Greetings from the Carolinas! We just completed our longest family road trip yet – 1,000 miles! I’m not going to lie, we are a modern family with an SUV equipped with an entertainment system, but with kids who are not car sleepers, it would take more Disney movies than these two parents could handle to fill 16 hours of travel time.
Fun fact: the record in our family for fastest “Are we there yet?” is by Ellie who asked if we were 500 miles away in Tennessee before we were out of our subdivision. I kid you not. So, for your next trip in the car, we put together our road trip must haves to keep your kids from saying, “ARE WE THERE YET????”
In my opinion, music sets the tone for the trip. It’s not easy to find something everyone agrees on, but our entire family loves Jewel’s The Merry Goes Round (4) and Elizabeth Mitchell’s You Are My Little Bird (7). Both albums are light and fun and easy for parents to listen to, too.
A well fed kid is a happy kid and the ZoLi Travel Snack Dispenser (10) and the Boon Snack Ball (2) keep snacking simple.
Now for fun and games. I recently overheard on whatever morning television show was on while trying to get the kids out the door that more parents hand their fussy babies iPhones than pacifiers, snacks or other toys. An amazing statistic! As always, Fisher Price is their to fill the void with the Laugh and Learn Apptivity Case (9) that allows an iPhone or iPad to become baby proofed. If your children are a little more mature, we love the LeapPad (12).
Nothing says Road Trip! like Roadtrip Bingo (14)! 50 Travel Games and Activities (13), Brain Quest for the Car (5), Tic Tac Toe on the Go (1), Mosaic, Mo Travel Puzzle (3) and Kids’ Ultimate US Road Trip Atlas (6) are all great additions to keep in the center console. Break out the crayons for My Travel Journal (8) and Crayola Doodlebag (11) to get artsy to pass the time.
Still not sure if you’ll survive the impending road trip? My mom gave us this tip before we left – wrap up little presents and give them to the kids along with way. It can be anything – something from the Target Dollar Spot, a new coloring book, DVD to watch on the trip, etc. Pick a distance like every 100 or 200 miles and celebrate the milestone with a little something to keep them busy until the next one.
Are you a family road trip pro? What are your road trip must haves? Share them in the comments below, tweet us @lilstylefile or post on our Facebook Wall!
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About Kristin Cheuvront
Viva la Violette
I love all the games you have listed on here. I am totally, for the surprise gifts every 100 miles or so. My kids love that idea and I do it all the time. Another thing that I always bring is my iPad. With that, the kids can play games, read, watch movies, and watch TV through the Dish Remote Access app. A co-worker at Dish told me about this option and with the Sling Adapter hooked up to my receiver the kids can access all our subscription channels from anywhere we can get a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. The kids love being able to watch all their shows live and it stops the kids from asking “Are We There Yet?” a million times on the road.
Those little wrapped surprises, car bingo, great snacks, drink boxes and the “Family Vacation” cassette kept you busy on our twice annual three-day drives to Arizona in “the good old days”!