use. My son loves to keep his area organized while playing games or reading. The best part about these travel trays is that they are foldable for storage! So when the kiddos are ready to stretch out or nap, they can fold these up and set them aside.
3. Travel Tangram Magnetic Puzzles by IQ Educational Toy Gift Brain. There's 360 STEM puzzles the kids can solve which keeps them busy and using their mind without a screen. I love solving these with the kids:)
4. Time Flies family road trip game. It's the only road trip game out there for kids ages 6 and up. We've tried other travel games, but they are mostly for ages 12+. This game gets the whole family connecting, laughing, and creates hilarious memories for a lifetime. We replay it often and it's saved us in times when we just need the time to go faster. It's also a very easy game to play, so my kids don't get frustrated with it.
5. Travel Coloring Tote Bag for kids to put their snacks in, electronics, books, etc. It's super sturdy, so the straps won't break. Also the kids can color the bag with any markers or crayons. My kids use washable markers to color these, so when I wash them before a new road trip, they can recolor them during the drive:)
When you're planning your next road trip for winter break or spring break, these road trip essentials for kids will come in handy. Happy travels friend!