Items You Need For a Road Trip With Kids
Traveling with kids requires patience, a sense of humor, a flexible attitude, and stuff that keeps them engaged and content. Let’s face it, when the kids are happy, everyone is happy, which makes long hours on the road something you’ll want to remember and potentially repeat.
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Organizational tools
It may just feel like it, as opposed to actually happening, but the stuff you pack for a road trip multiplies on its own. What was once organized well in the cargo area and in your kids’ bags is now exploding and overflowing all over the cabin. Clutter means chaos, and it is important to keep the clutter, aka chaos, at bay with tools like bins and trunk organizers.
Munchies
Nothing stirs the appetite like a road trip. Once you think you have enough snacks, grab some more, and keep them in a cooler that’s easily accessible.
“Cheese sticks, squeezable yogurts, and fruit are healthier, but also delicious options, to throw in along with dry snacks, like pretzels, crackers, and nuts,” according to HGTV.com writer Chelsey Bowen.
Portable trash can
Eating in the car, even if you’re using reusable storage containers, can create a lot of trash. A portable trash bag, garbage can designed for a car, or a DIY container that fits in your cabin provides the perfect solution to the trash you create on the go. Just remember to empty it out when you stop for gas.
Entertaining devices
Screen limits at home can be relaxed on the road. Tablets, smartphones, and computers will allow your kids to escape into their favorite movies or games for a few hours. Just remind them to bring their headphones and chargers.
Health concerns
Carsickness will ruin a road trip fast. Be prepared with a sweet treat like ginger chews.
“Not only does ginger help curb nausea, but it also settles an upset stomach if roadside food doesn’t agree with your kiddo’s tummy,” advises Bowen.
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Focusing on your passengers’ comfort before you hit the road will help your road trip be a success.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.