Summer is the time for road trips! Whether you’re visiting family out of town, driving to a faraway vacation spot, or even making a short drive to a weekend getaway, longer trips in the car can be difficult for kids. There’s no magical approach to successful road trips with kids, but there are several tricks you can try to make the hours go by a little faster.
Snacks, Snacks, and More Snacks!
This one might seem obvious, but we had to include it because it’s a big one. When all else fails, snacks can save the day. So don’t forget to pack snacks. And when you think you’ve packed enough, pack some more! Seriously, kids know how to go through snacks, especially when they’re limited on what else they can do.
Check out these creative car snacks, and then check out the ultimate hack for travel snacks!
Games
Simple car games that everyone can participate in can make a long trip fly by. You can’t go wrong with the classic Alphabet Game, where everyone has to make their way through the alphabet, finding the letters on signs, stores, car stickers, etc. If your little one doesn’t know their letters yet, you can play a game where you look for certain colors or even shapes outside your window. And don’t forget about I Spy!
Window Stickers
This is one of our favorite travel tricks. Keep your little one busy with sticker fun! Simply search for “window clings for kids” on Amazon, and you’ll find pages of stickers that can be applied and taken off car windows, for hours of fun. If you have a full car, designate one window seat as the sticker seat, and rotate who gets to sit there. It will give little passengers something to look forward to!
Books on Tape
If you want to take a break from screens during your road trip, listen to a book on tape together. You can check out books on tape from your local library, or through several audio book apps. Alternatively, if no one suffers from car sickness, those who can read could take turns reading out loud.
Every family is different, and kids will respond to these travel ideas differently. Try them all to see what does and doesn’t work. And if you come up with any road trip tips or tricks that have helped your family, we’d love to hear them!