Traveling is something that my two kiddos are quite familiar with. We just recently took a 16-hour (yes 16) road trip to visit my mother-in-law. Although I usually love road trips, it can be stressful at times with two littles.
Because traveling is something we do often in our family, I am always trying to find ways to make it as smooth as possible for all of us.
Below are my 9 must-haves for road trips. Whether your trip is 4 or 16 hours, these items will help make your drive go a little more smoothly.
Disclaimer: Please note that this blog post contains affiliate links in which I receive a small commission from qualifying purchases. This is at no extra cost to you. Any item or product links listed are things that I personally love and use.
Tablets don’t always have to be the enemy. We do try to limit screen time for our kids, but screen time doesn’t apply to us on the road.
Giving our toddler his tablet helps make the time go by a little faster for him while also giving us a break from the notorious “Are we there yet?” question.
We download games, shows, and movies at home before we leave so that we know exactly what he is watching and playing.
This is a no-brainer. If you are going to give your kid a tablet, headphones are a must unless you love hearing Blippi songs on repeat.
Also, if you can’t convince your toddler to turn his tablet down enough so that it doesn’t wake up his baby brother, headphones just make sense.
When my toddler gets tired of his tablet, I love having these on hand. You can get a variety pack so that your little one has options. Or you could just go with one theme that you know they will love.
My toddler loves his reusable sticker book and they are not only perfect for road trips but also great for quiet time.
These are perfect little toys for our 11-month-old. They are soft enough for him to chew on and perfect to take into restaurants with us when we make stops. They stick on most flat surfaces and help keep him entertained.
We will also stick the spinners on the car window for him to look at. They are definitely items I leave in the car or in the diaper bag.
These car mirrors are totally underrated. The mirror has a twinkling light effect and you can also choose between playful or soothing music. Both features have been helpful when our little guy starts to get fussy.
Since our youngest is still rear-facing, it’s nice to be able to keep an eye on him without looking back. And having the remote turn it on from the front is a nice touch.
If you aren’t a big fan of cute and colorful designs, there are plenty of the more simple ones like this one that are much more aesthetically pleasing. The ones with the cute little animal and music are becoming harder to come by though.
Snacks are essential on road trips. Especially when you are driving those long stretches with no stops in sight. I like to put the caddy in the middle seat between both of our boys. I can easily reach into the back and grab a quick snack for anyone who needs one.
My toddler is also able to reach them if I’m unable to at the moment. I like to keep a variety of snacks and even snacks that my 4-year-old doesn’t get to eat as often, so it’s more exciting for him and it feels a little more special.
These caddies can be used for so many different things, and have served many different purposes for us.
With an 11-month-old, diapers are essential. When we travel long distances I like to put this caddy behind the passenger seat, on the floorboard behind my son’s car seat. I keep it stocked with diapers, wipes, diaper balm, a travel changing mat, and a portable potty seat.
It’s nice to have all of those things easily accessible for when we make those quick bathroom stops and I just need a diaper and wipes. Or if we can’t find a place with a changing table and have to change our son in the car.
This caddy and the one listed above have served many purposes for our home and they are things I will keep on hand. I will share more ways I have used them in another post.
Like I mentioned in the section above, I like to take this portable seat with us. No one likes holding their toddler over a toilet seat in a small gas station bathroom while they do their business. This is perfect for that. It has a travel bag that comes with it and easily folds up to fit inside.
I leave it in the diaper caddy in our car so that I can quickly grab it. It has come in handy for us on so many occasions.
You can also purchase disposable toilet seat covers like these if you want that extra layer of protection. Especially in gas stations and even in airport bathrooms.
Books
I like to travel with a few good books to help pass the time. It’s hard for me to find the time to read at home and sitting in a car for 16 hours is the perfect opportunity for me to read the books that have been sitting on my nightstand.
I never know what I am going to be in the mood for so I usually bring about 3 books, each a different genre so that I have a variety to choose from.
My best friend just recently self-published one of her books She Shifter and if dark fantasy is something you are into, this might be the perfect book to take with you on your next trip!
Although, I know these aren’t going to fix every problem that comes up on the road when you have little kids in the car but they have truly made a difference in our travels.
I hope that these things will come in handy for you on your next road trip!
What are some things that you like to have in your car on long road trips?
