Family Road Trips with Little Ones

Check-in line. Security. Luggage. Delayed. Confined spaces. All these words are associated with airports and they all bring me horror.

Mamas, let’s get real. Flying with little ones can be incredibly hard. Doing anything with these amazing little adventurers is an award winning task. Combining tiny ones with dozens of different things that I cannot control that are associated with flying is not something I feel up to tackling.

For those moms who frequently travel with their little ones, I am sincerely in awe of you. You amaze me and I give you a wonder woman hat to wear with great pride.

The last time I traveled on an airplane with all my kids, I lost my poise on the connecting flight home and was warned by a flight attendant that I might need to leave the plane as I fought to get seats near all my babies. I vowed to wait a few years before attempting flying with so many little ones again.

So we drive! And I love it!

Here are some tips for family road tripping!

Pack lots of water. You think you have enough? Bring more. My family has traveled with cases of disposable water bottles as well as bringing our own reusable water bottles with water jugs for refills. Both options work great for us.

Pack baby wipes. Everyone in the family will be grateful for an option to clean hands and faces. They have come in super handy on many occasions when a child has thrown up in our van. Hooray for baby wipes!!

Pack plastic bags. Plastic bags are priceless for collecting garbage, handing to a child to throw up in (2 of my kids threw up at the same time while driving home from Disney World) and for putting soiled clothing in.

Pack large garbage bags to fill with dirty laundry. Dirty clothes won’t be mixed with clean clothes and it’s simple to dump the family’s dirty clothing in a laundry machine for a quick load when the opportunity arises.

Pack a cooler of food. When you jump out at a rest stop to stretch, use the bathroom, and refill waters, you can quickly and inexpensively feed your tribe as well. We have come across incredible rest stops with picnic tables and even playgrounds. What a time saver to pull out the bread, peanut butter and jelly and call it dinner all in one stop. Packing raisins, fruit leathers, fresh and dried apples, carrots, cutie oranges, granola bars, pretzels, animal crackers, trail mix and oatmeal cookies all travel well.

Pack an emergency kit to keep under a seat with band-aids, sunscreen, insect repellent, a flashlight, Tylenol and an extra diaper if you have wee ones.

Buckle little ones up with their favorite night time must-haves. My youngest kids sit with their blankets and a special stuffed buddy. My older kids sit with a pillow. This provides comfort and encourages them to sleep.

Movies please. “Absolutely,” is my answer to watching DVDs as we travel in our van. It keeps the kids happy and quiet and is a temporary screen binge.

Audio books offer a great break from the screen.

Let’s chat about bathrooms…I pack a portable potty for kids to use if there aren’t any restrooms around. A great tip for a clean bathroom stop is a hotel lobby. We have everyone pile out and use the bathroom at travel centers with each gas tank refill.

Travel toys. My favorite car toys are ones that are simple and have all pieces contained so they can easily be passed amongst siblings in different seats. We pack a magnetic drawing board, a container of pipe cleaners for creative building, reusable sticker books, lacing toys, magnetic sets and my favorite for toddlers through elementary age kids are the Melissa and Doug on the Go Sets like the ones below.

The kids get to create their own stickers with this set.

The kids love coloring with these no mess markers!

These board books have a refillable water pen. The reusable line drawings are colorless when dry and colored when wet. No mess and lots of fun! 

Pack for Easy Luggage Loads. If you are making a one-night hotel stop, it’s going to be inconvenient to unload all the luggage. Try packing a bag containing all the family’s toiletry needs and a bag with enough clothes needed for the stop, such as pajamas and the next day’s clothing for each family member. This way you will only need to find two bags as you all unload for the night.

Drive at bedtime if you are a night owl. My family can conquer many miles while the little ones are sleeping! Be aware of your body’s needs and only do this if you are able to stay alert. I feel drowsy within a couple of hours on the road, but my husband can drive easily past midnight.

Make memories along the way. Whether it’s opening a new dollar store toy each time a state line is crossed or planning a sightseeing afternoon to stop at along the way, celebrate your traveling progress as a family as you go!

                                                                       Stopping to experience New Orleans while driving from Texas to Florida.

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