We have been on our fair share of road trips and we have learned a few favorite hacks. Brandon likes to pack on the lighter side, and Camille likes to ‘be prepared’. So while we do try and take the minimal amount, it is fun and entertains the kids if you have a few items up your sleeves. We’ve compiled a list of tried and true products and activities to put together road trip activity bags for each age range.
How to assemble Road Trip Activity Bags
Baby/Toddler: Babies in general can make it tricky to travel with. For babies, just make sure to have enough food and items to try and switch things up to change their attention span. Make sure that you plan extra time for plenty of stops to let them change positions and get car seat breaks. Toddlers are tricky as well, but at least they can kind of voice their opinions. Our favorite things for toddlers to use in a road trip activity bags are:
- Bag: Don’t get too fancy. I grabbed leftover backpacks that were on clearance.
- Drawing Board
- Paint with Water – Be sure to have a spray bottle or access to water
- Magnetic Puzzles
- Magnet House/Zoo Books
- Playdoh Kit: I make my own. With a plastic container from the dollar store, some dollar store toys, or random fillers, and playdoh, you can have an amazing playdoh kit for a fraction of the cost.
- Snacks
- Sticker Books: These are my personal favorite. Also if you haven’t seen our sticker hack. YOU NEED TO DO THIS. Take off all the extra “white stuff” and it makes it so much easier for younger kids to use the stickers.
- Mini Mr Potato Head Toy Story Dress Up
- Board Puzzles
Preschool Age Activity Bag:
- DIY Playdoh Kits
- Drawing Board
- Paint with Water
- Magnetic Dress Up Dolls
- Sticker By Letter
- Sticker Book
- Foam & Toy
- Color Wonder
- Snacks
Elementary Age Activity Bag:
- Drawing Board
- Paint with Water
- Magnetic Dress Up Dolls
- Wikki Stix
- Bug Magnet
- Dino Magnet
- Dino Color with Water
- Kanoodle
- Travel Games
- Origami
- Book: Make sure to include whatever they are currently reading and/or the next book to that series.
- Brain Quest
- Summer Fun Puzzle Book
- Sticker Book
Tweens & Teens Activity Bag:
- Book
- Kindle
- Harry Potter Paint with Water Joke Book
- Criminal Minds Puzzles
- Cold Case Puzzles
- Origami Disney
- Brain Quest
- Kanoodle
- Wikki Stix
And since you are traveling with kids, make sure to have the basic family car essentials on hand too.