Summer is here which means it is travel season and these road trip tips are going to come in clutch. Someone asked on Poll the People for road trip tips for her 1 and 6 year old and this community ALWAYS shows up with the best answers. No matter what type of travel you are doing this summer or how old your kids are these are going to be so helpful.
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Safety
THIS TIP IS A MUST! I know this tip isn’t fun or exciting but my family has unfortunately seen first hand the horrors of a car accident. When I saw these on social media, I thought they were genius. I pray you never need them, but I am so grateful they exist.
@rothidtag ORDER AT ROTHIDTAG.COM Full First Responder Training Video 👉🏼 https://rothidtag.com/training Attention first responders! Police officers, firemen (and firewomen!), EMTs, and all other emergency responders, we would like to introduce you to the @RothIDTag! The Roth ID Tag is a travel essential for all children in car seats, and a must have for parents. It allows them to include emergency information and emergency contacts on car seats. We hope to reduce the trauma by keeping families connected in emergency situations. All we need from you is to spread the word! Tag any first responders you know in this video, share it with your community. Our goal is that nationwide the standard becomes looking for this vital information in any emergency. We also want to thank all first responders. You are truly remarkable and we are so grateful for all you do! 🇺🇸 More info: https://rothidtag.com/training #firstresponders #emt #firefighter #policeofficer @First Responder Stories @First Responder Strong 💪 ♬ original sound – Roth ID Tag
Snacks
The first tip is snacks! ALL THE SNACKS. More snacks than you think are necessary. You can make a little snackle box and try to keep it healthy or give up on that before you even get in the car and just embrace road trip snack life.
Snack activities are also great. Buy cereal (with a hole in the center like Cheerios or Fruit Loops) and string. Tie a piece of cereal to the end of the string so it won’t fall off. Put this in a baggy with extra cereal and pack it. During the car ride your kids can thread the cereal on the string to make a necklace and then snack the rest of the trip.
Screens
I am a mom who typically has strict screen time rules, but when we are traveling for 2+ hours it is a FREE FOR ALL. Every single one of those rules goes out the window. So if you’re holding any anxiety over that, let it go.
Just remember to download movies and shows ahead of time so that you don’t use all your data and pack a wireless charger and headphones. My kids do not have individual iPads so they do share when watching a show. This headphone adapter allows them to both plug into the same screen.
Activities
New toys – these don’t have to be fancy, they can be dollar tree or thrift store. But having new toys makes them exciting and will hold their attention longer. You can even make it more exciting by wrapping them or putting them in brown paper bags
@byemilylawson If you are traveling at all this summer, you definitely want to put one of these little travel art kits together. It's so easy to create, and it will keep your kids entertained during road trips, in the airport, or just when you go out to dinner next weekend. #travelingtoddler #toddlermom #travelhacks #traveltips #toddlerhacks #roadtriphacks #carhacks #momhacks #MomsofTikTok #travelingwithkids #kidsactivity ♬ original sound – Emily | date nights + family
@byemilylawson Road trips with kids can be hard but the more prepared you are, the easier they are! We Poll the People a few weeks ago, and you guys shared your best traveling with kids tips Including this busy binder. While I don’t enforce our normal screen time rules when we are on a road trip or traveling in the airport those don’t hold my kids attention for the entire trip so this busy binder is exactly what we need. This keeps the kids busy and happy and helps us to reduce screen time! Being prepared like this on car trips will make such a big difference. #travelingwithkids #roadtripswithkids #roadtriphacks #packwithme #roadtrippacking #mompacking #roadtripmusthave #roadtripactivitiesforkids #screenfreeactivities #momtips #momtipsandtricks #momhacks #momsoftoddlers #vacationpreparation #travelingmusthaves ♬ original sound – Emily | date nights + family
Binder with zipper pouches & toys inside the zipper pouch
- Dry erase markers for the windows
- Legos, mini figs, and a baseplate
- Wikki Stix
- Watercolor Books
- Brain Teasers
- Sticker Books
Me Reader – these are so cool, they connect a physical book with an electronic cartridge that reads the book to them and they can follow along.
Water Wow – Pro Tip: Fill the water pen before you leave. If you haven’t seen water wow books before, they are AMAZING. Fill the pen with water and your kids can “paint” the picture. As the paper gets wet, color appears and the picture comes to life. Then it dries, goes back to black and white and repeat.
Sticker Wow Books – These are sticker version of the Water Wow books. The pen holds all the stickers so there is no frustration with pulling off the stickers. They simply line the sticker pen up with the circle on the page and press down. So cool!
Felt Books – Felt books are great ways to keep kids entertained while working on tons of skills. The felt clings to each other so your less likely to drop pieces. There are all sorts of different themed ones available.
Scavenger Hunt – Turn the drive into a game and search for things outside the car. You can use these scavenger hunt cards or you could even just create a list of your own on a notepad.
Doodle Boards – These are LCD writing tablets. You can doddle all over them with the special pen, then press the little circle button and it erases for you to start fresh. This one comes in a two pack for $10 which is a steal.
No Mess Coloring Books – The pens only work on this special paper and they come in almost every character
Mess Free Watercolor Book – This is so cool. The pen is a water pen so no need for a cup of water. I am in awe of how awesome this little set is.
Mess Free Finger Painting Book – This book is full of SUPER cute templates and your kids use stamp pads to finger paint. It is all contained in the book and makes for a fun and easy on the go activity book.
Magnetic Games – There a variety of different classic games for your kids to play and all the pieces are magnetic so nothing gets lost.
Other Tips
- Easy to reach organization
- Water wipes
- Take breaks every 2-3 hours (unless they are sleeping). Look for parks for them to run around
- Leave EARLY in the morning to capitalize on sleep
- Say a prayer and hope for the best
I am so grateful for this community and your recommendations. I learn so much from you and I have found some of the best products because of you. I truly love you.
Join the fun on Sundays on my Instagram stories to play Poll the People.
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