Are we there yet? Best Road Trip Hacks with Kids

Traveling in the car with kids this summer? You need to watch this!! I spent HOURS researching all the best road trip tips, tricks, and hacks for our 13-hour road trip and it made a huge difference. Usually, I travel with my husband, but this time I was flying solo, so organization and preparation were key to a smooth, stress-free travel day. The best car activities to keep kids busy and quiet, creating a road trip plan to minimize meltdowns and of course - car snacks! Traveling in the car with toddlers and babies can be a great experience for everyone if you know what to do!

FREE Road Trip Planning Printable - /personal/road-trip-tips-tricks-and-hacks/

MY FAVOURITE (somewhat mess-free) ROAD TRIP ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

Most of the scenery shots were taken in Banff and Kootenay National Park
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[mimibatman]

You are seriously AMAZING! A road trip on your own with little kids AND you shot footage for a YouTube video, too. Wow! You need a wonder woman merit badge ☺️

[michellebiggerstaff]

My parents always put us in the car, to drive thru the night. That way the kids slept, you could make good time, and less traffic. STILL, to this day, if I'm not driving I'm sleeping, when going on a trip.

[margaretinsydney]

There are some great tips here for driving with grown-ups too - - like the prearranged snacks, and looking up nice places to stretch your legs. Really smart ideas.

[suem]

My mom could have taught a thing or two about long driving alone with kids back in the day. Forget dvds, iPads, audiobooks, bottled water, juiceboxes. None existed. Not even car seats. LOL We listened to AM radio and sang to the best decade of music ever. We had books to read. And all learned to read maps…no Siri or gps. Navigator got front seat dibs (remember, no car seat requirements). Guess, we survived. And mom had 5 kids. Still, you did well. Very organized. Good tips.

[minziwinzi]

I cannot believe that you made it without going crazy. High five, you are incredible 😀

[rebeccarendle]

Great tips👍😊. I used all these with my kids when they were young (now they are older, they amuse themselves with mobiles and dvds, although stops, snacks etc I still do of course). I drive alone (single mum) the 20hr drive to my sisters. Then 5hrs from there to my parent's (the next day) multiple times a year, or elsewhere on holiday.

One additional idea, which we did when they were young and needed "activities" was I bought "I Spy on my Journey" books so the kids could tick things off when they saw the things during the journey.. Then we had prizes.. The one that had ticked the most first (by the next stop) got to choose something special eg a food treat out of the snacks, the next movie to play on the DVD etc. If the diving wasn't to stressful.. I could play to.. I would ask them what we were looking for from the list and help them look. They loved it.

[nancywidows]

I am grandma, age 54 raising 3 grandchildren who are under 5....we literally have barely gone ANYWHERE, let alone a road trip. I really needed some inspiration and hope that maybe someday we can actually travel with these guys! Thanks for the motivation!

[judysbakeryandtestkitchen]

I don’t have kids, but what you did is amazing.

I stayed for the beautiful scenery!

[sufferable]

Kudos! All these tips are absolutely spot on. I've never done 13hrs but did a trip with 4 kids under 7 and 8 m pregnant and before in-car video was a thing, so well done me! I would recommend buying a cover for the back seat - sold for dog owners - they have holes to fit belts etc or you can cut them. It makes clearing out the car afterwards so much easier.

[mamasgotmoxy]

Great tips! Beautiful scenery. Adorable kids 💜 Thanks for sharing.

[Bemusedbeyondbelief]

I can’t remember how many times since your last video I have suddenly thought I hope Steph made it Ok - probably every time someone mentioned the extreme weather in Canada. Really pleased to see this video. Enjoy your time with family.

[corinnestauffiger]

We use Tonie-Boxes for our kids. I don‘t know if it is available in Canada. It is basically a little speaker boy where you can put small figurines on top. These have a chip inside where a story is saved. The figurines are magnetic. Put the figurine on top, the story starts. Very easy for the kids. The have headphones so each kid can listen on its own or they can listen together but the parents do not have to.
Also small books are great. And we have drawing boards. Kids can draw on them while sitting in the car seat. Water Wow is also great and window stickers to put on the car windows.
We also pack a set of clothes for each kid in the day bag. Car sickness (curvy roads in 🇨🇭!), spilled food or water bottle, or small accidents happen fast.

[micheledryden]

I went in a 3500 mile road trip with my daughter and her 4 kids: 2 in diapers (1 potty training); and 1 breastfeeding. We bought flip flops for the kids that were kept in a bag behind the front passenger seat. They put them on to get out of the van and gave them to me after they reentered. I also made snack sacks each night with the kids' names on them. There was no fighting if a sack was dropped and could easily be returned to its owner. My favorite game they made up was "Who Could Be Quiet the Longest?" The younger two ended up taking much needed naps and the other two got absorbed in books. All in all, one of the best trips ever

[hhon]

Omg you DO deserve a medal Steph! Wow 3 kids for hours and hours. God bless you! And great planning and ideas for long road travels!

[braceletlife]

Kudos. Doing the same type of trip in two weeks. 5 littles. 😱

[ruthmanor]

621 miles!!!! Wow, that's quite a long drive for one person with 3 children under 6. You deserve a medal for sure!

[ChaseEverySecond]

Another hack we tried is when we did need restroom breaks going to groceries that have gas stations because you can fuel up, usually get a better restroom, and kids can pick out a healthier snack or activity and feel like they went “shopping” for something. :)

[glendaslanina]

You are Super Mom! I’m so impressed. Beautiful scenery to drive through. Sounds like it was a fun trip! Thanks for sharing 🌞

[taraswanson]

Doing my first solo trip this summer with the kids, going to be using all these tips!!!! Loved this video :)

[HollehhMarie]

Definitely not taking a real road trip any time soon, but I’m driving an hour and a half tomorrow and then 45ish minutes Sunday, so thank you!!! Mine are 4 in September, 2, and 7 months 🥴. Also the rest stops are recommended even if the kids are asleep because getting out and moving around helps prevent blood clots from being idle!