Our One Big Secret to a Great Road Trip with Small Kids – The Travel Bag

It’s not pretty but it works. This can be said for so many things involving parenting and travel both. Sometimes the best ideas are not Pinterest pretty but they do get the job done. Our road trip bag is one of those things. It’s an old white beach bag that has been so many places with us. Since it was made to be a beach or pool bag, it’s waterproof inside and out. I have literally washed it out before. It’s large enough to put everything in it that we need. It’s flexible enough that I can fit it anywhere I need it to go.

We fill this bag with things that might interest our kids on the trip. I start by packing things to do. Small crafts, coloring books, stickers, toys, books, and anything else that looks like fun. I have even packed glow sticks if I think we’ll be on the road after dark.

Next, I raid our pantry for appropriate goodies. I try to pack some healthy options. Rice cakes, granola, dried fruit, fruit, and pea snacks are commonly packed. I make sure to include “fun” snacks too, such as Goldfish crackers and cookies. At the bottom, I have an emergency bag with suckers & candy bracelets in it. This came in handy when we got stuck in traffic in St. Louis earlier this year. That was bad but would have been a million times worse with a 3-year-old screaming in the backseat.

The last things I make sure to put in that bag is a change of clothes for the little kids especially since Octavia is potty trained now. I don’t carry around a diaper bag everywhere anymore. If I have a little extra space, I’ll add my book if my husband’s driving.

This bag has made all the difference while traveling with kids over the years. Do you do something similar? What kind of stuff do you pack for your kids while traveling?