The Ultimate Family Road Trip Survival Guide

Road trips create some of the best memories but let’s be honest, they can also test everyone’s patience.

A few hours into the drive and the snacks are running low, someone has to use the bathroom, and the famous question starts, “are we there yet?”

Here are my personal tips and tricks to help make road trips easier.

1. Pack A Few Special Snacks

The number one thing that has helped with my kids in the car (anytime, not just road trips) is to make sure they aren’t hangry. Keep them fed with healthy snacks. No red dye, it makes some kids get very energetic, which is not very helpful on a long car ride.

Some family favorites:
• Beef Jerky
• Applesauce Pouches
• Crackers
• Dried Fruit
• Pretzels
• Chips

I also like to bring a “Special” snack. Find something unique and colorful that will excite your children. You can use it as motivation for good behavior or just bring it out when you need a new distraction for the kids.

My kids, even the big one’s, think these are the coolest thing and you can fill them with lots of fun goodies.

2. Create A Road Trip Binder

Instead of handing kids a tablet the moment boredom strikes, I keep a simple binder or folder or for a more durable option you can try these colorful, plastic paper holders filled with activities they can rotate through throughout the trip.

I created a printable Road Trip Printable Pack that will help keep you and the kids entertained and off devices

Some of our favorites include:

Road Trip Bingo
License Plate Hunt
Adventure Tracker (a must!)
Seek and Find Games
Coloring Pages
Would You Rather Questions
Memory Pages

Having several different activities gives kids options and keeps them from getting bored with the same thing after 20 minutes.

3. Create Their Own Space

Kids love having their own space.

A simple lap desk, or clipboard, can give them a place to color, write, draw, and complete activities comfortably.

It also helps keep crayons, pencils, and papers from ending up all over the car.

4. Make The Journey Part of The Adventure

Kids often focus on the destination because that’s all we talk about.

Try helping them pay attention to the trip itself.

Ask questions like:

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen today?
What was your favorite stop?
What’s the funniest road sign we’ve passed?
What new state would you like to visit?

Our Adventure Tracker page has become one of my favorite road trip activities because it encourages kids to notice the journey instead of simply counting down the miles. You can add a sticker or color in the square after so many minutes or miles and helps kids visually see how long they have to go.