In the upcoming month, we have a family trip planned for Washington and we’ve been looking forward to this trip forever! We’ll be visiting family on both sides and have lots of activities planned for our stay. One thing that’s been on my mind for the trip is a 4+ hour drive we’ll be making from one stay with family to another. Our girls are great in the car, but this will be our longest ride with them both. I've been worried about what to bring with us, for the trip and the road trip, and the obvious items are easy- diapers, snacks, extra clothes, but what else?
I've thought about what works for our girls when they're unhappy in the car, checked in on Pinterest, and texted with some of my mama friends for their tips and tricks. I kind of fall into the camp of less is best, but there's definitely some items we can't go with out. I’ve put together a road trip pack list to get us through!
- Snacks
This is obviously the best part of any road trip right? For car rides, I prefer easy to access, minimal mess foods such a fruit snacks, crackers, grapes, bananas, granola bars, veggie sticks, and dry cereal. I love to make a "baby trail mix" of their favorite dry goodies and it's great for them to have a variety of snacks so I'm not constantly passing things back to them. Don't forget some water to keep them hydrated!
- Music
What's a road trip without an awesome play list? We keep a few playlists just for the girls on our phones- one for radio songs they enjoy (Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Adele, Meaghan Trainor, etc.), one for movies and cartoons (Annie, Disney films, Doc McStuffins), and a third for nursery rhymes. Ellie can be so bossy when it comes to music so splitting the songs up like this help to find what she wants quicker. Emma can get cranky too if there's not an upbeat song playing. Nursery rhymes may sound like a bad idea, but songs that have hand motions with them are fun and a great distraction (especially when you need to hold it for the next exit’s bathroom break!) and some of our favorites include Wheels on the Bus, 5 Swinging Monkeys, Baby Jaws, and Itsy Bitsy Spider.
- Entertainment
We do our best to keep the girls away from technology, but sometimes we give in to keep our sanity so we do have some apps and movies downloaded onto our Ipad/Iphones, but we plan to pack a few small toys that they can play with while in their car seats. A mini magnadoodle has been a lot of fun and a lifesaver sometimes with Eleanor, other ideas include baby dolls, busy books, lacing activities, etc. Anything that helps your little ones sleep is a must as well, hello lovie for Emma! We can't ever leave the house without it!
- Essentials
If we’re going to be in the car or out of the house for a while, we always pack a separate bag with additional clothes, rash creams, wipes, and Huggies Little Movers Plus diapers- available only at Costco. Being prepared for potty accidents and blowouts is a must! One thing we can always depend on is our girls staying dry in their Huggies Little Movers Plus diapers. Since Ellie was a newborn, we’ve been a Huggies household. They're super absorbent and perfect for babies on the go, I know that Emma will stay dry without any leaks for up to 12 hours - that’s what the “Plus” means. It makes for one less thing to worry about on the drive!
If you've been following our family adventures for a while, you already now how much we love Huggies and always stock up at Costco for them. For one, we love the Little Movers Plus (Size 3, 4, 5, & 6), they're soft, super absorbent, and keep their little tushes soft and dry. Plus, they're such a great deal – Little Snugglers Plus (Sizes 1 & 2) – $37.49, $31.49 after $6 discount and Free shipping (this offer valid 9/1 to 9/25) Little Movers Plus (Size 3, 4, 5, & 6) – $42.99, $36.99 after $6 discount and Free shipping (this offer valid 9/1 –to 9/25) Starting in August Little Snugglers Plus will also be available in size Newborn starting - $29.99 available in select warehouses and online at Costco.com. Goodness, I love my Costco membership.
Tell me, what are your favorite road trip must haves for littles? How do you stay sane?
11 comments :
Band-Aids or a first-aid kit is a great idea! I see many road trips with a toddler in my near future so these ideas will be helpful.
I'm obsessed with all of this! Road trips with my kids usually suck. Definitely going to make a fun basket like this next time!
I have a hard enough time packing for myself, when I have kids I am definitely going to need more tips like this!
I LOVE this post! We haven't had our summer vacation yet. We are driving 12 hours to the beach next month!! I have my eye on that mini magnadoodle. I was just thinking about one yesterday for our trip and wondered if they still made them. My little man & your Ellie are so close in age, so I'm sure he will love it too. Thanks for sharing :)
This is perfect - we're leaving on a road trip Thursday. Only 3ish hours but it'll be our first with a toddler. Good call on the mini magnadoodle - I'll add that to our basket. Fingers crossed for both of us =)
I always over pack for a road trip. Thanks for the tips! #client
These are great road trip tips, and I love that you included snacks first, they are most important, lol. Nobody wants to have a hangry child on their hands. We love Huggies (and Costco!) in our house too!
This is great! I have a couple learning apps on our iPad and episodes of The Wiggles. Don't judge. It's the only thing she likes sometimes! We love music as well. Have you heard of Casper Babypants? Parker loves his music! Stompy the Bear will literally be in your head all day.
This is such a great post! We have a 4.5 hour road trip coming up, and I am not looking forward to it! I will definitely be using some of these tips!
I am so obsessed with Costco. That's where I bought my son's diapers and everything else really!
This is a GREAT list! Thanks mama
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