Spring Break is coming up… and we’re taking a road trip. 11 hours in 5 days. I am SO EXCITED!!
I’m a pro at planning out our journey & scheduling the time in the car for road trips with kids. Games + special treats + new small toys that are great for car rides & plane rides.
Today I am sharing 5 of my best kid-proven, budget-friendly, mom-sanity-check ideas…
#1: CRAYON OR COLORED PENCIL ROLL
these genius little color holders make for less messes & more creative fun with a big pad of white paper. you can DIY your own — or buy one from Elle Dee Designs for $12.99. The guitar one shown is the same one Jack totes around on all of our trips!
#2: TRAVEL BINGO (from Simple As That)
Yes. Seriously. This is the BEST! My kids eat from little reusable snack bags while peering out the window so they can cross things off of their board. I am sure that this trip they will be competitive… but in the past, they help each other out; the sweetest thing ever! Go get your free printable from Rebecca’s blog at Simple As That.
#3: GET OUT OF THE CAR
& run around. Find a park. Find a walking path. Find a bike path. GET OUT OF THE CAR. Every 1.5 – 2 hours I love to find a local kid-friendly place to stop and stretch (sometimes this is McD’s on a major highway for $1. ice creams and a potty break). It’s just for 15-20 minutes… but it’s precious time for the kids to get out a bit of energy before continuing on the journey!
#4: ZIPLOC IT!
Grab a box of Ziploc’s and start filling them with fun little toys, trinkets & candies. I love handing these out during our trip. Finger puppets are the best — we have a bug collection, an Australian collection (thanks to our sweet friend at Farm & Pretty), & people…. the stories I hear coming from the backseat is priceless.
#5: PLAN SCREEN TIME
My kids LOOOOOVE screen time and they know on road trips they get more than their usual 20 minutes a day. My best advice for longer road trips is to pre-schedule cartoon, movie or game time. I write out times on a note card so the kids can keep track of the time on their own. Once the game, cartoon or movie goes on, I set a timer for 20-30 minutes and when the timer goes DING!, the screen goes off until the next time.
WHO’S READY FOR A ROAD TRIP?!
Get out there. Have fun. Pack & plan like a pro!
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