Our family loves to travel and we look for every chance we can to go on adventures together. However, as a family of seven this often means that we’re road tripping. I mean, have you priced out plane tickets for a family lately?! Luckily, with the kids in a Charter school/homeschool hybrid program and Mike owning his own practice, we’re usually flexible with our travel plans. This means that often we can make a drive, even if it’s a long one. Although we have a minivan with a screen in it now we try not to rely on it. Today I’m sharing some of my screen free road trip tips to help limit it and still keep everyone sane.
moving across country taught me something about a screen free road trip
When we moved back to California from Texas we had a full four days of driving. We could have made it in three (and actually for our 2018 road trip I made it in two) but we decided to stay and play for a couple days in Arizona. Mike drove the moving van while I drove our vehicle. Our two children would be with me who were two years old and three months old at the time. This was before our minivan days and Mike and I didn’t own a tablet (in fact, we still don’t). That meant long days of me driving in a car with a toddler and an infant who was still nursing.
I prepared and packed the car in a way so that I would have access to everything I might need. Entertainment and snacks were easily accessible and kiddos were within an arm’s reach. However, I was still stressed over the thought of being the solo driver for so long with two littles. Well, guess what? My kids did great! In fact, I probably over prepared for that excursion. But it taught me that you can have a screen free road trip and come out alive. As long as you don’t fall asleep at the wheel which I almost did driving along I-5 in California… but that’s another story.
tips for a successful screen free road trip
have easy access to items
As I learned in my solo trek from San Antonio to northern California, easy access is key. You don’t want to be fumbling for snacks or markers or blankies while you’re trying to go 70 mph down the interstate. If you have an age range of kids like we do consider seating them in a way so that the older kids can help the younger kids with things.
organization is key
- The seat backs in front of each child is a great place for them to store items that might be “theirs”, such as coloring pages, reading books, or individual toys.
- I like to keep collective items in a small backpack along with their schoolwork. That way I can hand out the school assignments at times that I designate and it doesn’t get lost on the floor of the car. Other items in this backpack might be car games and drawing items (such as pencils or crayons).
- Each child keeps their own water bottle by them but parents hold onto the snacks in the front cooler I mentioned earlier.
- My kids like to take their shoes off in the car so we keep sandals in a central location so they’re easy to find during potty breaks. We usually keep them in the seat back pocket in front of my son.
- Gas and potty breaks are great chances to do a quick scan and recap any dropped markers, throw out trash, and fold blankets that aren’t being used.
snacks are a lifesaver
Let’s be honest, one of the best parts of a road trip are the snacks! That’s true whether you’re enjoying a screen free road trip or not. I like to keep a small cooler behind the front seat. This way us parents have easy access to it… but the kids do not. We usually bring a mix of healthy snacks and treats. Sweet goodies can sometimes serve as incentives during your trip or just be a nice treat when it’s been a long day! Something else to keep in mind is that some snacks are definitely messier than others, so always keep in mind the food and age of your kiddos!
great snacks for road trips
- fruit snacks
- applesauce pouches
- string cheese
- trail mix
- dried fruit
- snack brownies
- cookies
consider timed prizes
Another thing that’s fun to do–especially if you have a long trip ahead of you–is to have gifts that you hand out at certain times. These can be special treats or new activities for the car that the kids can only open at specified times. The dollar store is a great place to find inexpensive incentives for this activity.
For example: on a 12 hour road trip you could have a special treat every two hours. Maybe at the two hour mark it could be a new coloring book, at the four hour mark a favorite candy bar, and so on. If you wanted to incorporate a little screen time you could include a new movie for a time prize too.
include old favorites and new things
Be sure to pack some of your child’s favorite busy items but bring some new things too. Sometimes the novelty of a new item will help prolong its use! On the flip side of this, you need to be careful what novelty items you’re bringing along. I though Silly Putty would be so fun on a road trip awhile ago so I found some for each kid. It was definitely fun… until my kids ended up getting it all over their car seats and clothing when it started to melt. Oy vey, lesson learned for sure. On the next trip I let them each pick out one new thing beforehand–either a coloring book or a notepad for doodling. That worked much better!
our top screen free road trip items
Our family loves the Crayola Color Wonder books! We go through so many we should probably invest in the company; I’m only slightly exaggerating. My son is also finally at the point where he is enjoying reading and graphic novels tend to hold his interest best right now. We all enjoy the travel maze I have shared below, although it is a little challenging for young ones. Travel Bingo is always a favorite and a great way for your kids to earn an incentive treat! We try to stay away from any travel toy that has a lot of little pieces, like stickers, magnets, or felt. Our kids will leave them all over the floor of the car and it drives me crazy.