everything in the car and off you go on vacation? It would be nice, because a long car ride with small children can cost you your last nerves. to make sure you arrive relaxed on vacation even after many kilometers, here are the best tips of a mother of three!
Long term car rental with small children
You are looking forward to your family vacation, but the thought of the long drive is like a stone in your stomach. and nervousness is completely justified: what is already exhausting for adults can become a nightmare with small children.
Therefore it requires some creativity of the parents to keep not only themselves but especially the little darlings happy.
1000 km with three small children
our favorite vacation apartment directly at the sea is such a dream that we gladly take the 10 hours drive to england on ourselves. in addition, our three children have very short age ranges and a grandparent 500 km away.
The collected survival tips for a long car trip with small children will help you to arrive stress-free. Or make sure that the vacation relaxation doesn’t vanish into thin air on the way home..
#1 plan plenty of breaks
I know, what everyone says but manageable stages are the be-all and end-all on long car trips. With baby, a break should be taken every 2 hours. For older children, 3 hours is a good time.
However, for us it is also true: when everyone is asleep, we drive as long as possible.
Great as stage destinations are:
- Ferry- it combines getting on with the opportunity to move around
- rest areas with playground
- (fast food) restaurants with a small indoor playground in case of bad weather
- Picnic spots in parks, forests, rivers, lakes or beaches near the highway
Google possible stops beforehand or plan an overnight stop on the way if necessary. If there is an overnight stop, be sure to use the thematic packing tip so you don’t have to unpack the entire car.
basics for long car rides
Prepare your car for a long drive with small children before the vacation with the following items:
#2 trash can in the car
It doesn’t have to be a special car bin* that doesn’t really fit in your car model after all. A simple cereal box with a pouring spout* will do the job just fine. Search in 1€-market for narrow 1l containers that fit in the passenger side door.
with small garbage bags for bathroom garbage cans emptying is even easier. to avoid extra plastic the can can also just go in the dishwasher.
#3 emergency toilet
We’ve never needed it, but it gives me peace of mind to have it with us: the emergency toilet*. even for girls there are suitable devices to find quick relief in a traffic jam even without a loo.
#4 Kitchen roll& water bottle
A roll of paper towels is indispensable and, together with a water bottle, solves many a problem. Sticky hands, a missing tissue, spilled or spilled squishies- for all these cases I love simple kitchen roll. if you need them anyway, just keep a pack of wet wipes under the driver’s seat.
#5 inhaler pen for travel sickness
My middle one suffers quickly from travel sickness and for this case a simple homemade inhaler with essential oil helps us.
Drop the following mixture on the wick:
- 7 drops of peppermint oil
- 4 drops of ginger oil
- 4 drops of lavender oil
Label the pen with the purpose of use and keep it in the car. So you are always ready when someone complains about nausea in the car. Here you will find links to everything you need for it.
#6 spit bags
I keep spit bags in the car just in case. They can be stored in a relatively small space and, in an emergency, can be twisted and hooked into place until the next parking space is reached. ÜBer this link you will find a relaxed way through thenausea in the car.
Click on the picture to find the right products in my store.
sleeping& comfort
#7 cozy blankets
Especially if the trip will last early in the morning or late into the night, microfiber blankets are a hit for small kids. But they do not only provide the cuddle factor for falling asleep. They also allow to dress the children rather airy, because it is always more difficult to take off a layer during the ride.
Tip: the common animal blankets with hood and paw pockets for the hands are a nice idea, but unfortunately not thought through to the end. A simple cuddly fleece blanket is quite sufficient.
#8 microbead pillow
Especially for toddlers micro bead pillows have proven to be very useful for us. similar to a neck pillow, they can be used for sleeping and can be "bent" a little bit.
They also serve as a great base on the lap for books and games, to bring books and games in the right slanting position.
#9 eye masks& co.
Let’s face it- sleeping kids are a huge relief when traveling. This is why I make it a point to travel sleep friendly. A sleeping mask can help- and with colorful designs also become a great incentive.
A seatbelt pad can also make the long time in the car more comfortable for children (and adults) and not only because of the cheerful colors.
Food on long car trips with small children
Very small babies have limited options when it comes to eating and drinking. Because of the risk of swallowing, it is generally recommended to give babies only liquids in the car. From about 18 months old, our kids were able to eat most snacks in the car just fine. you are the best judge of how well your child is able to eat even in a car seat.
#10 perfect travel snacks
The requirements for travel snacks for the car are not small:
- They should bring little potential for mess
- Provide fluids and energy and
- Optimally not only consist of fast food and sweets.
With a little realism it is clear- the car has to be vacuumed after the long journey anyway.. but the following foods have proven to be really handy on long car rides with young children:
Crackers and saltines, squeezies and smoothies, grapes and blueberries, dried fruits and nuts, fruit bars and granola bars, breakfast cereals and cookies.
#11 individual snack boxes
the hit with my kids are individual snack boxes. Especially when the snack bag only fits in the trunk, this solution is a hit.
Get small sorting tins*, label them with names and fill each of the small compartments with travel-friendly snacks. When hunger strikes, give each child his or her own snack box, and with just a few turns of the head, you’ve got them all covered.
Click on the picture to go directly to the snackboxes on amazon.*
#12 snack bag
Prepare a snack bag with drinks and all snacks stationed in the car within easy reach. I find the passenger footwell handy for this, but that can also be too tight in some cars.
With a small plastic tub, even a foldable bag gets enough stability that you can keep track in the bag. The advantage is that a flexible bag with progressively fewer contents also takes up less and less space.
#13 magazine collector for bottles
If the side compartments in the doors are not enough (or not accessible for small children), there is a great solution against falling bottles in the car:
Place a magazine collector in the snack bag and put all the drink bottles in it. How to keep your head above water during the drive.
#14 transporting delicate snacks
Crackers, breakfast cereal, grapes, cherry tomatoes and blueberries- all of them are perfect for traveling, because they don’t crumble much, are handy and can be portioned well. But they can also be easily crushed.
A trick that is also an upcycling tip helps: empty, rinsed smoothie bottles with large openings are the handiest means of transport for these snacks. The opening allows you to fill a hand without spilling the entire box of washed grapes on an unexpectedly steep turn.
alternatives are small coffee-to-go cups with lids. They are handy for kids and can be labeled with names (which is important for my kids…) after use you can easily stack and store them or even dispose of them.
entertainment on long car rides with young children
a challenge is always the occupation. Of course, providing snacks is also more than just nutrient intake and a bit of a pastime.
But so that the kids don’t just vary between food and videos on long journeys, here are my favorite tips for entertainment in the car.
#15 painting pads
With a simple picture frame and dry-erase markers, you can easily make a coloring board to take on the go. the instructions for the painting pads can be found here. you can scribble on it for hours and then wipe it off again without spreading the crayons all over the car.
Get pens with a felt pad to remove in the cap and you’ll have coloring kids happily occupied for quite a while.
Extra Tip: use dirt erasers to remove dried-up pencil residue with little effort. Here you can find my recommendations.
#16 magnetic and threading games
Anything that contains a lot of small parts tends to be less convenient on long trips. Experience shows that within a few minutes essential parts disappear into the depths of the footwell and are inaccessible during the journey.
To prevent tears and unnecessary stops, magnetic games and threading games are great. They significantly reduce the risk of disappearing and fascinate most kids for a while. Here you will find some suggestions.
Tip: if you don’t want to buy new games for the trip, pull matching games out of circulation a few weeks or months beforehand. This gives the appeal of the new on the ride.
#17 wiping books
One of my favorite discoveries for kindergarteners are wipe books. Wipe-off puzzle books include dot-to-dot pictures, lines to trace, or swing sheets and letters for preschoolers.
After filling in with a dry-erase pen, the page is simply wiped off and can be reworked again. tip here too: remove dried up paint with a dirt eraser.
#18 bingo& co laminated
There are lots of games to print out online. Find some that fit, print them out and laminate them. Then, for example, car bingo (here’s a free template) can be played over and over again with dry-erase markers.
Even easier than laminating is to use a sturdy cover like the one you can find here*. Simply insert the sheet, draw and remove it again. This way, printouts can be exchanged between siblings instead of printing everything multiple times.
#19 creative pack
If you prefer to rely exclusively on colored pencils, then simply prepare a creative pack for each child. Print out coloring pictures, dot-to-dots, and other templates and put them in a document folder or bag along with a new pack of crayons.
Attach the crayon pack in an appropriate place with Velcro dots, if necessary, so that the crayons are easier to reach. Super for some kids are erasable crayons with eraser- little perfectionists can also correct the consequences of a punch hole.
Extra Tip: stick velcro dots or strips on the little table in the car and all entertainment utensils with the counterpart. For example, the pencil box can be secured against falling down.
If the little table isn’t an option (because the child can’t reach it or inhabits the middle seat), then a simple clipboard makes a good base.
#20 ideas for baby entertainment
Babies are unfortunately not yet so long-term to occupy (but they sleep more in the optimal case…) the following objects can provide for variety:
Velcro fasteners, rattles, keys, baby toothbrush, finger puppet games, singing songs, mirrors, cloth to hide& chewing and of course the favorite stuffed animals.
Depending on age, an activity board or quiet book can also be a wonderful pastime for babies. Here you can find inspiration for them. If you like to sew and craft, search pinterest for quiet book inspiration to make one yourself.
Technology
Fortunately, we live in a time with uncomplicated possibilities of entertainment through technology. DVD’s, apps, audio plays and music are available in abundance.
On long journeys, we have fewer restrictions on the use of tablets or watching movies. Our motto is: everything that makes the drive bearable (also for the parents…) is allowed.
Nevertheless, apps and DVD’s are reserved for later phases of the long car ride. If the mood with coloring books& co. If there is nothing left to save, then the technical entertainment turns out to be the ace in the hole.
Here are tips to make it easier:
#21 hotspot in the car
For all technology lovers, it can be worthwhile to convert the car into a mobile hotspot. This allows streaming music, stories and audiobooks without preparation. Even some videos can be watched without prior downloading.
It also reduces data consumption on the parents’ smartphones, because they are all logged into the car’s WLAN. We use car connect for this, but this is of course associated with permanent costs and therefore to be weighed carefully.
An alternative is a mini server for the car, on which videos, movies etc. can be played. Stored can be. The devices in the car then also connect via WLAN, but without internet access. This solution, however, is more for those who know about technology. Here you can find more information.
#22 old smartphone to listen to
Without a special retrofit, most cars probably have little music that can be understood in the back seats. This makes listening to audio dramas with highway noise a point of frustration.
That’s why I recommend using a retired smartphone (or one of their parents) to listen to nursery rhymes, stories and audio plays. Simply download your favorite albums from the streaming service* at home and listen to them offline in the car. for the sake of your nerves, combine this with headphones if the kids are old enough for it.
#23 switch headphones in series
Even the strongest parents need a break from peppa pig, dinotrux and paw patrol on a 10-hour road trip. To make sure that all the kids can listen to the radio play or video together, use headphones with a connection input.
The children understand better what is being played and the heavenly peace and quiet is guaranteed to bring you relaxed on vacation.
for very small children there are also fluffy headband headphones* in funny designs. They don’t pinch your ears and fit around your head even in narrow kids seats.
#24 apps for young children
New tablet or smartphone apps should be tested by the kids in your presence before the drive. Because if you have to click away from commercials every 90 seconds, your neck will probably be stiff when you get there.
Because of the annoying advertising, we think the apps of well-known toy manufacturers are especially helpful (lego, duplo, playmobil, etc).). Their advertising is the app itself and they obviously have a generous budget for app development.
Also, it may be worth investing in the paid version of a popular app before a long car ride with small children.
Our new favorite solution
In the meantime, we have fallen in love with the amazon fire HD kids edition tablets. Included is one year of freetime (ad-free apps and games, thousands of books, audio books and series). We especially like: the parental control settings. For example:
Only after 30 minutes of books have been looked at/read, are apps allowed to be played as well. Or play only 15 minutes a day, but books are always allowed. A real relief for parents in the digital age!
Here you can get the relief for your kids:
Prices without guarantee. Last update on 31.01.2022 / as amazon partner we earn on qualified purchases / images from amazon product advertising API
#25 holder for third tablet
Since we were only moderately comfortable with the auto-DVD players, we now rely on simple tablets. At least some videos can be stored on it or streamed via hotspot.
If you also have three kids sitting in the back seat, you might find a special holder for a third tray as helpful as we do. Here you will find the solution for the middle seat.*
All relaxed on long car ride
You see, there are a whole lot of things that can make your life a lot easier on long car rides with small children.
In the interest of your self-care, safety while driving and of course most importantly your children, it pays to make very long trips as enjoyable as possible for everyone.
Think of ALL
It is important that you think not only about the children, but also about yourself. Your family has little to gain if you spend the first few days of your vacation with a sore neck from all the flipping and reaching around.
I’m sure some of these tips will help you enjoy the ride to your vacation or at least no longer have to fear.
you can do this!
Free checklists
And to make it even easier for you, you can find the right checklists in my family vacation package. as a newsletter-recipient you will find it now in the free VIP-package.
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More tips& tricks about family vacation with small children you can also find in the article 15 tips for a relaxing vacation with baby and toddler.
