Taking a family road trip with kids is no small feat but having the right game plan can make it an enjoyable memory for everyone!
Hi friends,
If you have kids, you know nothing is as easy as it used to be! Family road trips are probably the one of the biggest challenges to tackle.
With road trips, It’s definitely best to be prepared as possible!
Having a game plan and getting an idea of what to expect is a great place to start. Road trips with kids don’t have to be a huge disaster. They really can create some amazing memories and be an overall enjoyable experiences!
This post is all about how to survive a family road trip with kids!
How To Survive a Family Road Trip
How To Prepare For a Family Road Trip
1. Make sure your car is in tip-top shape!
Before any family road trip, the first thing you need to be thinking about is your vehicle!
I always recommend taking your car to get serviced a few days before hitting the road. Have them check fluid levels, break pads, get an oil change, tire rotation if needed, etc. Get the works!
The last thing you want is your car to break down on the side of the highway with a bunch of kids in the backseat! You don’t want to make this mistake!
2. Clean your vehicle inside and out!
This is a must! If you start out your trip with a dirty car, you’re just asking for trouble.
Give your car a good cleaning especially on the inside. Clear out any trash, wipe down surfaces (don’t forget cupholders), thoroughly vacuum & bring in anything you don’t need for the drive (reusable grocery bags, forgotten items in the trucks, etc).
Don’t skip the car seats!
I know, I know, cleaning car seats is such a pain in the you-know-what!
But this is a key part to making sure everyone is comfortable in their seat… and you know it’s probably needed anyway, so just do it while you’re already in the car cleaning mode.
3. Plan for frequent stops
When thinking about how much time it’s going to take to get to your destination, make sure you factor in time for breaks!
Breaks are an absolute must for a successful family road trip with kids!
I would plan to have a break every 3 hours or so but also in the back of your mind know that there might be even more breaks! This is especially true if you have multiple kids or a baby.
I remember one time we made 3 stops in under an hour and half of driving.. the first stop was planned, the second was a diaper blow out and the third was another dirty diaper from my other son about 15 minutes later. Yup, sometimes that happens – plan accordingly!
4. Get mentally prepared!
Chances are, you’re probably extremely stressed right now thinking about all the things you need to get done before your big family road trip. I encourage you to take a second and breath.
Now, I encourage you to also lower your expectations.
Please know, no amount of preparing and planning can stop the inevitable. With kids, there are simply no guarantees. Chances are there will be some tears, some screams and a few messes.
Let go of your picture perfect idea of how this trip should go and give your kids and yourself some grace! Just breath, you’ve totally got this!
How To Decide When To Leave For a Family Road Trip
I think one of the most common questions is “when is the best time to leave for a family road trip?” Truth is, this depends on you and your situation.
I know many people recommend leaving at night so that the kids can sleep through most of the drive but personally I disagree with this. Here’s why:
Unless the driver has the opportunity to get a solid 6 hours of sleep before leaving, I think this is a dangerous idea.
Even with proper sleep, we all know nighttime/dark hours are just a dangerous time to be on the road anyway. Plus, this means once you reach your destination, chances are the driver will need to rest and this could potentially lead to wasting up to half of your first day! That’s no fun.
Personally, I recommend leaving in the early afternoon for a 6-8 hour road trip OR very early in the morning for a 10+ hour road trip.
Leaving in the afternoon for a shorter drive means your kids will most likely be awake for the first half of the trip and be asleep for the second half. This also means the last bit of your family road trip most likely won’t require as many stops.
13 Best Tips For a Family Road Trip With Kids
1. Be mindful when packing
When it comes to a road trip I think a lot of us feel the need to pack the whole house, but let’s not!
You definitely want to be fully prepared for a road trip but over packing can become a huge disaster.
Think about it, you’re in a freaking car! Unless you own a school bus, there’s already very limited space as it is. Being crowded by tons of stuff can not only make for a very uncomfortable ride but also very quickly lead to unorganized chaos!
One surprising thing I recommend not overpacking on are toys and activities!
Really try your best to be selective with how many play things you bring for your kids. It’s just going to take up so much space. And, if you think your young kids will suddenly become neat and organized mini adults, think again! So many toys will end up tossed on the floor or lost between the car seats.
2. Have plenty of snacks and water
This is probably a given but I thought I’d include it anyway.
Snack are life for just about most kids and will be your #1 sanity saver during a family road trip!
Having a few treats and junk food is perfectly fine but be sure to pack plenty of healthy snacks as well. This will decrease the chances of having a car full of sugar loaded, overly hyper kids and help avoid upset stomaches!
Good road trip snacks for kids include:
- Harvest Snapeas
- Pirates Booty / puff corn
- Trail mix
- Skinny Pop Popcorn
- Granola bars
- Jerky
- Peanut butter crackers
- Go-Go’s
- Dry Cheerios
- Fresh fruit/veggies
- Sabra’s pretzels and hummus
Many people like to add a bunch of snacks to an individual zip lock baggy for each kid which is a great idea! For us, I prefer to keep a bin of individually packed snacks and waters up towards the front with us. My kids like to eat during road trips and if I wasn’t the gatekeeper of snacks, they’d all be gone within the first hour.
For toddlers, I highly recommend getting a collapsible silicone snack cup if you don’t already have one! You can easily refill it with new snacks as needed and it will help avoid huge messes.
I absolutely don’t recommend any type of juice pouches or boxes. Just stick to water. We always use these insulated cups with lids and are sure to fill them up with ice before we leave. Keep the water bottles towards the front with you and just refill the cups as needed.
3. Mindfully organize your car
This is something I always do and every time it annoys the crap out of my husband lol!
I’m extremely meticulous about what goes where in the car so that it makes the most sense. He always acts annoyed while I’m rearranging things he already put in the car but he’s always thankful later on!
Take a moment to think about what makes the most sense where and don’t forget to tell your partner so that everyone knows what goes where! (or take pics for reference!)
For example, I keep the first aid kid towards in the front of the trunk so I don’t have to dig around for it if someone is bleeding. Similarly, I only keep certain things up by the kids too, etc.
4. Let them use the iPads
I know screen time can be a very controversial topic but I really stand by this one!
Long car rides can be extremely boring for kids and letting them have the iPad during a special family road trip will not ruin them! Honestly, you’ll probably be glad you did it too. Throw out any guilt – there’s no need for it!
The Best Apps For Kids During a Family Road Trip:
- Netflix (make sure you download movies/shows before you leave!)
- Disney+
- ABC Mouse
- My PlayHome (My kids LOVE this. It’s like a virtual doll house/city)
- Barbie Dream House
- World of Peppa Pig: Playtime
- Disney Coloring World
- Hungry Caterpillar Play School
- PBS Kids Games
- Toca Life World
A couple things you’ll want to make sure you have before hitting the road with an iPad:
- Good quality kids headphones
- A durable iPad case
(Make sure you get the right one for your iPad generation)
- Charger car extension cord
This is a game changer if you have multiple kids and thus multiple iPads! You use their normal chargers and charge them all at the same time!
5. Keep dirty diaper bags handy
Even if you don’t have any little ones in diapers anymore this is a great tip!
I use this tip everyday anyway but on a family road trip it’s extremely helpful! Keep a small dirty diaper bags dispenser up front with you or give each kid their own dispenser to keep near them.
These are perfect for trash since they’re basically mini trash bags. I have younger kids so I like to either unwrap the snack before passing it back if at all possible or simply pass a bag back with them when I hand them something to open like a toy or a snack.
This helps keep all of the kids trash contained until the next pit stop – which leads to me to the next tip.
6. Throw away all trash at every stop
You might already do this and if you don’t, it’s a great habit to pick up for everyday.
Each time you stop for gas or a stretch, do a clean out of any trash in the car!
Those diaper bags we just talked about will make this a much easier process but any empty water bottles, banana peals, snack wraps, etc. all should be thrown away immediately at the next stop.
7. Keep a container of wipes up front
During a long family road trip with kids, things can get messy!
Keep a container of wipes up front with you even if you don’t have a kid in diapers.
You’ll need them, trust me. Messy faces, messy hands, cleaning off sticky iPads or toys, etc. They just come in handy!
8. Pack a baby car kit
If you have a little one in diapers this is an absolute must that I swear by!
I have an entire post on what I keep in my baby car kit for even day-to-day use and it’s seriously the best thing ever.
This is perfect for a family road trip too because it has everything you could ever need for baby all in one nice, neat and organized spot. If you can find an inch of space in the trunk or an empty seat, you can also completely avoid putting your baby on a public restroom changing table with this!
9. Pack your own meals
We just started doing this about a year ago and it’s all around just perfect!
Even if you’re going to be in the car for multiple meals, I still encourage you at least pack one of them! This will save you money and is fun for the kids too.
We’re big fans of the Bentgo Kids lunch boxes and they’re absolutely wonderful for road trips! You can either have them eat in the car or pull over to a rest stop and have a mini family picnic.
Either way, they’re leakproof and keep everything contained with zero trash which is exactly what you need during a family road trip with little ones!
10. Bring a “surprise” for the kids
Eventually the kids will hit a wall where they’ll be over sitting in a car.
This is perfect time to have a little something up your sleeve to bring their spirits back up.
Packing a secret mini surprise for each kid is an amazing idea that actually works! It can be something as simple as a new book, a kinder egg, an Imagine Ink mess-free coloring book or a small toy.
We even just handed them glow sticks during a late night family road trip one time and they were a big hit!
11. Research for parks along/near your route
If you’re taking a longer 10+ hour family road trip, I highly recommend looking for parks!
I know it might set you back an hour or so but it’s worth it and if you plan for a park stop beforehand, you can still be right on schedule!
Your kids will appreciate the nice stretch and chance to get some energy out. Plus, it’s always super fun to visit a new park!
12. Have a first aid kit
This one is pretty self explanatory but it’s still a good reminder!
If you have kids, you probably already have one of these in the car but if you don’t, nows a great time to start!
13. Make sure everyone is comfortable
Comfort is king when it comes to a long family road trip!
No one wants to be uncomfortable when they’re stuck in the car for a long time – not the kids or us adults! Try to have a few things handy to keep them (and you!!) comfortable.
If you’re traveling during the day, consider picking up a retractable car window shade and maybe a mini portable tripod fan for the backseats if it’s hot out.
Traveling at night? Bring a small blanket for everyone (maybe a car heated one for you!), a portable white noise machine for baby and possibly a neck pillow for the older kids!
