Must have Items for Car Travel with Kids

Busy planning your summer road trips but have no idea how you are going to keep your little ones busy on the ride?

I know I always worry that once I hit the road all I will hear is a constant chorus of “Are we there yet?”.

As some of you may know, my family and I just made the 32-hour round-trip drive to Disney with my three kiddos. For ages 8, 3, and three months, the trip could have been much less than enjoyable. Due to a good amount of preparation, however, we managed to make the trip rather painlessly and with minimum whining!

Want to know what saved us the headache? Check out my list of “must haves” for car travel that keep my kids busy on long car rides!

Backseat Lap organizers

Best. Idea. Ever. Well, for car travel anyway.

We were able to pack the kids’ travel organizers with coloring books, crayons, reading materials, sticker activities, and small toys. Then, both my bigs had their own set of travel activities at the tip of their fingers, as well as a flat area to use them! Made a world of difference to my sanity as well because I didn’t have to hear “Mommy, can you hand me the …”, all trip long. When we made it to the condo, all the items went back into the organizer and we didn’t have a giant mess left over! Win!

Have a little one in a car seat? Check out this lap tray as well! I love that it loops around the kiddos to keep the tray from falling.

Neck Pillows

With the amount of time that we were in the car, nap time was essential for my babies. The problem is, with today’s car seats. My kiddos often wake up with stiff, sore necks due to pillows shifting, or them not being able to squeeze a pillow into their car seat in a comfortable fashion.

This is why I love the design of these neck pillows! They have several different character pillows so you can pick a different one for each child to keep them from fighting. Plus, they have a snap button at the base of the pillow that you can snap to help your kiddo keep it in place once they are comfy! Great idea right?

Kids Kindle Fire

As much as I hate to sit my child in front of a screen for hours on end, I LOVE the kids’ version of the Kindle Fire. Seriously, the design of this thing is amazing for the price!

First off, the case this thing is in is tough! My kids have dropped their tablets more times than I can count, and I do not have to fret about whether the device survived the fall.  When they say it is kid-proof, they are not joking.

It also comes with a 2-year worry-free guarantee that if my tiny terror does destroy it, Amazon will replace it no questions asked! Plus, they throw in one year of free time at no cost, so your kids can load all kinds of apps and books at no additional cost to you! Seriously, for under $100 this was one of the best investments I have made for my children’s entertainment on trips!

Headphones

Headphones are pretty much a must on any kind of trip my children go on where there are electronics involved. I love my kiddos, I do not love the sounds of all of their electronics playing simultaneously against the sweet tunes in my car. Plus, spending a couple of extra bucks to not hear my child shout to the front of the van that they cannot hear their tablet when the volume is all the way up….that my friend is worth it.

While my 8-year-old daughter sports a pair of headphones very similar to these, I am thinking about purchasing a new pair for my 3-year-old. This is because at 3, he does not quite grasp the concept of how to wear his headphones, and they are always slipping and falling. Thus, we hear “Mommy, you fix these headphones for me?” approximately 200 times an hour. Therefore, I believe we will be switching to a headband-type design like these in the near future.

Small Toys 

Believe it or not, I can keep both of my older kiddos content with the same kind of toys while they are in the car. This came as quite a surprise to me since there is such a difference in their ages, but if my mom or I pick up a couple of new small toys before we head on our trip, the kids are entertained for hours! Sometimes, they even get along for a few minutes!

Check out these dinosaurs, cars, and jungle animals that your kids will love! You wouldn’t believe where their imaginations will take them!

Worried about keeping your itty bitty’s content once you arrive at your destination? Check out my post on Must Have Items for your Stroller and keep your babies happy!

Well, there you have it, my list of must-have items for travel with kids. Thirty-two hours round trip and these items ensured that my children did not get duct taped to the top of the car and that all of the adults in the car kept their sanity. What items do you rely on for your kids on long car trips? Let me know in the comments below!