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Essentials for Road Trips with Kids

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Road trip season is finally here. Long before we had kids, we love to take long road trips. We took our first road with kids when our daughter was 2 weeks old. Since then we have traveled across the country multiple times and have had a blast doing it. Taking a road trip with little ones can seem daunting, but I have compiled some fantastic ideas and printables to make your next road trip an amazing one. Download the free printables at the end of this post. 

The License Plates Game– Pretty much everyone I know has played this game in some way. Simply look at the window as you drive and cross off the states license plates as you find them. I printed out this printable and then laminated it so we can use a dry erase marker to play the game over and over again.

Hangman– This is another fun and easy printable game. Simply download, laminate and then help your children with their reading and spelling by playing this grade school game.

Tic Tac Toe– This printable makes it really easy to play a best out of five game of Tic Tac Toe. Either print multiples or laminate to use it again and again.

The Dot Game– The dot game has been a favorite of mine since childhood. Each person takes a turn drawing one line between two dots. If you are the person to draw the fourth line on a box, you write your initial in the middle. The person who has the most completed boxes when the board is full is the winner!

 I Spy List– Print out this list and then give your child the task of writing down something they see that starts with each letter.

Travel Bingo– This fun and colorful Bingo is easy for everyone to play, even your non-readers. Look for all of the the items on the sheet and the first person to get a Bingo wins! I love bringing small prizes to give the winner.

Road Trip Lego Boxes– If you have a little one who loves Legos, buy a Lego base plate and glue a section of it to the top of a pencil box. Fill the pencil box with Legos so they can build during the trip. Find the full instructions here.

Magnetic Building Sticks– Buy a package of colored popsicle sticks and add magnetic tape to the back of them. Bring a cookie sheet and let your kids build to their hearts content without worrying about the pieces going every where. Find the full instructions here- Magnetic Building Sticks.

Magnetic Puzzle Add magnetic tape to the back of a puzzle so your little ones can put it together on a cookie sheet in the car. Find the full instructions here- Magnetic Puzzle for travel.

Magnetic Checkers– Run to your local dollar store for a cheap set of checkers. Print this travel checkers board and add magnets to your dollar store set and you have checkers that can easily be passed back and forth over seats for a child to play with a parent sitting in the passenger seat. Find the printable and more instructions here- Travel Checkers with Free Printable.

Actually Free Apps– One of the biggest reasons I haven’t let my kids play with apps on car trips before is because of in app purchases. Once my daughter downloaded $50 in games when I thought she was playing another game and since then I have been wary. With Amazon Underground, you can download ACTUALLY free apps. The apps are free to download and all in app purchases are free too.

The Amazon Underground app combines Amazon’s best mobile shopping experience with instant streaming of Amazon Instant Video PLUS 100% free apps, games, and even in-app items. Unlimited lives, levels, upgrades – everything! No more waiting on lives or having to purchases something to get to the next set of levels,  Amazon Underground is perfect for a road trip since there are no delays. You can also watch your favorite movies and shows on your android device with Amazon too.

I downloaded Mahjong for my daughter to play. She loves the game and I love that I don’t have to worry about accidental in-app purchases.

Download the Amazon Underground app from your Android smartphone HERE.

What things do you do to keep your kids occupied in the car?

Find the printables in this post for free below:

Printables in this post are for personal use and available to subscribers of Housewife Eclectic only. To use this printable, please SUBSCRIBE NOW.

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  2. We do a lot of road trips… a lot of them. So we are have gotten quite good at packing for the road.
    On top of all those goodies we also have children's tylenol, gravol and some baby wipes incase things turn sideways.

    Reply

  3. Last summer we took our biggest road trip, we drove from South Carolina to Washington (state). We brought along coloring books, iPads, games, healthy snacks and drinks. I love the idea of a LEGO BOX!! I wish I would've thought of that. My son brought some Lego bricks in a baggie, but didn't want to lose them, so they stayed in the baggie.
    XO
    http://www.mrsaokaworkinprogress.com

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  11. Oh my goodness! So many great suggestions! Road trips with kids can be a bit stressful, but I am sure this wonderful collection of activities would keep even the fussiest traveler occupied for a long time.

    Reply

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