The joys of living in Texas! We are going on a road trip and traveling 8 hours with a Toddler and a Baby and we won’t be leaving the state! That’s not even from edge to edge of the state! lol So no fun stops at State Lines for photos! I’ve done my research to make this drive as fun as possible for everyone! Sharing it with you for your next road trip!! Putting everything in one post for you!!

Let’s Start with some Activities to keep them entertained!

-Toddlers are going to be VERY BORED in the car for a long period of time! So be prepared with games and activities! We love listening to Kid’s Music in the car! You can be creative and still do Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes with kids buckled up and it gets them wiggling and moving! Helps them not be so restless!

-We are not above having a Portable DVD Player/Screen Time in the car for long trips! Their favorite movie keeps them entertained for about 90 minutes!! lol This is the one we have! Both kids can watch it at the same time! No fighting over screens!

-Check out Children’s Audiobooks to listen to through the car!! Bring a few of their favorite books to look at too! Amazon has a Free Trial of Audible! Listen to books for free on your trip!

-There are free Children’s Podcasts too that will tell stories!

-Bring a bag of Toys that the kids don’t know about! Keep them in the front/back if possible and pull out a different toy/game when they start getting restless! We got 2 new little toys for big break down surprises (1 for there and 1 for ride home) and then a few non loud music, non flashy toys to bring out!

-Don’t forget baby toys too! They will get bored! Switch out different Lovey blankets, teethers, rattles, etc!

Here are some of the toys we brought:

–Crayola Color Wonder Stow & Go, Mess Free Coloring – You don’t have to worry about red marker all over your back seat!

Melissa & Doug Reusable Sticker Pad – My Town – These are great in case they want to stick the stickers on the windows too! Easy to peel off and keep them entertained more than once since they are reusable!

–Travel Scavenger Hunt Cards – Fun for the whole family to play together!

Snacks on Snacks!

-Snacks will be your lifesaver on Road Trips! Try to only give a few bites of snacks at a time, as compared to a full snack portion. Because shortly down the road, they will be bored, upset, uncomfortable, something and will need another snack to keep them happy! Snacks will be the answer to most things with a toddler on a Road Trip!

-I love these BiteBoxes!! Buying one of these makes snacking on road trips the easiest and keeps everyone happy! Instead of buying only 2-3 boxes of different snacks and having 15 packages of each thing, you get a little bit of everything here! This helps mix it up!

This is what we do for trips!! Make little bento type boxes full of snacks! Blueberries and grapes are Penelope’s favorites! Just make sure you know what your child can confidently eat! You don’t want any chocking hazards while they are buckled up!

-Try avoiding Greasy Foods, they make you feel tired and sluggish! Citrus items, Coffee, Juices and Tea increase your bladder activity meaning more bathroom stops! Avoid those if possible too! They say Trail Mix is the number one across the board snack to bring!

Tips & Tricks!

-Try to plan out trips where you’ll be able to drive long boring stretches during nap times and stop in cities during meal times! Pick places that have Playgrounds or a Park near by to let kids run and stretch their legs!

-Tired of hearing “Are we there yet!?”, give the kids visuals!!

-Get in the backseat with the kids every once in awhile if you can! It mixes it up for them too! Play with them, talk with them! The face to face interaction helps!

-Keep the car organized to keep anxiety levels down! This Backseat Organizer is what helps us!! It also makes it easier for parents to reach back and help grab things the kids would like!

-This Kids Travel Tray is so helpful for the little ones to color, eat in the car, and watch movies! It fits right over their car seats and booster seats!

-Create a Car Sick Bag! Bring extra shopping bags! Great for car sickness and also works for a trash bag!

-I love this set up during a Pandemic! Basket for snacks and a large bottle of Hand Sanitizer when we have to get out of the car!

-If your toddler is potty trained, it’s still a good idea to bring a good night pull up with you and/or bring a change of clothes just in case you are not able to stop at a clean gas station fast enough for the little ones!

-You will thank me for this one later!! Front/Back Seat Charger Adapter with 4 USB Ports! Be able to charge your phone and devices in the back seat if you sit back there with the kids!!

-We also pack the back of the car/trunk where we can easily reach the “go to” open bag while I’m sitting in the back seat! It has all of the toys, snacks, bottles, diapers, everything we need for the trip. Keeps the back seat clutter free but still easy to access! If you have an open car/suv set up! This works great!

Last Minute Don’t forget to Pack Items:

Their favorite blanket, stuffed animals, and pillow!

First Aid Kit

Paci if still using

Napkins!! There’s bound to be messes!!!

Good Luck on your Road Trip!! Share your favorite tips with us in the comments below!!

Check out our TRAVEL Pinterest Board for links to the original photos from Pinterest and more ideas!

Safe travels,

As an AmazonAssociate I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not change the pricing for you!