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It’s summer time, which means 1 in 4 families will be taking at least one road trip! If you’re nervous here are some items that will help your journey be a seamless one.
NapUp
I cringe every time Jordyn falls asleep in the car and her head falls down over the clasp of her car seat buckle and her head just bobbles up and down. I know it can’t be comfortable and the sound from her distorted breathing due to her position has me constantly trying to hold her head up. Thankfully NapUp has answered my prayers and when I’m in the back with the girls I can now have both of my arms to do something besides holding up Jordyn’s head and when I’m in the front I don’t have to cringe watching her head bob up and down.
Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablet
Let’s face it we’re in 2018 and tablets are the norm for kids so I gave up on fighting it. However, since I could buy two Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablets for less than the price of one iPad the kids got the Amazon Fire. It comes with a case that pretty much makes sure it doesn’t break all the times the kids drop it on the floor. It also comes with 1 year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited. The girls play their favorite apps and watch their favorite TV shows movies. No WiFi no problem, there are apps that don’t require WiFi plus if you have Netflix you can download movies and shows that can be watched anywhere without internet.
BuddyPhones Kids Volume Controlled Headphones
Admittedly I have found myself listening to Kidz Bop when the kids are no where to be found but the girls also love listening to the Disney Pandora station and there are only but so many times I want to hear Frozen in an 8 hour drive. Insert BuddyPhones, volume-controlled headphones for kids. I love that we don’t have to worry about how loud the kid’s music or movies are playing, it’s hard to do that when you’re in the front seat or driving alone. They are also able to listen to audio books and these headphones even come with stickers so they can decorate them, just another activity to keep them busy. The BuddyPhones are super sturdy and come in various options, thePLAY version is Bluetooth Capable for wireless wear while the InFlight version has cords. Both have the option to connect multiple headphones one device, perfect for kids sharing. Best part is they are basically indestructible, just check out the video below.
Travel Tray
I don’t want my kids using electronics for an entire road trip so a travel tray is a must. A travel tray provides a sturdy and safe option for the girls to color, play a game, or even eat a snack. The great ones have cup holders and tons of compartments to hold crayons, toys, tablets and more. Our MC Republic one even has a built in game right on the tray’s surface and it’s super affordable at $25.
Cooler + Snacks
Unless you want to be pulling over every 5 minutes your kids decide they are thirsty or hungry you will want to have a cooler loaded with drinks and snacks. Try to get a cooler that can easily fit in the front or back seat so it is reachable without pulling over. To save space on having to add ice, freeze half of your drinks, by the time you’ve finished the unfrozen ones those frozen should have thawed out plus they will keep the other items cool. For snacks we like to pack sandwiches, granola bars, almonds, cookies but just pack whatever your kids like! If you’re going on a beach vacation, the cooler serves two purposes because you will also have it for your beach days!
Games & Books
Kids love electronics but we don’t want them hooked to their tablets our entire road trip so we have a lot of other activities. Do you remember Etch A Sketch from back in our day? Well they have a new version and the girls love them. They also love thinking putty, WikkiStix and coloring. If you don’t want to keep buying new coloring books over and over the Melissa & Doug Water Coloring books are great and you use a special pen and then it dries clean and your child can re-color the same picture as many times as they’d like. We also bring their favorite books!
Potette Portable Potty
If you’re potty training you do not want to drive off without a Potette Portable Potty. I swear no matter how many times you ask your child if they have to use the bathroom before you pass a rest stop they will say no only to save they have to go so badly as soon as it’s too late to get into the exit lane. Potette can be used in the trunk or in the front or back seat of your car. The liners catch your child’s #1 or #2 so nothing will get in your vehicle!
Car Organizer & Diaper Changing Station
Ok so while Brica’s intention for their product to be used as trunk organizer we use it as a car organizer in the back seat. The worst part about a road trip is that I swear your car looks like a tornado hit once you’ve arrived at your destination. Not since we’ve had the Trunk Organizer & Diaper Changing Station. Half of it is used to keep my youngest daughters pull-ups and wipes while the other half stores toys, coloring books, etc. Now we can all easily find everything we need and the car stays organized.
Sun Shades
The only thing worse than hearing “Are we there yet?” 30 times in 5 minutes is my kids complaining about the sun in their eyes or making them hot during day time driving. Whether you have tints or not you should consider the extra shade these white hot sun shades provide as they let you know if the vehicle is too hot for your child to be in.
Portable Charger
Depending on how long your journey is electronics might need to be re-charged. If you only have one cigarette lighter to charge your phone or tablet on you could be in for a meltdown if you’re traveling with kids. Be prepared by having at least one portable charger to assist in keeping all your electronics working. We love our Jackery Giant Charger, it has two charging ports so we can charge more than one thing at once and is especially good for charging electronics in the back seat where the cord from the front may not reach.