What to Pack for a Road Trip with Kids

Are you planning a road trip with kids? Traveling by car can be a great choice for families, especially if you have young kids who need to stop often. With 6 kids, we’ve managed many long road trips with kids and we have great memories from them. You are probably wondering what to pack for a road trip with kids. Packing right can help you create a much more kid-friendly road trip.

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Road tripping with kids is our preferred way to travel. With 6 kids, road trips are much more kid-friendly and allow us to take breaks and see the sights along the way.

Wondering what to pack for a road trip with kids?

We’ve got you covered. We’ve over-packed, under-packed, and everything in between. We’ve finally found a happy medium for the perfect family road trip.

Before we share our favorite things to pack for a road trip we have a few tips we use when traveling with kids.

1. Always overpack when you have young kids. You will generally need more than you think you need. Do not go overboard, especially if you will be somewhere with easy access to stores, but make sure you have the basics plus a few extras so you are prepared for the unexpected.
2. Organize as you pack. Road trips go so much smoother when you have what you need where you need it. A change of clothes when you have a carsick kid doesn’t help if it’s packed at the bottom of your bag. I love using these packing cubes for everything from my suitcase to diaper bags. They make grabbing what you need (and keeping it organized throughout your trip) so much easier.
3. Put your kids to work packing. This has been the biggest time-saver for me when preparing for a trip. Older kids, especially, can be put to work packing their own things. I always inspect bags to make sure they have grabbed the essentials. Younger kids can run back and forth finding things that are needed to pack their bags. This helps everyone understand what is needed for the trip (and where it is packed in the car) and helps lighten the load so you can enjoy the trip more.
4. Take a good look at your plan for your trip. Will you be staying overnight somewhere before arriving at your destination? If you are, consider packing an overnight back with the things everyone in the family will need in one place. That will prevent you from having to unload the entire car to get what you need.

What to pack for a road trip with kids

It’s always important to pack the essentials. When considering how much to pack, I look at the availability of stores and the amount of extra time that I will have on a trip. If stores aren’t easily accessible or the schedule is tight, I make sure that I pack extra items.

Best Kid-Friendly Road Trip Snacks

Snacks are right up there with all the other essentials when you are packing for a road trip with kids. These are some of our favorite kid-friendly snacks that keep the car mess to a minimum.

• Cheese – Cheese sticks travel great if you take a small cooler. We’ve also taken small, individually packaged cheese squares. For something that doesn’t require cooling, these Just the Cheese Bars are delicious and keep well in a car.
• Apples – Apple Slices work well in the car. Sprinkle them in cinnamon to help them last longer. For something more shelf-stable we love these applesauce pouches and they are easy to eat on the go. Bare Baked Apple Chips are always a hit and aren’t messy in the car.
• Jerky – Beef Jerky is always a great choice for a road trip. We love these sugar-free beef sticks for kids, or you could change things up with these Chicken mini sticks for kids.
• Fruit Snacks – Fruit Snacks are a great choice on the go. We love these bunny fruit snacks and they aren’t too sticky. These low-carb fruit bars are very kid-friendly too and they eliminate the problem of dropping individual fruit snacks in the car.
• Nuts – Nuts are always a great high-protein option. My favorite are these (shell-free) Wonderful Pistachio Snack Packs. My kids love these 100-calorie packs of nuts because they are just the right size. This variety pack of nut snack packs offers some great options too.
• Cold Quesadillas – These are actually one of our favorite road trip cars. We make quesadillas ahead of time, let them cool, then put the slices in sandwich bags. They don’t crumble like sandwiches and you can add deli ham to make them like a less-messy ham and cheese sandwich.
• Hard-Boiled Eggs – I only recommend these for short road trips (and definitely don’t eat them in the car) but hard-boiled eggs make great high-protein snacks, or even lunches when you stop for a break.
• Pretzels – My kids always want something salty on road trips and pretzels are a great option. Less messy than chips, these sourdough pretzels are my family’s favorites. My kids also love these Pretzel Crisps for a more chip-like option.
• Snack Bars – Granola bars are always a great option. These Junkless Chewy Granola Bars for Kids are a great option for the whole family.
• Fruit Cups – Another great option to enjoy when you stop for a break, fruit cups are refreshing and shelf-stable. My family loves these fruit cups for road trips.

Best Road Trip Games for Kids

Some great road trip games can make road trips for kids more enjoyable for everyone. These are some of our favorite options that work well in the car.

• Shotgun! is a great game that is fun for the whole family. This one will get everyone talking.
• 50 Cool Things to Do in The Car is a great option if you need some fresh ideas to entertain the kids while driving.
• Audio books are my favorite entertainment on a road trip with kids. Start a free trial of Audible and discover some new books as a family.
• Younger kids love playing travel bingo and these Auto Bingo cards are a great option since they don’t have any pieces that can get lost.
• We always played the license plate game while traveling as kids. The Melissa & Doug Flip to Win Travel License Plate Game makes it so much easier with pieces that are held by elastic. This is such a great, visual way to keep track of the license plates that you have found.
• Magnetic travel games are always a hit. This Brain Cheeser game is a fun one!
• Art on the road is always fun. We love the idea of this EZDesk Travel Activity Kit or this Travel Activity Kit for Kids.
• Games that make you use your brain are great on a road trip. The SmartGames IQ Circuit Portable Travel Game is a great one for kids of all ages. One of my family’s favorites is Kanoodle 3-D Brain Teasers. We’ve had hours of fun with this one and it also comes in a more advanced version if you want more of a challenge.
• There’s always the option to go old-school and take your favorite board games on the road. I’m like 99% sure I had these magnetic board games when I was a kid and they were a blast on road trips.
• The Nintendo Switch Lite is a huge hit on road trips and is perfect when someone in the car needs some time on their own for a while.
• Road trips can be a great time to have conversations with your kids. This “Would You Rather” gamebook is the perfect way to get some truly unique conversations going.
• This huge set of metal brain teaser puzzles is fabulous for a road trip and gives kids something for their hands to fiddle with. My tweens and teens LOVE this!

Emergency Supplies to Pack for a Road Trip with Kids

Hopefully your road trip will be filled with nothing but great memories, but we all know that sometimes things do not go according to plan. It is important to be prepared for a road trip emergency. These emergency supplies are a great idea to have on hand when taking a road trip with kids.

• Having a well-stocked car automotive emergency kit is essential with any road trip, especially when you are traveling with kids. This car emergency kit includes everything you may need to solve car issues while traveling.
• Every car should be stocked with a good first aid kit. This mini first aid kit is the perfect size to store under a seat. This more complete first aid kit is great for long road trips and can be strapped to the back of the seats in your car.
• You never know when you will be faced with having to perform CPR. This CPR face shield is a great addition to any car first aid kit.
• Jumper cables are something you should never leave home without. Even if you don’t end up needing them, you may run into another traveler who needs a jump.
• Car sickness happens to the best of us. These travel vomit bags are actually adorable and can really save you if you end up with a carsick passenger. While you are at it, it never hurts to have some Dramamine on hand as well.
• There’s always a choking risk when young kids are eating on the go. Having one of these DeChoking devices in your car can give you peace of mind.
• Whether you are trying to change a tire in the dark or cleaning up a mess inside your car, having a flashlight on hand can be an enormous help. This solar-powered flashlight is a great one to keep in your car.
• When you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go. This portable travel toilet folds down flat and is perfect for road trips.
• Loose items in the car can be dangerous. I love these pop-up trunk organizers to keep smaller items and emergency supplies contained.
• Water is an important addition to your packing list. You definitely want to stay hydrated but you also never know when you will need water for first aid, hygiene, or car repair purposes. These emergency water bricks are portable and easy to stack so they are perfect for storing in your trunk.

We hope that this will help you pack for your next road trip with kids. Being prepared before you travel as a family can help everyone enjoy the trip more.