10 Tips for Road Trips with Kids

1. SNACKS: Don’t leave home without them!  Opt for foods with less sugar content to limit the amount of extra energy your kids will have during the drive, but have a special treat on hand for when you need to divert any short fuses along the way. Include a variety of textures & shapes to avoid snack boredom. Easy take-along snacks:

Dry goods

Popcorn

Granola bars

Green pea crisps

Seaweed snacks

Dried apples

Banana chips

Veggie straws

Pepperoni sticks

Mini muffins

Fruit strips

Kiddie Krunch Mix: Animal crackers, pretzels, marshmallows, chocolate covered raisins

Perishables

String cheese

Cheese cubes

Hummus + veggie sticks

Cold cut roll-ups

Snap peas

Carrot sticks

Cucumber

Grape tomatoes

Edamame

Berries

Olives

Oranges

Apples

Bananas

 

2. Portion control. Separate meals and snacks into individual boxes and containers designated for each person on your trip and store them on the floor where they are easily accessible. This will save you the hassle of having to serve and portion out food when someone gets hungry. 

 

3. Stay cool. Bring a cooler and pack layers of ice between items and top the cooler with another layer of ice. Think about what you might be eating first and keep these items at the top for easy access.

 

4. Skip the utensils. Focus on finger foods for easy eating- scroll down for our handheld Pizza Pocket recipe below! 

 

5. Be safe. Pack all necessities for first-aid and hygiene including hand sanitizer, antibacterial cleaning wipes, toilet wipes, baby wipes, medicines needed, masks, and gloves. 

 

6. Get comfortable. Let your kids travel in loose fit clothing or pajamas so they  won’t feel constricted. Bring along a pillow, blanket, and their favorite stuffed animal for extra comfort.

 

7. Don’t get bored. Let each child pack their own activity folder and keep it nearby in the car. You can find many free printable activities by doing a quick internet search.  As a family, you can play classic car games:

 I Spy - One person says “I spy with my little eye…. something” and describes something they see, like “I spy something blue.”  The other players take turns asking yes or no questions until they can guess what the item is.

Alphabet Game - Take turns going through the alphabet. Each player must find something starting with the next letter. 

Going on a Picnic-  Someone says “I’m going on a picnic and I’m going to bring….” and then lists an item. The next person repeats “I’m going on a picnic and I’m going to bring….” and must list the first person’s item and add their own. And so on. 

Story- One person says a word that begins a story. Take turns adding one word onto the story and see where it ends up!

The License Plate Game- Interpret the letters in each license plate you pass. For instance, REG could stand for “Rob Eats Grapes.”

Scavenger Hunt- Before you leave, prepare a list of common things you’d see along the road and check them off as you find them. 

The Quiet Game- Everyone sees how long they can be quiet!

The Compliment Game- Go through the alphabet and use each letter to say a compliment about someone else in the car. For example, “A is for Lilly’s adorable smile.”

 

8. Map out your bathroom breaks. Consider taking your pit stops at a fun place to keep your little one’s interest and to blow off some energy. Think: playgrounds, state parks, historic sites, roadside attractions, ice cream shops, or a fun store along the way. 

 

9. Learn something new. Since you’ve got lots of time, take advantage! Use flashcards to play a quiz game or talk about the facts and history of your destination. 

 

10. Get crafty with your PlanetBox. Add art supplies to your additional PlanetBoxes such as crayons, markers, beads & string, pipe cleaners, stickers, etc. to have all your crafting needs in one place.

 

Road Trip Recipe

Pizza Pockets

makes 8 servings 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

2 eggs

¾ cup milk

½ tsp minced garlic

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tbsp baking powder

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ cup cold butter (1 stick), cubed

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup of your favorite pizza toppings

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

1. Preheat oven to 450° & line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and garlic.

4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, parmesan cheese, salt, baking powder and Italian seasoning.

5. Use a fork to cut the cubed butter into the flour mixture until no large clumps remain- every piece of flour should be covered with butter.

6. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture & mix until the dough forms a loose ball.

8. Dump the dough ball onto a large, floured countertop & knead about 10 times, but don’t overwork (lightly dust with flour to keep it from sticking to your workspace).

9. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to ½-inch thickness & cut dough into circles- we use the Big Dipper as a guideline for fitting into Rover. 

10. Place the crust circles on the baking sheet & spoon a tablespoon of pizza sauce + a heaping tablespoon of cheese + your favorite topping onto the middle  the dough circles (only fill half of them, the others will be used to close the pocket).

11. Carefully top the bottom circle with another dough circle and press edges closed with a fork. 

12. Bake at for 13-15 minutes until crust is lightly browned.