Ahh, it’s summer. The time we’ve all been waiting for to pack up the car and head to the beach (or the mountains, or the lake…). It all sounds so quaint and you can practically feel the memories being made before you even back out of your driveway, right?
Well, I don’t know if my kids are like yours, but they are so used to everything happening FAST, and IMMEDIATELY, that their idea of a “road trip” was equidistant to a trip to our local Target. We weren’t even an hour out of town and they were already asking how much loooooooongerrrrr?
I grew up road tripping, and I have the sweetest memories of waking up in the “way back” of our station wagon on a bed of blankets wedged in next to a big cooler and my siblings. The drive would take us around 8 hours, and I remember the that part of the thrill of it included the boredom. I know we can’t turn back the hands of time or technology, but I do want to try to have my kids realize that the road trip itself is part of the vacation.
1. Get your kids pumped up for the adventure by looking at maps and predicting the amount of time. If you kids wear watches, you can set timers and identify certain cities as quarter-way and half-way there. It’s a great way to practice some simple math & geography while setting expectations of how far you’re going.
2. Limit screens and instead pack books. First of all, my kids get car sick when they look at screens (I learned that lesson a few years ago and have been a screen-free car ever since). Even if your car has built in movie screens, consider limiting the viewing to one movie, or even not at all. Instead, pack workbooks, joke books & fact books. We’re big fans of the National Geographic for Kids. These books are lightweight and easy to pick up and read for a few minutes at a time. The facts and jokes are great for creating conversation and fun for sharing in the car, too – “hey mom, listen to this one…” and “Daddy, did you know that….”.
3. Pack snacks. Healthy snacks AND new snacks. You have to go with the classics that you know your kids like, such as applesauce and snack bars, but get a little wild and add in some new treats. I really try to limit sugar and don’t pack any candy or straight-up sweets, but this year I am adding some juice pouches and chocolate covered almonds. A good mix of protein, think cheese and jerky, fruit, and drinks is a great way to keep everyone hydrated and satisfied.
4. Portion control. Here’s a big tip. Instead of packing alllll of the grapes in one bag, or whole apples, separate them into portions into ziplocs (or ideally resuable lunch bags). This will limit waste, grimy hands digging into the supplies, and especially over indulgence as soon as you hit the road.
5. Save time & money with Shipt grocery delivery. The day before we leave for a road trip I am all over the place: laundry, packing, getting our house & yard ready, talking with neighbors to keep an eye on our house & mail, etc. This year I saved at least a couple of hours by ordering in the planned road trip snacks online with Shipt and scheduled it to be delivered the evening before we were leaving. I saved tons of time AND money because I only intentionally purchased only what I had on my list and wasn’t tempted to add in additional items we don’t need. The delivery window was 1 hour (so convenient), and the shopper texted me with questions while she was at the store. The produce looked gorgeous, and everything was delivered fresh and cold. Have you tried grocery delivery services before? Definitely give Shipt a trial –
I’m a huge fan and it is my #1 time and money saver. You can purchase groceries from Shipt on an occasional basis and pay delivery fees per order, OR you can join the $99 annual membership with Shipt and get two weeks free, plus $15 off of your first grocery order.
And finally, Have FUN! Set the tone from the beginning that your road trip is a special time when your family is together and enjoy the journey!
XX Candace
I partnered with Shipt groceries to bring you these road trip tips and hope you give them a try. I’m a huge fan and proud to be a partner! #Shipt #Partner #LaunchIntoSummer Thank you to Shipt for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.