Road Trip Kids Must Haves

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I really love a road trip. Getting on the road early, stopping for some junk food along the way, and a variety of games to pass the time… I love it all. But road trips with kids can be a challenge. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of road trip kids must haves to entertain the kids (and provide a little bit of peace) during the trek.

California is a great place to live, but we have to travel quite a ways to explore some of our neighboring states. We love visiting Scottsdale and Las Vegas, or heading up to a camping trip at Bass Lake or June Lake. But all of those destinations require 6+ hours in the car with kids.

The road trip kids must haves that I compiled are items that have proven successful for my kids on various road trips we’ve taken over the years. Some of these items are designed to provide extra comfort, while others are designed to entertain the kids (and stop them from asking “how long until we’re there?” over and over again).

Snacks!!

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of stopping for a treat once in awhile and packing some snacks and waters for the road. Some goodies can help keep kids in a good mood and help to pass the time. Click here for a complete list of my road-trip must haves for traveling with kids.

DVD Player – My #1 choice for road trip kids must haves

Before I had a built-in DVD in my car, I swore by the headrest DVD players that attach to the vehicle front seats. These don’t cost a fortune and are easy to move from vehicle to vehicle. I know that most kids are exposed to more than enough screen time, but this is an easy way to entertain the kids for stretches of time–especially if you’re trying to keep some kids quiet while others nap.

A Lap Travel Tray

A lap travel tray is a great way to give your road trip kids some activities to work on in the car. It can hold a portable DVD player or tablet, snacks, coloring books, markers, etc. And there are pouches so that they can keep their accessories within reach, and the co-pilot won’t have to constantly turn around to find a missing marker.

Check out this awesome kids travel tray:

Kenley Kids Travel Tray

• Why I love it: Sturdy, foldable tray with a solid surface for drawing, snacking, or playing.
• Perks: Zippered pockets, cupholder, tablet holder, and side storage.
• Great for: Road trips, flights, or camping.

A Comfortable Travel Pillow

It’s not easy to get comfortable in a car, but if you have a good travel pillow, it can definitely help. While my kids seem to fall asleep easily, they have a hard time staying asleep when their head starts to fall or we hit some bumps in the road. But a travel pillow provides support to keep their head comfortable and helps them to sleep longer.

Road Trip Kids Games

I love breaking up a long drive with some various road trip games. I had the Auto Bingo cards as a kid, and my siblings and I would have competitions to see who could fill theirs up first. Some of the games we play now don’t require any kind of boards or checklists (like the alphabet game where we have to find each letter somewhere on a sign or license plate). But there are also a variety of road trip games that have kids searching for certain objects or asking each other some questions to pass the time.

Check out this list of my favorite road trip games for kids.

Cargo Carrier

I’m adding a cargo carrier to my road trip kids must haves because even though this won’t be used by the kids, it’s a must-have when traveling with them. With kids comes a lot of gear–toys, extra clothing, blankets, bedding, diapers, etc. This takes up a ton of space in the car and makes everyone more cramped. I’ve found that cramped kids equal cranky kids.

Unless you have enough space in your trunk/ cargo area, you will find that having a cargo carrier allows everyone more space to spread out, and you don’t have to hear that Johnny is touching Suzy or that Jackie keeps pushing the pillows onto Billy’s lap. Plus cargo carriers keep your gear dry and out of the elements, so even if you have a truck bed for your gear, it’s good protection to have.

Now you’re ready to start planning your next road trip! And I have some fun itineraries if you’re looking for inspiration:

• California Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip
• Las Vegas to Grand Canyon Road Trip

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