Top 10 Road Trip Tips with Kids {+Giveaway}

This post is sponsored by Clean Fuels Omaha. We only partner with sponsors that we feel will bring the most value to our audience.

Road trips can seem a little overwhelming when you are traveling with kids. This post is brought to you by Clean Fuels Omaha. Check out www.AmericanEthanolNe.org and www.HuskerFuel.com for more information! Together we bring you our Top 10 Road Trip Tips. We surveyed our team of 24 moms and compiled a list to help you make that road trip a little easier!

Top 10 Road Trip Tips

  1. Snacks…ALL the snacks! Grab a variety of healthy (nuts, yogurt, cheese sticks, apples, carrot sticks, etc) and a few special surprises (mini cookies, favorite treat, fruit snacks, etc).
    • Having a few sides packed (fruit cups, carrot sticks, applesauce) make it so you can just grab a sandwich o
      Travel Tips
      Two of our favorites! Ted and Friends is great because it is a large book with many short stories that take longer to get through!

      r nuggets at your food stop and skip the fries.

    • Pouches are great for the little ones! Easy to hand back to the kids.
    • Buy a variety pack of crackers to have a lot of options
  2. Books on CD! We have always loved these when road tripping before kids. Recently I have found my kids love these too! There is a huge variety available depending on the age of your kids.
  3. I-Spy containers, books, or game! Lots of levels depending on the age of your kids!
    • Make an I-Spy bottle with rice and objects! Don’t forget to glue the bottle shut!
    • Look and find books. There are a lot for different ages.
    • Play the game…I spy with my little eye “something purple”.
  4. Engage your child in learning! For example, at the gas pump point out the blue handle and explain why E15 is the best fuel.
    • It saves money! 5-10 cents cheaper/gallon.
    • Less pollution! More ethanol equals less petroleum-based cancer causing chemicals in the air!
    • Made in Nebraska! Nebraska is the 2nd highest ethanol producing state, so E15 helps the state economy.
    • Approved for cars 2001 and newer!
  5. Pack a little bag of an extra change of clothes that is accessible and not buried in all of the luggage. You never know when you are going to need a new pair of pants or a new shirt!
  6. Potty training a toddler? Keep that little potty in the car! You never know when you have to do an emergency potty break when the next rest area is 40 miles away! Also very handy when the baby is sleeping and the toddler needs to use the potty. You better believe I was not going to wake the baby to walk into the rest area 🙂
  7. Activity books, sticker books, coloring books, Crayola Mess-Free Touch Coloring, Water Wow Painting, Magna Doodles.
  8. Baggies of legos and baggies of magnetic letters with a magnetic board.
  9. When all else fails have those electronic devices charged and ready to go!
    • Portable DVD players
    • We love the new download feature on Netflix! They take up less room on your device as well! (Make sure you plan ahead and have a few options downloaded before you leave!)
    • Have a few kid apps downloaded as well. You may want to let them practice a little before you leave so they are excited about it and are more independent. Our newest favorite is CookieDoodle
  10. Consider getting kid headphones! That way each kid can be doing their own thing and parents can listen to their own podcast, book, or music!
  11. Check out your route and see if there is a fun place to stop and take a longer break. Stop at a park or a indoor play area. It is amazing how letting the kids get a little energy out can be a lifesaver on those long trips!Travel TipsTravel Tips
    1. Heading West? We travel to the Denver area pretty frequently and two of our favorite stops are in North Platte (4 hrs from Omaha)
      • Cody Park – There is a little bit of everything here from a playground, animal feeding areas, to a little amusement park area. But the best attraction is the two Union Pacific trains! The kids can actually go in the control area of the train! They can explore the Mail Car and Caboose. This is a highlight of almost every trip to Denver!
      • Children’s Museum – When the weather doesn’t cooperate to see the trains this is another great stop off the highway! Make sure to check the hours!
    2. Heading East? The Coral Ridge Mall is right off of Hwy 80 near Iowa City (4 hrs). This is another of our favorite stops! Everything is there in the mall!
      • Food court for a lot of food options
      • Merry Go Round : 1 ride: $2 3 rides: $5 6 rides: $10 
      • Children’s Museum : Ages 1-59: $9
      • Ice skating rink (we have never used this but my kids like to watch others ice skating!)

We hope that this list is helpful on your next family trip! Make sure to visit our Facebook page for a giveaway of a $20 Kum & Go gas gift card from Clean Fuels Omaha! We encourage you to look for the blue handle during your next fill up! Giveaway ends 12/22/17.

Genevieve
Genevieve is the owner and founder of Omaha Mom. She was born in Michigan, raised in Iowa, and calls Omaha “home”. That makes her a midwestern girl at heart. Genevieve is wife to Jim and mother to Jeremiah (2013) and Arielle (2015). They are a family that work hard and play harder! Genevieve learned first hand how important having a “mom tribe”, or a “village” is to being a mother. When Genevieve and family are not out exploring everything Omaha has to offer, you will find them cuddled up with a book, running around in circles, playing in the backyard or showing off their crazy dance moves!