Tips for Successful Road Trips with Kids
November 5, 2018Thank you Maxi-Cosi for sponsoring this post. Keep your little adventurers comfy, safe & stylish with the Maxi-Cosi Magellan™ Max 5-in-1 Convertible Car Seat!
During the fall, we go on a lot of road trips as a family. We all enjoy the spontaneity of hopping in the car and exploring new towns together. Since we have gone on dozens of trips over the years, we learned a lot about what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to keeping the kids happy on long car rides. From using a safe, comfortable car seat to bringing along non-perishable snacks, I’m sharing my best tips for successful family road trips today.
1. Plan plenty of breaks along the way!
For every road trip we take, we schedule plenty of stops along the way. For us, we never really want to drive more than about an hour at a time. So we stop at rest areas so the kids can use the bathroom and so we can all stretch our legs. For young kids, it really helps to break up a long drive into multiple, shorter segments. During an especially long road trip to Vermont a few months ago, we found a petting zoo along the way. We stopped and the kids had a blast petting & feeding some of the animals.
2. Choose a safe, stylish car seat!
One of our essentials for family road trips is a safe, comfortable car seat. We recently installed the Maxi-Cosi Magellan™ Max 5-in-1 Convertible Car Seat. This revolutionary new 5-in-1 convertible car seat can be used from birth to 10 years (5lbs. to 120lbs.)! I love that a single seat can transition over time to suit a growing child.
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There are actually five modes of use: Baby Rear-Facing, Toddler Rear-Facing, Toddler Forward-Facing, Child Forward-Facing, and Belt Positioning Booster. I appreciate that it’s so easy to transition from one mode to the next. Charlotte is using this seat in the Child Forward-Facing mode currently. When she gets a bit older, I can easily transition the seat to Booster mode. Keeping her safe & entertained on long car rides is my top priority. Knowing that she is in a Maxi-Cosi car seat gives me peace of mind. By the way, the seat features premium, machine-washable fabrics, and a modern, streamlined design. The Magellan™ Max is available in Maxi-Cosi’s popular Nomad fashion: Nomad Blue, Nomad Sand, Nomad Purple, Nomad Black, Nomad Grey.
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3. Pack plenty of non-perishable snacks!
When hunger strikes, moods can often go downhill. We always bring along with us plenty of non-perishable snacks. Some of our favorite options include crackers, pretzels, dried fruits, and nuts. The kids also love applesauce in pouches – they’re convenient to serve and don’t need refrigeration!
4. Sing songs together!
There comes a time in every road trip, when the kids start to get restless. What I usually like to do at that time is to turn to music. We will often sing songs together. Now that my older daughter (7 years old) is starting to recognize songs on the radio, I also like to create a personalized playlist with her favorite tunes. I put them on a CD and we all enjoy the melodies together.
5. Make an activity kit!
We always bring fun activities for the kids with us. I recently made my own activity kit using an old DVD case. This craft project could not be any easier and it provides the perfect entertainment for kids in the car. Simply remove the paper & plastic cover from the outside of the DVD case. Paint the exterior of the case with some chalkboard paint and let dry.
Now you have a small, portable chalkboard for kids!
The best part? The chalk fits right inside the case!
6. Plan activities for the kids!
When we’re on vacation, we try to schedule at least one activity that’s geared to the kid’s interests every day. On a recent trip to Pennsylvania, we stopped at a kid’s play place that offered mini golf. It was Charlotte’s first time playing mini golf, but she had a blast! Isn’t her golf form adorable?!
7. Have the right mindset!
Traveling with kids can certainly be unpredictable. The kids may drop the ice cream. There may be a detour along the highway. The weather may not cooperate with your plans to visit the beach. It’s important to maintain the right attitude and go with the flow! After all, when traveling with kids, it’s about the adventure above all else.
Don’t forget to learn more about the Magellan™ Max 5-in-1 Convertible Car Seat. Do you take family road trips often? What is your best tip for a successful experience?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
For us, the key is lots of snacks. My boys are big on the snacking, so I pack LOTS of options to keep them happy!
Putting together activity kits is such a great idea when planning a road trip. Kids get bored so easily on long car trips and it’s a great way to keep them busy and entertained.
Thank you so much for including a great car seat in your tips. So many posts that give tips for road tripping with kids forget to mention how important safety is. I love this one.
We love doing road trips! It is one of my favorite ways to travel. You get to see so much more when you’re driving. You can stop at places you would have never known existed otherwise. I really love all the tips of how to travel with kids here.
These are some great tips. I find new toys and snacks always helped my kids. Now that they are older, if they whine I can just put ear plugs in and drown them out. They’re old enough to entertain themselves. No longer my problem!
This looks like a fabulous car seat!
Plenty of snacks and drinks are always important on a road trip. Stuff for the kids to do as well and plan and take your time. Not a race to the finish point.
We don’t have kids yet but we are always going out on a road trip. Well hopefully when we have kids we still go out on road trips. Will take note of this.
Ashley loved having snacks and something new to do every other hour or so. We always made sure she had comfy pillows and cozy blankets for napping, too.
I really enjoyed reading your post. Thanks for the great tips. This carseat would be perfect for my nephew
A comfortable carseat is really important! We pack our homemade quiet books and they really help our kids be good in the car!
My husband and I are planning to go on a road trip with our kids before the end of this year and I will definitely take advantage and follow these tips in our road trip.
Although it’s already winter where I am. I am definitely looking forward to more road trip opportunities next year. And these tips you’ve shared are super handy for those with littles.
I don’t have kids but these all sound like great tips! I will have to pass this post off to my mommy friends!!
Road trip with kids is always fun as long as you are well prepared. These are great tips that I can apply to my family.
Being interactive has always worked so well with me when I travel with children. It’s just so hard on long trips to stay engaged that long. Thanks for the tips.
It is so hard to know what will work with kids. Every one is different and they change as often as the seasons. What works for one trip may not work for the next. It’s good to be armed with a lot of choices. Thanks for the tips!
I have not seen that car seat before and it looks fantastic! Also, I would add, books on tape are great for trips and so are kindles for each child. As a military family with 5 kids that travel a lot, we never go on trips without kindles!