6 Essential Items When traveling With Children This Holiday Season

6 Essential Items When Traveling with Children on Long Road Trips

Little kids and long car rides go together as well as oil and water. And as we all know, the holiday season is a very busy time on the roads. Unfortunately an abundance of travelers on the road usually means a longer car ride. So if you are planning a family road trip this season, make sure you have plenty along to keep your children entertained. Today I’ve partnered with Wolfchase Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram to bring you this list of 6 essential items when traveling with children.

Image via Flickr

Electronics

While many parents do not like to plant their child in front of a screen for hours on end, allowing them a little extra screen time while in the car can actually be a lifesaver. Bring along an iPad or other tablet that has a drawing tool, kid-friendly apps, music and even audio books.

Activity Bags

Another must-have travel item is an activity bag. Simply grab a bag and fill it with a few of those small notebooks, some pencils, crayons and washable markers. Kids can pass notes to each other, draw, play Hangman, Tic Tac Toe and a variety of other car games.

Healthy Snacks and Non-messy Meals

Avoid having to make multiple stops and save a little money by bringing along your own snacks and non-messy meals. Try fruits, veggies, and energy bars.

Baby Wipes

For those times when you need a way to wash hands but you are nowhere near water.

Extra Large Towels

Drape large towels over your back seats when on long car rides. Not only will this protect your car seats from accidental spills, kids can also use them as blankets when cold, fold or roll them to use as a pillows, or even roll it up in the top of the car window to use as a sun shade!

Kids’ ibuprofen

There is nothing worse than your child coming down with a headache or rapid-onset fever while on the road. Especially if you are hours aways from your destination. Keeping a bottle of kids’ ibuprofin can be a life saver on long road trips!

Emergency clothes

While you may have suitcases full of clothes in the trunk, those don’t help with spills or accidents. Keep an extra change of clothes in the backseat, too.

Side window shades

These are a great way to keep the sun out of your children’s eyes!

A rare surprise

Having something that your child isn’t normally allowed to play with or eat or drink is a perfect way to encourage your children to be on their best behavior. It also works great for those times when all else fails: ‘look what I have!’

Do you have some other ideas for essential items when traveling with children? Share with us in the comments below!