Traveling with Kids: Roadtrip

June 17, 2024

Summer is around the corner so it’s the perfect time to hit the road with your family for a memorable adventure. While the thought of a long car ride with little ones might be overwhelming, a little bit of planning and preparation along with the right gear can turn it into an enjoyable experience for the whole family. Here’s the WOW GEAR’s ultimate guide to a hassle-free road trip with kids.

1. Plan your route and regular stops

Enjoying the journey and ‘getting there’ is almost as important as the destination itself! To avoid the journey being torture, map it in advance. Plan regular stops every two to three hours so kids and the whole family can stretch their legs, use restrooms and have snacks. Look for parks, playgrounds or interesting places to visit to make these stops fun and exciting.

If you are traveling with young children and babies, you might need to stop even more often to change diapers or to feed. Also, consider planning the long drives during the times when your baby or child may be sleeping for a longer period of time even if it means hitting the road very early in the morning while your child is still sleeping or driving at night.

2. Set up the Rules of Road

Establish the rules for your kids when traveling to teach them about safe behavior in the car no matter how long the trip is or who is driving. Always secure your children in an appropriate car seat or booster and ensure that your child rides in the back seat. Never leave your children alone in the car. And consider sitting in the backseat with your child to satisfy their needs, soothe them or play with them when they are bored.

3. Set up the car and pack smart

To ensure you don’t have to stop and try to remember where the snacks or extra pair of clothes are, pack smart. The essentials to have on hands are: hand sanitizer, wipes and tissues, medication, first aid kit., extra clothes, diapering and toileting needs, sunscreen, and a backpack for each kid with their favorite toys such as stickers, crayons, books, kids tablet and headphones. A car organizer (trunk organizer or car seat organizer) will help you to keep your things as tidy and organized as possible. Also. don’t forget to get a portable car trash can so you don’t have to stuff the napkins in doors and cup holders.

4. Prepare tons of snacks

Packing yummy food is one of the key things how to keep your children happy when in the car for hours. There are a few things to keep in mind when packing food for a road trip. You’ll probably want to pack the food that keeps mess to a minimum. This isn’t a good time to experiment so pack your family’s favorite and also pack some extra snacks in case the car ride takes longer than expected. Here are some favorite snacks for your little ones: snack bars, crackers, dry cereals,

muffins or banana bread, and fruit and veggies such as blueberries, bananas, apples, clementines, cucumbers, mini carrots or snap peas. For smaller ones, baby food pouches and apple sauce pouches are better options. If you aren’t planning to stop for lunch, don’t forget to pack some meals with proteins such as sandwiches, string cheese, yogurt tubes, single-serve milk, smoothies or diced chicken. To keep your food fresh, store it in the cooler.

5. Stay hydrated with WOW CUPs

Also, don’t forget to pack enough water! With WOW CUP, there won’t be any messy spills in the car! WOW CUPs mini are 12 oz, a perfect volume to keep your little one hydrated on the trip. They also fit into cup holders that are part of car seats and boosters. If you want to keep the water cool for longer, WOW CUP mini in stainless steel will be a great choice. Still packed with its superior 360 drinking function, the stainless steel bottle provides a long-lasting, durable and taste and smell-free experience for your little ones.

And for adults, we have WOW GEAR sports bottles that are just perfect for long car rides as you don’t have to bother with opening and closing a lever or spout when driving.

6. Keep them entertained

Boredom can be a major trigger for meltdowns and uncomfortable moments you don’t really want to experience. Here are some ideas to keep your little ones entertained during a long drive: Invest in the travel tray that provides a flat surface for activities while the raised edge helps keep items from rolling off. That way your little ones will be able to color the coloring book (We recommend checking out the Water painting books to prevent the mess), play with magnetic toys, and stickers, read books or play with fidget toys.

With older kids, you can also play good old classics such as ‘Would you rather…’, counting game, guess the animal, ‘I Spy’ or ’20 questions’. And of course, the kid's tablet with some kid's movies or educational games will always do the trick. But if your child tends to be car sick, rather choose a good audiobook or kids-friendly podcast to keep them engaged without the need to look at the screen.

7. Embrace flexibility

Finally, be prepared to adjust your plan and go with the flow. If the kids are cranky and tired, it might be a good idea to stop earlier than planned. Stuck in traffic for hours? Maybe it’s time to spend the night somewhere you didn’t plan and reach the final destination on the second day because flexibility can turn potential stress into spontaneous fun!

With a little preparation and the right mindset, a road trip with kids can be so much fun. At WOW GEAR, we’re committed to making your travels smoother with our spill-free 360 WOW CUPs for children from 6 months and with our WOW GEAR sports bottles for adult passengers.

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