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Road Trip

Road trips are the most popular family vacations and make for many childhood memories. Here are 5 key tips to make those memories good ones, rather than a notorious backseat brawl or a chorus of "Mom, he’s touching me AGAIN!"

5 Road Trip Must-Haves

1. Gallon Zip-top Bags Place each outfit, complete with socks, underwear, and accessories in a separate zip top bag and label it with the child’s name. Make a separate bag for pajamas and spare clothes. Each bag is rolled slightly to remove excess air and then sealed. The bags take up less space than the loose clothes and the outfits are ready to grab and go (helpful for Dads, Grandparents and other helpers). Plus, you have a container to put wet, soiled or stinky items in while you are at your destination.

2. Individual Serving Snacks Individual serving snacks are the only way to go on a road trip with the kids. Not only do they tend to be less messy (nothing like cleaning up a big bag of crushed potato chips that got dropped as they were passed to the back seat), they also help with portion control. Snacks are fun and needed on long car rides. I usually buy the variety pack of Gripz cookies and crackers for the kids and a box of Nutri-Grain Cereal bars for the grown ups, then I pack individual bags of grapes, apple slices or nuts, and a water bottle for each person. This is usually enough to keep everyone happy and tummies from rumbling between meals.

3. Entertainment Kids today have so many more travel entertainment options than we did as kids. Portable electronics are available for toddlers to teens and so many vehicles have built in DVD players. I usually give each child a shoe box to keep all their individual belongings in - including game systems, a book or two, notebook and colored pencils (Warning: Don’t bring crayons, they melt in the car) and maybe one to two little toys like a car or small doll. They have their own treasure box of goodies and it helps keep things a bit more organized in the car.

4. Emergency Bag A few years back someone gave me a red make-up bag that is about 6"x9". It is flat when empty and has a zipper top. I keep this bag with me just about anywhere we go and the kids know it is the emergency bag. In this bag I keep band-aids, travel pack of wipes, chewable children’s pain reliever, cold/cough medicine strips, my daughter’s Lactaid tablets, hand sanitizer, antiseptic wipes, a comb, a few ponytail holders, tissues, and a few mommy essentials. Red is often associated with an emergency and I have trained my kids to know what and where this bag is at all times. You just never know when you may need these things!

5. Break Up Your Trip If you are expecting to be in the car for more than 3 hours, plan for stops - not just potty breaks. Check your route for a public playground or park then plan a stop. Just 15-30 minutes out of the car to run off some energy will make everyone happier.

* Bonus Tip: Print out a map of your route and give it to the kids. Many kids find maps fascinating and this will help fend off the "Are we there yet?"