Taking a Road Trip with Littles

We recently took a road trip with my 3 year old and 1 year old daughters and I was bracing for a long car ride. This can be a challenging age to travel with because it can be tricky to sit in a car seat for so long! Well I have great news for you, our 6 hour car ride was the best car ride we’ve ever taken!

So… what made it so great?

We really tried our best to plan ahead. We packed lunches for everyone, packed activities in different bags for the girls, had playlists and podcasts ready to play, and even threw in some screen time for the 3 year old.

I have to say though, a lot of the activities were such a hit this time while traveling. The goal is to find small things that can keep your child truly engaged.

For my one year old, these were the top favorites:

1. Real picture books

2. The Fat Brain Toys Original Dimpl

3. Post-It Notes (great for putting on the window, coloring on, peeling)

4. Fidget tubes

5. Busy Board

6. Light up and Sound toys

For my three year old, these were the top favorites:

1. Melissa and Doug Memory Game (this has always been her favorite travel item!)

2. Beads and Piped Cleaners with a travel pencil case

3. Erasable Doodle Book

4. Podcasts like Pinkalicious and Peteriffic and Deep Blue Sea

5. Play Dough

6. Watching “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” and “Stinky and Dirty” on her Kindle Fire

We also brought cozy items for when they got tired like a sleep sack and lovey for my one year old and a fuzzy blanket and lovey for my three year old. I think this helped relax them while being in the car for so long.

I was in the front seat for the majority of the trip except for when Serena (my youngest) needed to eat lunch and the last hour of the trip. That always seems to be the hardest part for our family, but overall, everyone did really well. I can’t wait for our next trip! Any questions about what we did? I’d love to know!