Summer is flying by and if you haven’t squeezed in a family road trip, now might just be the time. The pandemic has many of us without air travel and cruise options and going a little stir crazy at home. If you need a change of scenery for you and want to adhere to current guidelines a road trip maybe your best option.
A couple of years ago we took a two-vehicle, 7 member family road trip… over 2 days to New Orleans, Louisianna. Ok…it was a road trip to a cruise port but it was still a family road trip! (If you enjoy my cruise obsession check out my cruise page)
Last summer, we joined several other family members on a canoe trip! I hadn’t been on a canoe trip since college but the experience hadn’t changed much!
This summer as our youngest gets ready for college life, I’m reflective of a time when planning a road trip with kids was no easy task. I hope these tips will help you and your family escape the monotony of staying at home and gives you a sense of adventure and together time this summer.
7 Quick Tips for a Great Family Road Trip!
updated 2020
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Have a General Plan
While part of me thinks it would be so thrilling to set out on the open road and see where life takes you, reality typically dictates that we have a goal or destination. It’s good to have at least a general timeframe you need to reach your destination and possibly checkpoints throughout your journey. You may need to make hotel reservations or plan for a few special stops along the way. It doesn’t mean you can’t alter that plan but it’s good to have a general framework. There are many apps that can help you with this process and I will highlight those in a future post.
Family Road Trip Organization
I like to keep all of the “stuff” organized in bins. A small bin for entertainment and one for what I call “Mom supplies”. The bins don’t need to expensive either. I’ve picked up a few dish bins at Dollar Tree and they worked just fine but I do prefer ones with a little bit higher sides so items don’t get kicked over. The over-the-seat organizers are fantastic, too.
My must-have essentials a.k.a. “Mom Supplies” consists of all things someone is bound to need over the course of our family road trip. The items usually serve multiple purposes.
- Roll of paper towels – I find the roll easier to manage than napkins that blow away when the car door opens. Paper towels are more durable for cleaning up messes.
- Box of tissues – necessary for runny noses, sneezes and…rest stops without toilet paper.
- Baby Wipes – for all of the grossness that will likely occur
- Antibacterial wipes – There will likely be several germy moments! I like how these are round and have a better click seal. Isn’t it annoying when you grab an antibacterial wipe and they’ve dried out? 🙁
- Hot/cold cups – great for sharing drinks and snacks
- Neat Sheet – This little rolled up gem is great for impromptu picnics, hot seats or even a clean play space for toddlers and toys at your destination.
- Pack towels – I love pack towels. They are so compact, quick-drying and lightweight. I find new uses for these regularly.
- A couple of gallon size storage bags – Just trust me on this one!
- Medicine kit as well as the full emergency roadside kit in the cargo area in case of an emergency
Access is Key
When you’re on a family road trip it’s so important that the passengers are able to access what they need, for the most part, without having to stop and shift items around. No one wants to stop every 30 minutes because someone wants a different movie, a game charger, or a snack!
Access to your face coverings will be critical this summer and fall so make sure those are handy for all passengers.
This can be helpful for luggage as well.
If your family road trip is taking you to a destination where you will be staying for several days, sort out your luggage so that your “travel” items are in an easy to grab bag like a duffel or backpack. Focus on making the journey easy so that it’s fun for everyone.
Don’t Forget the Snacks
I am a firm believer in snacks can make or break a road trip. I always pack a few fun items that we don’t normally buy on a regular basis. Our family favorites are beefy jerky and Chex Mix. I also pack a few apples but honestly, I’m usually the one that ends up eating them.
Do you have an item that you do NOT allow? Mine is corn nuts. My husband and son love them and I absolutely cannot tolerate the smell. They are my one firm VETO when it comes to family road trip snacks!
It’s also fun to let the kids pick out one item when you stop for gas. It’s always complete junk food but they enjoy the process of searching for their “one thing” that’s all theirs. Mom and Dad get to pick too!
Because snacks lead to trash, I hook a little shopping bag over the center console which makes a great temporary trash can. It gets emptied during our fuel stops.
Entertainment
If you are traveling with “littles”, plan for multiple rounds of entertainment that you can switch out to keep it fresh. I recall the time when we traveled to Colorado for a baseball tournament. Our kids were 6 and 8 years old so we planned to travel overnight so they could sleep across the stretch of Kansas. We loaded up in the evening and headed out. We weren’t even out of our hometown and onto the interstate before our then 6-year-old daughter asked, “So…how long is this going to take?” The struggle is real parents.
Pack a bin of their go-to items. I would even suggest packing them a week or so before. Give them a week to miss them and be anxious to see them again. Then…let those little friends out one at a time!
Please, Lord…don’t let me forget the chargers!
It seems like all kids have some sort of favorite electronic now so remember all of those darn chargers!
But, don’t be afraid to do a little throwback to the license plate game (and no pieces to lose) or a fun game of Would you Rather? I still try to say “neither” and so I suppose I always lose. 🙁 There are so many clever travel games now to choose from like this easy to pack travel scavenger hunt game perfect for your littles.
I personally love these family conversation cubes. I love them because they get the family talking which is really the hidden blessing of a family road trip. Who wants to sit in a car for 12 hours with everyone staring at their iPad and not talking to each other?
On the flip side, if you have a super chatty toddler, that Disney movie may hit the spot about 3 hours in. Stay strong parents!
My suggestion is to switch it up. Try and get some engagement in a family activity and then let them play on their own device or watch a movie.
Potty-Breaks on a Family Road Trip
Alright now, getting to the down and dirty. In our family, we have a rule – If we stop, you go! I’m sure you’ve all experienced the “I don’t need to go”…and then 5 minutes further down the road..”now I need to go”.
This is my least favorite part of a road trip…and I’m not even talking about my kids. It’s me! I hate the idea of being stuck in traffic and needing to go! I’m one of those people that rarely has to use the toilet on a plane…because it’s there. Put me in a car or a bus without a toilet and I’ll need to go at the most inconvenient time. And don’t even get me started on the gross-ness of most gas station toilets.
I’ve learned my lesson and in my purse, (and also in my car) I have a travel size pack of tissues and antibacterial wipes at all times. You won’t catch me hoping someone pops into the next stall so that I can ask for toilet paper!
If you have littles that are newly potty trained or you just have a long drive through some remote areas you may want to take a travel potty. It’s specially designed to be travel-friendly and…better safe than sorry, right?
MOST IMPORTANTLY – HAVE FUN!
Family road trips should be fun! If you see something interesting, take a moment and stop. Smell those roses!
There may be tense moments during high traffic or when someone is tired and cranky. But, try to remember that the time spent together is what matters. You may think it will be a test of wills, and of course, your patience, and I understand. But, trust me, as someone whose children are now young adults, I promise you will look back on the experience through the tent of rose-colored glasses.
Where are you headed to this summer? Let me know in the comment section below.
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Happy Travels!
Jillian
