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Road Tripping with a Preschooler: Tips for a Fun and Stress-Free Journey

Planning a road trip with a small child can seem daunting, but with the right preparation and mindset, it can be an enjoyable adventure for the whole family. From engaging toys to strategic snack breaks, there are several ways to keep your preschooler entertained and happy on the road. Read on for practical tips and insights to make your family road trip a memorable and stress-free experience.

Here are my tips for making your next family road trip fun and stress-free!

Buy a few new toys or stash away some older ones. 

We always strive to limit screen time whenever we can since it can definitely be a crutch in many situations. A few weeks prior to any long trip, I hide away a bunch of his toys or quiet activities, which he easily forgets about. I then whip them out as needed throughout the trip. Sometimes, I’ll splurge on a small new batch of toys for road trips and restaurant outings; this has proven invaluable in so many situations. When he was a preschooler, our favorites were a magnet maze, a reusable sticker book, a dinosaur pop-it, and Water Wow books. 

Fact Check: Introducing novel toys or reintroducing forgotten ones can leverage a child’s natural curiosity and the concept of “toy rotation” to maintain interest and engagement over time. Experts suggest rotating toys can help children develop deeper focus and creativity with fewer items.

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Bring snacks! 

A road trip is not the time to worry about meal schedules, calories, or too many snacks. But it is a time to try fun or weird snacks that you would never normally try in your real life. So go ahead, get the fancy chips, the gluten free crackers, the big bag of gummy worms. Start living the vacation life early, on the way, in the car.

Fact Check: Having readily available snacks can help regulate a child’s mood and prevent meltdowns often triggered by hunger or low blood sugar on long journeys. Packing a variety of snacks, including some novel options, can also add an element of fun and distraction. 

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Plan to make plenty of stops, but follow the lead of the youngest passengers. 

If the kids start getting restless, let them blow off steam in the field by the rest stop for 20 minutes while everyone eats lunch. But if they seem chill watching a movie, reading, playing, or snoozing, just keep going. Worst case scenario: you planned nine hours to make a seven hour drive and it does in fact take nine hours. Best case is that everyone in the car had so much fun that you didn’t have to stop too often and were able to arrive in seven hours.

Fact Check: Regular breaks are crucial for both children and adults on long drives, helping to reduce fatigue and improve alertness, which enhances safety. Allowing children to move around during stops helps expend energy and makes it easier for them to settle back down in the car. 

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Let everyone get bored. 

Why do so many people assume that kids need constant entertainment? It is not the parent’s job to entertain their children nor does constant stimulation benefit their brain development.

Let them look out the window; they may be entertained longer than you might think. Since road trips are not an everyday occasion, they will see something new and different.

We were absolutely shocked that, on the 8 hour drive from Nashville to Miramar Beach, our kid only watched 90 minutes of media content and slept for a couple hours. The rest of the time he spent staring out the window, contentedly watching the world pass by. A few months later, he behaved similarly on the seven hour drive from Nashville to Chicago, babbling to himself and engaging us in silly roundabout conversations.

Fact Check: Downtime and boredom can actually stimulate a child’s creativity and imagination by encouraging their minds to wander and find novel ways to entertain themselves. Looking out the window provides visual stimulation and can aid in developing observational skills and a sense of the world around them. 

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Don’t fear screen time. 

In the end, the simplest way to get through a road trip is often with a tablet. The most important thing is that the driver is not distracted or stressed out while driving so that everyone can arrive at the destination safely. If that means letting the kid(s) binge their eyeballs out, then so be it. A few extra hours of tablet games or episodes of Numberblocks won’t matter in the long run, especially if it lowers the stress level in the car that’s hurtling down the highway at 80 miles per hour. (Plus, Numberblocks absolutely taught my kid how to do math way above his grade level.)

Fact Check: While moderation is often advised, using screens strategically on a long road trip can be a valuable tool for managing a child’s behavior and reducing parental stress, contributing to a safer driving environment. Some educational content can also offer learning opportunities, as you noted with Numberblocks. 

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Conclusion

In conclusion, road tripping with a preschooler doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. By planning ahead with engaging toys, delicious snacks, and flexible travel breaks, you can create a fun and memorable journey for the entire family. Embrace the adventure, stay flexible, and most importantly, enjoy the quality time spent together on the open road. Happy travels – and send me your best recommendations!!