Car travel with kids (plural!!)

 When you’re going to get in the car for any length of time with a child- have a PLAN! If you don’t have a plan, the kids will know it and destroy you…

If you play your cards right you could be nicely listening to your true crime podcasts in the front seat while your kids are cooperating in the backseat. 

Here’s what to do so you can get the latest series fully listened to by the time you reach your summer vacation destination: 

1. For every 30 minutes of the car ride that you don’t have to correct behavior, nag, break up a fight, or pause your show to tend to their needs and keep them busy: Have a secret reward bagged/wrapped up ready to give to your children every half hour! 

2. This reward is basically the Busy Bag but all separated out into brown paper bags and stapled for closure - you give one brand new item at a time that the kids have never seen and it’s like Christmas! 

3. When the 30 minute timer goes off- you pay attention to them, give them the bag, They open the bag full of excitement and then play with the item for the next little bit - if they get bored (I have rampant ADHD in this household) then they can play with any of the toys they’ve already opened. It’s for this reason I start the trip with 2 of the biggest gifts first to occupy lots of time. 

1. They each have a travel lap box that you can put things inside which has a chalkboard on one side of the top and whiteboard on the other side. Inside the box I put chalk, dry erase markers and eraser, notepad, stickers, crayons, and a few books.

Like Water wow books 

Highlights magazines  

Drawing LCD pads 

Busy book

 I got the box at a craft show but here is Another lap desk that worked well 

TIP: if eating on the go, take the stuff out and put the food inside the box - it’s a perfect car food box! 

2. In the bucket that goes at their feet are a few books, 2-3 coloring books, a few fave toys, headphones and dvd player. (A few of the bags have a coupon for DVD time)

The headphones we have here, which are ok and good for school:Double pack of headphones with splitter 

The best headphones that keep them from complaining that their ears hurt all the time:

Cozy headphones  for Victoria 

 Cozy headphones for Bryson

Activities for car and destination: 

Disney Princess pink purse set 

Brain activities book 

Lego carrying box for destination  

In front of the kids and on the back of my seats go the car seat organizers with some laid out fidget toys, sunglasses and hats, and in the big pocket is where a lot of the goody bag good will go! 

Back of the seat car organizer

Then the bags..  I strategically plan out how many items I need - how many hours it takes to get there + a few extra items for while there + the number of hours it takes to get back home. Take the number of hours and figure out how many half hour increments there are.. then figure out which toys they should get at the beginning vs middle vs closer to being at our destination! (I didn’t want to give the pretend shooting gun right at the start!) 

I went shopping at the Dollar Tree and got most items.. a few special pieces from Amazon to round out my selection. Here’s the lot for our whole trip from Jacksonville, FL to Bryson City, NC  for both kids. 

I spent less than $75:

Here’s Victoria’s : 

Here’s Bryson’s: 

I laid out the brown paper bags, and I number them so I know which order to give the goody bag in. 

TIP: for older kids give money, they will spend it on their trip!! 

Goody “Bag” #1: 

These weren’t really in a bag but were the first items I handed the kids as they got into the car. They can put their activities inside as they go on the trip - they LOVED these!

You can find them here: Clipboards  

Inside was this coloring activity from Dollar Tree that occupied them for awhile and they kept going back to it throughout the trip: 

Goody Bag # 2: fun colored pens ! They added to their drawing and writing with these 

Goody Bag # 3: 

Something active and fun- paddle ball!! 

Goody bag # 4: Sticker activity for Victoria / Summer learning book for Bryson 

Goody Bag #5: 

30 minute Coupon for some DVD time- this limits the screen time so when the timer goes off the DVD goes off and they are ready for the next goody!

Goody bag # 6: 

Dry erase notepads from Target’s dollar section 

Cocomelon for V; Spider-Man for B 

TIP: depending on your child’s

Hunger level: put snacks in the bags too! I added goldfish, cranberries, pistachios, meat sticks, and fruit snacks in the bags to accompany the goodies- that keeps them at bay for bothering you for snacks too! 

When you do stop:

We stopped at rest areas/ welcome centers. 

At the welcome center they give a state map- so we would grab the state map and the kids would draw on it for the next little while. (This was a great childhood memory for me so I’m glad they love doing it too!) 

If you stop to eat, either pack lunches and eat at a rest area so they can RUN out their sillies for 30 minutes OR plan out a place that has activities at the restaurant. I found family friendly places with games, pool tables, and of course there is always Chik Fil A!