**This conversation about 5 Road Trip Tips with Kids is brought to you by Nature Valley. All opinions are my own.** #NatureValley #ad
I love to travel with my kids. I really do. If you follow me on Facebook you know that I have no hesitation loading them up and heading anywhere. As a single mom, I have to be prepared, though. I have to foresee issues and make sure that my kids are occupied and happy no matter how much travel time is involved. Just this weekend I loaded up the kids for what was supposed to be a 4 hour road trip. With traffic and tiny bladders, we ended up being in the car for 6.long.hours. Had I not been prepared with chargers, great snacks and my navigation system for bathroom breaks, this might have been a horrible trip. Instead, we had a great time! By the time we got to the water park, I was especially glad that I had packed some Nature Valley Biscuits with Almond Butter! Check out my 5 road trip tips with kids that will get you there happy!
Snacks, Snacks, Snacks
As a mom I am well aware of the kids and their hunger patterns. You feed them, they are full. You finish a meal, they are hungry. So expecting my kids to actually eat lunch at a restaurant on the way to our destination and then be happy without snacks in the car is just a novice mom move.
So after packing up water bottles I tossed in a few boxes of Nature Valley Biscuits with Almond Butter from Walmart. If you have not had these yet, run – don’t walk – to your nearest Walmart. They are SO GOOD! Make with 100% natural whole grains combined with the goodness of almond butter, they are a crunchy, slightly sweet snack that we all crave. The kids love them.
Nature Valley Biscuits with Almond Butter have 14 grams of whole grain per serving and are a good source of fiber. They gave me and the kids the energy we needed to take in a fun water park!
There are a variety of flavors on shelves at Walmart, including Cocoa Butter and Coconut Butter! Grab them all!
Chargers
Don’t forget the chargers! My kids all have tablets or phones, as most do. While we try to charge before road trips there is always one or two that tell me the battery is dying. I always have a plethora of chargers in my glove box – because we know kids can never find their chargers – and that helps me keep up with the demand. Out them on your list but don’t forget them. Chargers!
Books
While it is possible that kids can have their heads stuck in electronics for the entire ride, I prefer they don’t. I set a 20 minute at a time limit. This does many things. First, it helps the kids. Just as you and I can get tired eyes and headaches so do children. A car on a road trip is not the time to have meltdowns. Getting them away from the flashy screens every so often can save you. Also, it breaks up the trip for them. Instead of just ‘sitting’, they are spending some time on tablets and some time getting engrossed in a wonderful story. Books are necessary. Even for kids who ‘don’t read’, you may be surprised that they pick one up on a long car ride.
Blankets
Not everyone in the car is going to want the temperature to be the same. I, at 44, am often hot but the kids are always cold. So on road trips I grab blankets and toss them into the car. They help with cold kids and with napping kids!
Patience
Yes, I know you can not pack patience. But you can make it a point to remind yourself that it is needed on any road trip. My kids start asking about 30 minutes in how much further. I do my best to show them on the navigation may where we are and I make sure I answer the question every single time.
I try to be as honest with my kids as possible. While we were sitting on the freeway behind an accident I tried to explain why it takes so long to clear them. Anything to keep them engaged helps me get them there with no major issues!
What do you pack for road trips with kids? What other tips do you have?
My daughter just turned 7 and we still pack some kind of wetting-protection for the seat on very long trips
Do you have your kids wear their Goodnites on car trips? This is something my husband and I have been discussing?