Summer is just around the corner and that means family vacay time for many of us. I’ve never been a fan of road trips personally, but they can’t always be avoided (trust me, I tried). If you’re tired of hearing “Are we there yet?” here are some mom hacks we’ve gathered to keep the kiddos happy, busy, and agreeable.
Snacks:
I like to pack each child a snack box, so they can use it at their discretion. Bento boxes or simple tackle boxes work great for this. It teaches kids patience, and hopefully, they don’t eat all the snacks at once. My kids love the surprise of the box and using it as they see fit. I love goldfish, GoGo Squeez, kids Clif protein bars, fresh fruit, cheerios, etc. You can also just have a large bag with individually packaged items for them to choose from.
Also: Buc-ee’s. If there is one on your route, make this your stop. The one in Alabama is a great halfway stop to Florida, and it gives my kids something to focus on. The bathrooms are clean, there are tons of gas pumps, and the food and snacks are legit. Get the brisket sandwich.
Boredom Buster:
I bought back seat organizers from Amazon and fill them with various items. Target Dollar Spot, Dollar Tree, etc. are great places to start. The Color Wow mess-free books, Ooly products, journals, maps, and more always keep them occupied.
Travel Potty:
Kids always seem to need to pee at the most inopportune times, like when you’ve just passed a rest stop. If you purchase a training potty, insert the liner and leave it in the back of your vehicle. You can easily pull over for a potty break, and it’s mess-free clean up with the liners in the toilet. Many are scented so you don’t have to worry about the smell until you get to a trash can.
Audio Entertainment:
We’re big Disney fans and one of our favorite ways to pass the time is to listen to Radio Disney on XM or a Disney channel on your music streaming service. We agree to not read the title on the screen and have to be the first one to guess the song and movie. We don’t really keep score, but I can tell you this kept my kids thoroughly entertained for a couple of hours. We also love podcasts; these are great to keep them engaged and learning. Our favorites are Who Smarted, Smash Boom Best, and Stories Podcast.
The best advice I can give is to not stress if it doesn’t all go according to plan. Because usually, it doesn’t. Kids throw you for a loop, there’s traffic, you might leave late, etc. Hopefully, these tips help you take it all in stride!
