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So, you want to hit the road with your kids, but the thought of being stuck in a car for hours on end can seem a bit daunting, to say the least. Other than throwing a bunch of cookies, candies, and screens at them, what can you do to make the trip more bearable or even, dare I say it, fun?
For example, activities for the car might be different than the ones you use when you reach your destination. This keeps things interesting for your kids and ensures they have something to do when you arrive and need to get settled in.
Some of our favorite activities for the car are:
Consider what might happen and what you might need, but scale back a bit. Odds are, all the emergencies you plan for won’t happen, which means you won’t need all that just in case stuff. So, what can you take out? If you’re an over-packer (like me), think of what’s easiest to pick up if you need it when you reach your destination.
Staying at an AirBnB or something similar? Make sure you read through what’s provided and what’s not. For example, do you need to bring your own towels? Will you be able to do laundry (and do you want to!?)? If you have laundry services, you’ll be able to pack fewer clothes. But, it also means allocating time for doing the laundry and taking laundry detergent.
What will you do in the evenings? Kids often go to bed early, so what will you do after it’s lights out for them? We usually bring along our Amazon Firestick so that we have something to watch. It’s worked great in Mexico, Seattle, Southern California… anywhere we’ve had WiFi.
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What will the little ones do while you’re in your hotel room (I LOVE the rewards at Expedia! Book early & save 25% or more), AirBnB, or wherever you’re staying? What will you need to keep them safe (and everything there safe!) and occupied?
Some of our favorite activities for once we arrive at our destination:
Usually, there’s enough new stuff to do and look at that we don’t need much. I’ve learned to take about half of what I think we’ll use.
If your littles sleep in the car, consider traveling around nap time so that it shortens the trip for the kids. If they’re going to sleep anyway… might as well make the most of it, right?
Transitioning them from their beds to their car seats in the wee hours of the morning is another option for “shortening” a long drive by utilizing the time your kids are sleeping. So, if you think your little one would fall back asleep in the car, have it warmed up if necessary, blankets ready to tuck them in after buckling them in, and put them in the car RIGHT before it’s time to hit the road.
Yes, I’m serious. Life’s what we make of it, right? If we start off dreading the drive and with a negative attitude, our kids will pick up on that and they’ll start to hate long drives too. So, make it fun. Approach it with an open-mind and a positive attitude. You might just surprise yourself with how quickly the time passes. 🙂
So, there you have it! Some of my best tips for taking road trips with toddlers. Some trips I’ve done with another adult and others I’ve done solo.
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