Road trip tips for traveling with a preschooler (alone!)
Car travel can be tricky with little ones, but with the right car and fun toys, road tripping can be made fun again!
Thanks to Fred Martin SuperStore for collaborating on this post. As always, opinions are my own.
I’ve realized as my kids get older, road trips can be really enjoyable or just pure torture. A few weeks ago, I took a shorter trip with my daughter and surprisingly, it was not as bad as it could have been!
A bin of small toys/books will be your best friend. Keep that bin in the seat next to you, and you can pass books back to your child. (Want to “collect” items thrown over the car seat? Place an empty bin next to your child in the middle of the back seat!) My daughter can stay pretty content with books or the markers that only color on one type of paper.
A portable DVD player and a longer movie will also benefit you. My girl watched Moana, and when it was time for her nap, I somehow managed to convince her to close her eyes for a few minutes (read: 90 minutes.) She woke up when we arrived at my dad’s house, and we could then spend our afternoon having fun. Otherwise, we might have tried for a nap when we got to our destination.
And on that nap topic, plan your trip to include a nap. And before that time happens be sure to stop and have everyone use the bathroom. My kids wake up as soon as the car turns off, so I like to make sure we’re all good for at least 90 minutes (or longer!)
Have your child’s best car-friendly snacks on hand, and within arm’s reach so you can easily hand them back to your kid(s). I like to have the take and toss cups and bowls filled with water or snacks. They have lids, and make things a lot easier to manage. (And if you lose something, it’s not a huge loss.)
Fred Martin Superstore knows cars and specializes in Dodge Chrysler Jeep and Ram in Barberton, OH. Their finance center can help get you into a new or used vehicle, and their salespeople pride themselves in making sure the car buying process is neither challenging nor intimidating.