Thursday, July 19, 2018

Children on Board: Tips For a Safe and Fun Family Road Trip

The temperatures are just right to load up the car, grab the kids, and hit the road. There’s so much of this great world to see, and exploring it with your family creates memories of a lifetime. If this is your first time traveling by car with your children, however, you’ll need to do a little extra prepping. A long car ride with multiple children in the car, if not properly planned for, can result in anything from sibling fights to a disabled car on the side of the road. 
Our Roadtrip to Tennessee and Kentucky

How can you make sure you and your family have a fun and safe road trip? Simple, just follow this advice below. 


Safety First


Above all else, as parents, you want to keep your kids safe. Safety should be a priority when planning a road trip as there are a lot of things that could go wrong as you’re driving along. From a flat tire to an accident, you want to make sure you’re prepared. Here are a few road trip safety tips:

  • Have the car serviced- before getting on the road have your mechanic inspect and repair any damage to your vehicle. Let them know you’ll be going on a road trip so they can ensure your car can handle the distance. 
  • Check your insurance - make sure that you are fully insured before your next road trip. If you are in an accident you don’t want the stress of having to pay for the damages and health bills. If you don’t presently have coverage, you can find liability, collision, and sr22 quotes online and sign up for instant protection. 
  • Pack a first aid kit - you never know who could end up with a boo-boo while you’re traveling. Rather than having to find a nearby hospital or pharmacy, you should make sure to pack a first aid kit in the car. 

Don’t Forget Entertainment

The other part of making sure your family has a fun road trip is to pack lots of entertainment. You’re going to be confined to a car for hours at a time. Your kids are used to having the freedom to run wild throughout the day and, therefore, may become antsy if they’re not entertained. This leads to senseless sibling fights. Some ideas for entertainment include:
  • Electronics - mobile devices can be a lifesaver when trying to entertain children of all ages. If you pack a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, your children can play games, watch movies, do research, listen to music, and more. Be sure that you also pack a car charger with several ports so you don’t run out of charge. 
  • Books - reading is fundamental and is a great way for your children to unplug for awhile. Packing books of interest can keep them occupied for hours. 
  • Snacks - you don’t want to witness the outcome of a bunch of hungry kids crammed in a car together. Bring healthy but appetizing snacks along for the ride. This saves money and helps to ward off those hunger pains. 
  • Music - chances are your children aren’t interested in singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall over and over, so it’s probably a good idea to download some jams. Radio can be very finicky on the road so you want to have options. Creating a playlist can give you guys something to jam out to for several hours. 

Plan Stops - you may be able to go hours in a car without needing to stretch, use the bathroom, or grab something to eat, but it’s going to be a lot harder for your kids. To break up the monotony of being on the open road so long, plan stops in between your home and your destination. Try to make it places of interest so the kids get to have a little fun before getting back into the car.
Rest Stop in Cincinnati Ohio
You’ve seen enough family movies with sibling fights and “are we there yet” to know that if you fail to plan, you’re planning on spending hours in a car in the midst of chaos. The above-mentioned tips will make sure that your family remains safe and that your children are so entertained that they forget how long they’ve been traveling.

18 travelers' comments:

Gluten Free Lady said...

Sibling fights while driving are the worst! Must have those snacks and the first aid kit is a really great idea to bring along too!

Terri Steffes said...

For me it is important to keep my family entertained, hydrated, fed and safe. You hit all the marks!

candy said...

Plenty of snacks, drinks, plenty of stops because of the snacks and drinks. We don't have movies or entertainment like that. We play car games and talk to one another.

Glenda Cates said...

We plan on taking a couple Road Trips before school resumes so these tips will help us out and keep my family safe. Thank you for putting the tips together for us.

Lisa said...

Great tips for taking the whole family on a road trip. We are getting ready to head out for a week on the road so perfect timing.

AiringMyLaundry said...

Yup, we try to do all of this when we go on a road trip. We just got back from one, but we rented a car since we flew to another state. Snacks are always a must!

Unknown said...

I'm currently road tripping across America, and while it's SO much fun, it can also be difficult at times! I have to say, snacks and music have been my saving grace millions of times!

LisaLisa said...

I'm like you, we always make sure to have music, many snacks, and electronics on hand. I don't leave home without our medical emergency kit either, you never know what could happen while traveling.

Tammy said...

Gotta have plenty of snacks and drinks in the car. They are just too expensive on the road.

Sarah Bailey said...

It sounds like you are well on your way to having the perfect safe and fun roadtrip. For me drinks are a must, I get so thirsty driving!

Alexandra said...

Staying safe is most important! We are sure to have a good vacation with these tips!

Heavenly Savings said...

Having a first aid kit in each vehicle is very important. I don't know how many times mine has come in handy even around town with my kids little boo boos or when witnessing a car accident.

Glam Karen said...

Safety is definitely a priority when it comes to road trips with the kids! I just love all your pointers here. We shouldn't forget about the snacks as well!

Heather D said...

All great tips! We don't travel without snacks and entertainment either. First aid kits are a necessity.

Shabby Chic Boho said...

Great ideas and you just reminded me to load up the first aid kit for my upcoming trip. I also need to have my car serviced since I will be driving.

Kate | Life of a Ginger said...

We are on the road a lot and always stock up on snacks, drinks, and are sure to bring lots of books to read. If I forget any of these things it's not pretty.

joannabri said...

We took a road trip a couple of months ago to Chicago, and these are all tips we use. We plan on going to Texas in September, and will be doing them all over again! :-)

Unknown said...

I love road trips with the kids, it's really important to make sure that they're safe and that you have everything you need to make it worthwhile. These are awesome tips for families. I make sure to bring plenty of things for entertainment.

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