Keeping Kids Busy While On The Road
*Delivers extra life or extra power, vs. Coppertop AA/AAA in a wide range of devices.
This story was produced in partnership with Duracell. All opinions are mine alone. #DuracellOptimumBrandPartner
Our family loves to travel, and over the years, day trips have become our top favorite activity to do as a family! I have learned a lot over the years when traveling with three kids, and what I have found is that we are all much happier when we can end our travels in our own beds. I have also learned a great bit on what to pack in order to keep kids busy while on the road. Driving a long distance gets boring really fast for kids, so I always make sure to pack them stuff that will both make the time fly AND be an easy cleanup at the end of our trip. I am excited to share with you a handful of items that have made traveling with my kids a whole lot easier and made my kids the amazing travelers that they are today!
*Delivers extra life or extra power, vs. Coppertop AA/AAA in a wide range of devices.
*Delivers extra life or extra power, vs. Coppertop AA/AAA in a wide range of devices.
I love to pack bingo games because kids are learning while having fun! While this is the perfect game for my pre- schooler, I can always entice my older kids to play if there are prizes included! Grab a bag of candy from the store and offer pieces as prizes when someone gets bingo! Board and card games are really fun to play on the road and really help to make the time pass.Again, the dollar store is your best friend when it comes to road trips! I always pick up baskets to fill with arts and crafts supplies. Since it’s summer, I was able to pick up these adorable buckets, which I actually like so much better because of the handle. Fill the bucket with a blank notebook, stickers, stamps, markers, colored pencils and whatever else you think your child will enjoy. I do NOT recommend packing crayons, especially during summer travels; they melt in a hot car. Need I say more? Keep it safe and stick with writing utensils that won’t melt in your car!
Who doesn’t love building blocks/bricks?! There are so many different styles of cases out there to make bringing these toys on the go simple and fun!
As I mentioned earlier, maybe your child would be content by simply packing their favorite toys. My youngest is really into little dolls and those types of toys; she could play with them all day long! Ask your child to fill a storage container full of their favorite toys that they would like to bring along with them on a trip. I suggest something that can be completely sealed so nothing gets lost along the way.
I refuse to allow my kids to bring their tablets on the road… way too much of a hassle! They end up spending the entire time fighting over who gets to charge their device, and someone always ends up accidentally unplugging a charger. Then keeping track of them when we have to make rest stops… I have heard far too many stories of people’s cars getting broken into because their kid left a tablet on the seat! Plus, you have to worry about what to do with them once you get to your destination. I don’t want to be stuck carrying them, and leaving them in a hot/cold car can actually damage them. So what are you to do if you have kids that need some sort of device on the road? My advice? Get a portable DVD player! These are amazing, durable, simple to use and you can hide/store them away in the car without any worry. Pick up some headsets before your trip and you will have a few hours of peace, quiet and happiness for both kids and parents!
Books are also great to bring with you on the road! My youngest will fill her little backpack up with her favorite books and my older kids will fill up a tote of books they want to read. If you are in need of some new reading material and don’t want to spend a ton of money, head to your local library or go into your local thrift store where books are super cheap!
One of the biggest lessons that I have learned while traveling with kids is that losing the sun means unhappy kids. They can no longer enjoy the scenery and also can’t enjoy any of their books and crafts. I have found that these kid camping lanterns are perfect to travel with in the car! You can adjust the light so you don’t have to worry about it being too bright when driving. They are very lightweight, and kids can place them on their lap while they color or read. These have become a lifesaver for night travel, and I always make sure to bring them with us on the road!
*Delivers extra life or extra power, vs. Coppertop AA/AAA in a wide range of devices.
Just don’t forget batteries! These lanterns run on batteries, and if you plan on making a long drive at night, you will want to make sure you have them on hand for the trip. I recently tried new Duracell Optimum batteries, which deliver extra life* in some devices or extra power* in other devices, vs. Coppertop in a wide range of devices. Duracell is the only brand I trust to bring with me on the road, and you can pick them up in your local Publix store. New Duracell Optimum batteries make me feel prepared for our family travels because I know all of our devices that require batteries will last!
*Delivers extra life or extra power, vs. Coppertop AA/AAA in a wide range of devices.
I have made the mistake of going with the cheaper generic brand of batteries, but they never last very long and it results in unhappy kids with devices that they can’t use. Often times people mistake my frugalness with being cheap, when often times it just means being smart with your money! I am a firm believer that you need to spend money on quality items (like batteries) because over time, you will end up spending more replacing the cheaper ones. You may feel great saving money upfront, but you are not saving it over time by consistently having to replace the cheaper batteries. With Duracell, I know that I am getting my money’s worth, and I know that my kids will get a lot of life out of their devices when we go on trips!
*Delivers extra life or extra power vs. Coppertop AA/AAA in a wide range of devices.
