Raise your hand if you are ready to get out of the house and on the road this year!
The year of 2020 held many new experiences for most of us. Some good, some not so good, but one thing is for sure; we all spent plenty of time at home. If you are anything like me, you are probably itching to get out into the world again!
With summer approaching, many people are taking the plunge and beginning to think about traveling again. Whether it be to visit relatives or take a much needed vacation from the crazy that was last year; you might feel like you’ve forgotten how! And for those with kids and itty bittys, it can be overwhelming just to think about traveling again!
But don’t stress! I’ve lived out of state from my parents and relatives for the past 10 years, so we’ve got this traveling thing down to a science, wink, wink. I’m coming at you with my best tips and tricks for traveling with kids!
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How To Travel With Little Kids
When going on a trip with your littles, the most important thing to think about is what you absolutely need to bring with you. I like to break my packing down into categories:
- Accessible in the car
- Car food/drinks
- Activities for each child
- Comfort items
- Rest stop gear
- Needed upon arrival
- Nap/bedtime things
- Activity to occupy
- Food/drink
- Needed for our destination
- Clothes for the trip
- Nighttime things
- Toiletries
- Others
Let’s break it down:
Items to have accessible in the car
Car Food
*I feel it necessary to mention that I do not like feeding my kids in the car. As is noted by many health experts, there is a risk of choking when a child eats in the car. That being said, I know that it is nearly impossible to take a road trip with kids and not feed them in the car. So, use your best judgement and be sure there is an adult to supervise children if they are eating in the car.
No matter what time we leave for our trip, my kids (and the grownups) always need some form of food and drink while we are on the road. When we lived about 9 hours from my parents, we often left at about 3:00am so the kiddos would sleep for the first half of the trip. But my husband and I still needed something to sip and munch on during those first few hours. And the kids needed breakfast and a drink when we hit the rest stop.
So, even if you’ll be driving through the night and you think your littles won’t need to eat or drink…pack it anyway! Although your kiddos normally don’t need a sip of water at midnight, the car is a different beast. It is always better to be prepared than to have to listen to an hour of crying because you don’t have anything available!
Depending on what time we leave, I always pack some variety of the following for my kiddos:
- Water bottle (that goes in the cup holder for my preschooler and stays with me for my toddler and baby until they need it)
- Pre-packed snack cup – usually loaded with dry cereal or veggie straws depending on what time we are leaving
- Back up snack to pour into the snack cup – typically veggie straws, pretzels or goldfish
- Fruit and veggie pouch
- Fruit strips
- Milk cup (stored in the cooler)
- Simplified meal if we are traveling over meal time
- Back up, back up snack just in case! – some type of bar or individual snack bag is good for this purpose
All of this stays right behind the front seat in our ‘food bag’ where I can safely reach it from the passenger seat when snacks are needed.
Activities for each child
This is the most complicated part of packing for me. I have 3 littles, all of different ages and interests. I can’t simply throw a bunch of toys/books in a bag and assume it will entertain all 3 of them while we travel. To make it super simple, I pack an individual activity bag for each child so I don’t have to rummage through a bunch of things while traveling. Here are some of the things that I bring to entertain them:
- Baby-
- Toddler-
- Doodle Board
- Board books
- Water Wow
- Supply box (or lunch box) with mini vehicles and 2 index cards displaying a pre-drawn road (great on-the-go small world play!)
- DVDs – Daniel Tiger, Dinosaur Train, and Super Why
- Typically, I try to hold off putting a DVD in until we really need it. That way, my littles are more likely to take a nap right away. But when it comes to road trips, do what ever you need to do to survive!
- Preschooler-
- Supply box (or lunch box) with Small animals and a few trees/wooden discs (great on-the-go small world play for your animal lover!)
- Travel Books – My kiddos love reading and doing activity books in the car. They are a great way to keep the littles occupied and learning while traveling!
- DVDs – Wild Kratts, Magic School Bus, Word World
- Surprisingly, my kids aren’t really into movies. They would rather watch a handful of shows than one movie during a drive! We let the boys take turns choosing the show so everyone gets to watch something that they want.
I make sure to place my preschooler and toddler’s bags beside them, so they can independently choose what to do without having to ask me for help. The baby’s toys stay within reach, so I can toss one back when he gets fussy. I also keep all of the DVDs up with me since they have to be inserted up front.
Related: Hitting up a restaurant during your trip? Check out our restaurant busy bags for babies, toddlers and Preschoolers here!
Comfort Items
When uprooting my children from their normal routines, comfort items are a must for us. This category could include anything that calms your child or makes him feel more at home. For us, this usually includes:
- Pacifiers (for the baby) – I always give him one to start and have at least 4 more on hand in case he throws the first one! Fun fact: each of my children used a different brand of pacifier, not because I wanted them to, but because they gravitated towards different types! The current baby prefers the ones that have giant animals attached to the end (insert face palm here!)
- Blankets – this typically includes a small fleece blanket to keep each kiddo warm on the ride as well as the breathable blanket that they each sleep with at night.
- Stuffed animals – now that my kiddos are a bit older, I let the 2 big boys choose one or two stuffed animals to bring with on the trip. Then, I grab one for the littlest man.
- Socks or slippers – car rides can get chilly when riding in the back, so I always make sure to pack something to keep those toes warm! Plus, I don’t like them wearing shoes in the car when we are going on a trip. Too many possibilities for cramped toes and footprints on my seats!
Rest Stop Gear
Stopping at a rest stop with kids is never an easy task. And if I’m not prepared, I spend 10 minutes looking for shoes and jackets before we can even get out of the car! Especially in the current COVID world, you just have to be prepared!
So, if you must stop during your travels, I recommend being prepared with the following:
- Shoes
- Jackets
- Cold weather gear if necessary (hat, gloves, etc)
- Masks for everyone in the car
- Hand sanitizer (We keep a pump in the driver’s door for easy access at gas and rest stops)
- Snacks or simplified meals
- portable potty – it is impossible to get little kids to touch nothing in a bathroom! So, we bring a portable potty along (when able) for my littles to use in the back of the car – when it is safely parked – and I don’t have to worry about trying to take them into a gas station bathroom! Highly recommend this!
- Small garbage bags – garbage bags aren’t only good for garbage! Insert one into the potty before your child goes, then simply tie it up and throw it away at the rest stop. This saves you from needing to clean the potty out every time!
- Clorox wipes – always good to have on hand, especially when your littles are using a potty in the car
- Toilet paper roll – you never know when you might need it during a potty break!
Items needed upon arrival
This category includes anything that you may need right when you reach your destination. Often times this may include:
Babies:
- Diapers/wipes
- Pacifiers and nap time items
- Baby monitor
- Milk/bottle
- Medicine
- Change of clothes
Toddlers and Preschoolers:
- Shoes
- Pull ups/undies
- Change of clothes
- Food/milk
- Nap time items
- Activity to occupy them while you unpack
There is nothing worse than getting to your destination and having to dig through bags to find the baby monitor or sound machine so nap time can happen. Instead, I pack all of these items in a separate bag and place it in the car last, so it is easily accessible upon arrival. That way, if I don’t want to unpack the entire car right when we get to our destination, I don’t have to!
*Note: If you are arriving around dinner time or later, I strongly recommend packing night time items (jammies, bath stuff, tooth brush, sound machine, etc) in your ‘need upon arrival bag’. That way, you aren’t searching through bags upon arrival trying to find the sound machine, pajamas and blankets that your kiddos just can’t sleep without! It makes the evening go so much smoother!
Items for your destination:
This should include anything else that you may need throughout your trip. And this list will vary greatly depending on where you are going.
- Clothes
- Bathroom items
- Bedtime items (blanket, stuffed animal, baby monitor, pacifier, sound machine, pac n’ play, etc.)
- Food (to include milk)
- Toys/games/movies
- Back up activities if need be
- Gifts
- Any additional items needed
Like I said, your list for visiting the grandparents will greatly differ from the one you’d use to pack for a camping trip. You just need to figure out what is truly necessary for your destination and go from there!
Get Out There!
Packing for a trip can seem like a daunting task after the year that we’ve had. But, take your time, organize your packing, and you’ll be so glad that you took the road to adventure once again!
Come check us out on Pinterest and see what we are up to on Instagram for some fun and enriching ideas! Wishing you happy and safe travels this year and always!
Looking for a great activity to travel with? We Love this one! It is easy to pack and always keeps my kiddos entertained during our vacation!
