Prepping for a big drive? Want more family fun and less “Are we there yet”, “I’m hungry”, “The sun is in my eyes,” “I feel sick” and “Do you want me to turn this car around and go home?”? It’s possible with these uber-clever road trip hacks.
We’ve searched far and wide for the very best road trip hacks to keep the kiddies entertained all the way to your destination and to eliminate the need to pull over 15 times. Get excited – your family fun expedition is about to get a whole helluva lot better.
1. Cookie trays for desks
Behold the perfect driving desk! Add magnets to the back of puzzles, checkers and coloured popsicle sticks for a portable play station. This road trip hack will have them occupied for an hour.
2. Cupcake liners for clean cup holders
Because let’s face it. Someone is going to spill a beverage at some stage. Probably juice. Or coffee. So yes, one of our road trip hacks fixes that drama. Just remove the cupcake holder and replace.
3. Pegs for behaviour clips
Bribe your kids to behave with these adorable hand-crafted kid clips. When someone is being a shit, the clip goes down and that child misses out on a treat the next stop. Or, you could work on positive enforcement, putting a clip up for every good behaviour (and offering a treat if the clip is up). Either way, this is bribery at its best!
4. Road trip countdown cards
Break the journey up with these clever road trip cards. Simply take them down with every milestone you hit.
5. Lunch box into LEGO on the go
As long as your kids don’t get car sick, LEGO makes for a great activity for the road. Store all the LEGO and create on the go with this cute little LEGO lunch box. This road trip hack can also be swapped for any one of those tiny toys like Shopkins.
6. Shower caddies or tackle boxes for snacks
Whether you’re driving for one hour or one day, the kids are going to get hungry. And demand snacks. Prepare for the inevitable with these cute snack holders. We especially love the tackle snack box. AKA. The Snackle Box.
7. Travel games galore!
It’s just not a road trip without an array of fun travel games to play! Check out these printables for travel Hangman, BINGO, Tic Tac Toe and I Spy.
8. DVD colouring in compartment
Remember those things we used to watch before Netflix? If you happen to have a spare DVD case laying around, use it to store colouring pencils and a pad of paper.
9. Binder for portable activities
Take it one step further with this travel binder of fun. This cute idea is great for on the go, and also for an activity in a hotel or resort when you don’t have their go-to playroom of toys to depend on.
10. Shoe storage racks for organisation stations
Organise the hell of out your car with shoe storage racks or packing cells. You won’t have to dig through a single suitcase to find what you need. Nappies, wipes, games, clothing, towels – it’s all within reach!
Planning on a trip that requires a plane ride? Check out our tried and tested tips on flying with kids.
