How to Properly and Enjoyably Road Trip With Young Kids

When you tell your kids that you are going on a road trip, the reaction you get is usually excitement and eagerness to go. But little do kids realize that road trips are long, emotion-evoking car rides where they can get bored very easily. We here at Duluth Pack know how hard it is to keep kids entertained and engaged throughout a family trip, so we are providing you with some tips and tricks on how to properly road trip with kids! From beginning to end, we got you covered.

Preparation

Prepping for your road trip is the most important part of the road-tripping process. By making sure you are packing the best clothing, snacks, car-ride activities, and more, you will be able to start your road trip off right and keep your family from pulling each other’s hair out.

Some kid essentials we believe are a MUST on any road trip are:

• Phone/tablets
• Phone/tablet chargers
• Healthy snacks
• Juice boxes/water
• Coloring books & crayons
• Pillows/blankets
• Card games
• Books
• Toys

In addition to bringing the essentials, make sure to plan routine stops along the way. By doing this, you will keep the kids engaged, and you all will be able to explore some fascinating places along the way to your destination. Take some time reviewing your Google Map routes for the trip. You want to look for the following to make your trip the best one yet.

• The best places to stay overnight
• Tourism spots you may pass by
• Best places to grab breakfast/lunch/dinner
• Rest stops for quick naps/bathroom breaks

Breaking up your trip with these routine stops will give the kids something to look forward to along the way and allow you and your family to stretch your legs for a bit!

While on the Road

To start your trip, we suggest you begin your drive at night or bright and early in the morning. This way, the kids will more than likely still be sleepy and sleep through at least the first few hours of the trip. As you continue your journey, make sure that the driver, whether that is you or your partner, is taken care of. You want your drive to be as safe as possible, so check in with the driver hourly to see if they need anything like a coffee, food, or even a quick nap.

While on the road trip, it is difficult to keep children occupied the entire time. You will have to get creative! One way to keep kids busy is to have them play with the variety of essentials you packed in preparation. Coloring books, tablets, card games, and more will help make your time in the car more pleasurable and peaceful. Another way to entertain them is to keep them up to date with where you are on your journey. This activity will especially help you avoid the redundant question of “Are we there yet?”. You can keep them up to date by giving fun facts about cities or landmarks that you pass. Make a trivia game out of it! The more they focus on anything besides the time will make the trip go even faster for them. Lastly, as we stated previously, breaking up your road trip by making routine stops will be beneficial to everyone’s well-being and aid in time management while out on the road.

When You Get To Your Destination

After a long car ride with your family, you all might be a bit tired from your journey. Even though you might be exhausted, you must make sure you are making every moment count on your trip. Family road trips are where memories are born. Your road trip stories will be part of conversations for years to come, so make sure to put down the phone or device, enjoy your time, and live in the moment with your family or friends!

Are you looking for a few more products to keep your kids occupied on the car ride ahead of you? Duluth Pack has got you covered! We have a Minnesota Activity Book that can be accompanied by our rustic Paul Bunyan Crayons. If your little adventurers need a durable, long-lasting pack to carry all their traveling essentials, we recommend checking out our Small Standard Backpack or our Ranger Pack.

If you have any great road trip suggestions or want to share your family’s road-tripping stories, give us a shout at [email protected].

Happy traveling, friends!