Road trip Essentials

Tis the season! No.. not THAT season. Tis the season for ROAD TRIPS! If you're hitting the road this summer with your family you need to check out these fun games, toys and activities to keep everyone happy in the car as you hit the open road!

Disclaimer: I was sent the following items  free for review: Vangbo Bizyboo Hide n' Seek Busy Bags, Bumpas Mushies, Squaregles Character Pack, HoloToys PAW Patrol temporary tattoos,, Chuck It! Kick Fetch Max Glow Ball, JW dog toys and Hape Owl Baby Playmat  . All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Road Trip Essentials | Activities & More

Keeping kids busy is the name of the game when it comes to road trips and I'm always looking for new ways to entertain my two. We purchased hard cases for each of my kids that fit note pads, crayons, markers, and other activities like the ImagineInk mess-free coloring books (available on Amazon). It is also a good idea to get some clipboards that way they can color or write on printable worksheets with ease.

​When you have more than one child labeling everything is KEY. No one wants to hear the "no that's mine" argument. I make sure to write each of my kid's name on everything; each hard case, each notebook, each crayon box... everything!!

 Aside from crayons and paper here are some other things to bring alone for the ride!

Road Trip Essentials | Games & Toys

Vango Bizyboo Hide ’N’ Seek Busy Bags each have 30 objects hidden inside, kids push and shift the beads around in order to find the objects! Series 2 was released in June and features summer themed styles like this milkshake and dinosaur. I love how portable they are, they easily fit into our car ride cases!
​Available on Amazon!

​Bumpas Mushies are huggable and stretchable plush toys. They are fidget friendly and can help antsy kids as they stretch and retract Bmpas Mushies arms and legs! My two liked to play tug-o-war with ours!
​Available on Amazon!

We are a house that loves Squaregles (read my review on Squaregles Magnetic Tiles) and their character packs make for fun travel companions. Each pack comes with different heads and a car.
Available on Squaregles.com!

​My kids love to build with Legos at home but I had no idea how to take their favorite activity on the road. Enter Emily from FoxFarmHome.com, she shares how to make a Lego Travel Binder! This is a serious road trip hack! 

​Felt offers lots of opportunities for fun for kids and with a little prep work it is easy to set up my kids for lots of fun with felt! Anna at FunClothCrafts.com explains how easy it is to make a felt board (all you need is cardboard) and provides great templates like her DIY Felt Faces!

Anna also has fun Weather Felt Templates too!

Road Trip Essentials | Apps

I'll be 100% real. When we go on car trips we bring an iPad. I am fine with them using some screentime because I know long carrides can be boring and an iPad has lots of fun things to do. We set one of our phones up as a hotspot and let the kids take turns.


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HoloToys Paw Patrol Stickers & Tattoos bring temporary tattoos and stickers to life! The PAW Patrol pups are suddenly in the car with us as my kids tap and place their character there. Download the Holo Toys app for the fun to begin.
Available on HoloToys.com!

​ABC Mouse allows each of my kids to have their own profile and be on their own "learning path" based on their age/grade level.

The PBS Kids games app is FREE and has a ton of options featuring favorite PBS characters like Arthur, Elmo, Pinkalicious and more!

Road Trip Essentials | Printable Activities

As I mentioned we do bring an iPad with us, but we only bring one so that means taking turns and that means having some "bored" with "nothing to do". 

​​Check out this great assortment of Road Trip Printables from Audrey over at TwoPinkPeonies.com! Her collection includes design your own car and truck, car color count, road sign hunt and more!

Another great road trip printable from Audrey is her Printable Busy Bags! Print and cut out her monster puzzles for your little ones to work on in the car!

If you have kids who can read these road trip printables from Valerie at MamaLikesThis.com are sure to be a hit! She has both Road Trip Word Search and the word activity Road Trip A - Z!

Time for a classic game, check out this License Plate Game printable from Emily at FoxFarmHome.com! Print out the map (and her silly facts list!) and have your kids color in each state as you see a license plate.

Bonus: Traveling with a Dog

Bringing your pup on the road with you? Rest Areas often have paths and green spaces that are great for getting your dog out of the car and getting him or her some time to walk around (on a leash of course!) Don't forget the poop bags!

While you're stopped be sure your pup gets hydrated, collapsible water bowls (available on Amazon) are easy to store in the car.

A Kong filled with peanut butter is always a dog-pleaser and a great way to keep them occupied while in the car.

Small chew toys can also keep them busy in the car. JW has a great line of hand-made, all-natural toys.

Larger toys can be used as a way to help them stretch their legs and run upon arrival; like the green Chuckit! Kick Fetch Max Glow Ball! Available on PetMate.com and Amazon!

Bonus: Traveling with a Baby

Babies need breaks too! When traveling for hours by car be sure to take breaks to get your littlest one out of their car seat.

The best way to keep a baby occupied in the car (during awake times) may be to have someone sit in the back with them, if possible. This way if a binkie or rattle is thrown about there is someone there who can easily get it back for baby!

Starting your trip at what should be nap time is also a way to get some miles in while baby is asleep.

Bringing a portable playmat is key for tummy time and playtime! The Hape Owl Baby Playmat folds up nicely and features a rattle and a ring for playing. Available at Target!