road trippin' // the best travel toys

road trippin’

I AM kind of a professional road-tripper. I’ve been on probably a million+ miles of interstate, highway, dirt road and city street all across this beautiful country since the day I was born. Growing up, my family would hit the road for epic weeks-long trips through deserts, corn fields, mountains and cities, sometimes to visit family on the East Coast or sometimes just for the adventure of it. My parents both are blessed with fierce wanderlust and a grand sense of adventure and they dragged my older sister and I along, sometimes against our will, to whatever far-flung North American destination had captured their imaginations.

WE’D PUT in 14-hour days, arriving at some cheap motel in the wee hours, weary from the day’s journey. My dad always had just one SUPER sunburned arm from resting it on the open window while he drove. My mom, always the passenger, had piles and piles of maps and AAA books that were our bibles for finding a place to eat or sleep or discovering some obscure out-of-the-way attraction that my sister and I would grumble about. We were rarely allowed to stop to use the bathroom (my dad would “forget” to pull off the exit). We ate fast food for breakfast (sometimes lunch + dinner, too). My big sis would kick me if even a pinky fingernail crossed “the line” to her side. She and I once snuck ALL of my dad’s 8-track tapes out of the car just minutes before we shoved off, leaving Barry Manilow, Lionel Richie and the whole rad gang behind (probs still the most naughty + mean-spirited thing I’ve ever done). And in all of that, somehow, The Road became a part of me.

I AM now the one in the passenger seat, though my navigational skills leave a bit to be desired and I have an app on my phone to find the nearest gas station. But my little family does road trip a lot because we love to ski and camp and raft and many of the places we want to go are tiny specs on a map or vast wilderness areas that can only be reached by winding, unpaved roads. Our littlest rocked his first camping adventure when he was 8 weeks old. My boys are def enduring the same fate that my sister and I did, though with decidedly more grace most of the time.

WE’VE learned a thing or two over the years and miles and I thought I’d share a few tips. The fact is, it’s a lot to ask of a kiddo to sit still and chill for hours on end and we’ve found some ways to alleviate some of the boredom. My mom always packed us a few fun new things for our long trips and I do the same for my boys for the real doozies. As I mentioned, my older guy gets super car sick, so devices aren’t an option, plus I have a thing about making them endure the same forced meditation that I did when I was little, staring at the changing landscape and letting the mind wander and ponder your place in it. Maybe that’s kind of mean mama or maybe it’ll help instill in them the same sense of belonging to the meandering road that it has in me. Anyhoo, this is a long post, just like the road ahead, so settle in…

ON OUR first really long drive when the boys were old enough to realize that they were super bored, I bought them each a Road Atlas and marked our route on the pages. Then I stashed 6-7 little wrapped presents in their backpacks, each with a note that said “open me when we get to ______.” They had to find each place on the map and then watch for signs that we’d arrived or were passing through there, then they’d get to open that little treasure. The packages weren’t big things, some were meant to entertain and distract, some were just fun snacks or a lollipop (if you don’t want to end up with a car full of trash, take anything you can out of the bulky package before you wrap it). But it kept their minds busy and they were so excited when we got to the funny out-of-the-way places that I’d marked. You def don’t need to wrap things or even have presents, you could just mark a map and say ‘tell me when we get to _____’ and then hand them a gummy bear or give them a high-five. I’ll for sure be employing this little game again for our upcoming trip.

BECAUSE my older son gets wicked car sick and is a super busy-bodied kid, he brings along lots of fidgets to distract both mind and body during the long stretches of road. We have tried just about every kind out there and he for sure has some favorites. As with lots of things, fidgets are personal to the kiddo (or adult) who uses them, but a few of the coolest ones would probably entertain just about any wiggly kid. I’m pretty sure we have every kind of NeeDoh that they’ve ever made and my guy LOVES them all. They’re squishy and satisfying and actually really durable as far as those things go. Shashibo cubes are also a favorite. It’s a magnetic cube that can be transformed into 70 different shapes. It has really trippy cool graphics on it and my son just loves to manipulate it. It’s only one piece, so there aren’t any little bits to lose. He also loves the Speks Geode, The Amazing Star Cube, Monkey Noodles and these funny poppy things.

MY YOUNGER son can keep down his cookies, so there are more options for him to stay entertained. He loves to draw and likes to bring his Boogie Board along. We have the original model that was gifted to us several years ago and he loves it, but they make a bunch of versions now, including one with rainbow colors. It’s a fantastic analog toy and has held up really well to the abuse it endures being dragged around and lost between the seats. He also loved the Melissa & Doug Water Wow books that have a little tube for water that changes the colors and reveals the picture on each page. It’s super contained, not messy and he would do the same pictures over and over again with no complaint. And they have lots of different themes for whatever your little is in to that day. StickBot is also a hit with him. He can play with it forever, posing it and sticking it to the window to see how long it’ll hold on. It’s totally generic so can become any “guy” (or gal or creature) that my little can think up. It’s a good one for kiddos with a big imagination.

WE’VE ALSO found a few things that keep the whole family entertained together, which is quite a feat. Would You Rather has provided hours of entertainment and giggles. Likewise with Mad Libs, which are always good for a few laughs even if (or just because) it often devolves into a bunch of potty words strewn together. My little loves to play a version of 20 questions that’s all about animals and he’ll keep us going FOREVER on that one. It’s sweet and passes the miles. My boys also like to play a game where they each take one ear bud and then they take turns DJ-ing for each other. I’m never totally sure what they’re listening to, but it most often erupts into loud, silly howls. It’s kind of a don’t ask, don’t tell situation (I know they’re all kid’s songs, just REALLY stupid ones). Last summer we listened to 20 hours and 37 minutes of a Harry Potter book and then started in on the Warriors and Spy School series’, all of which are performed beautifully and we ALL really enjoyed. The miles just fly by when everyone’s engaged in the story.

AND LASTLY, the REALLY not sexy stuff that nobody else will tell you, but you might really want to know, especially if you’re new to this gig. I always keep a few empty ziplocks or small trash bags and some baby wipes in the glovebox in case there’s a vomit situation or you just need to wrangle all the garbage that piles up. I also keep a wag bag or two in the car for any #2 emergencies that might need to take place on the side of the road. We’ll do just about anything to avoid going into grody gas stations these days, plus you could be 43 miles from the nearest restroom of any kind when the urge strikes. You can, of course, just dig a hole, but this is much more tidy and better for the water supply.

WE ALWAYS have some big squishy lovies or neck pillows and a blanket for the kiddos to rest their sleepy heads. And, of course, TONS of snacks. This is when I bust out the junky chips or snacks that I wouldn’t normally buy as a special treat/major distraction. If we do need to stop for actual gas, we sometimes let the boys pick out a “gas station snack,” which is always crappy, but is super special and fun for them and keeps them entertained for a bit. Obvs don’t JUST pack a bunch of junk or you’ll be super sorry, probably around mile 253, and taking my name in vain, which I would very much not like.

IF WE’RE going into the boonies, as we usually are, I drag my 'doctor kit' with meds, tinctures, ointments, bandages, rubber gloves and just about every other thing you *might* need if someone is sick, stung or just a little bit hurt (we have an actual first aid kit for real injuries if our final destination is camping or rafting). You might get an eye roll from your significant other on this one, but those eyes ONLY roll until they’re the one who has the runs in the middle of the desert. Yep, told you this wasn’t going to be sexy. But I’m done now, I’ll stop grossing you out. I just want to shoot you lovelies straight so nobody is left unprepared (or with an untreated rash). We look at our route along the way and see if we can find a park or a rest stop near a river or anywhere we can stop, have a snack, stretch, breath fresh air and get some wiggles out. It’s well worth the few extra minutes for the awesome reset, especially for the driver.

I KNOW that road tripping can be daunting or a straight-up nightmare for some families, and we for sure have had our moments, but they don’t usually last very long if I’m prepared to distract. I see it as an opportunity to spend some time with my little family as a captive audience. We don’t have the distractions of everyday life; there’s no laundry to do or meals to cook or shopping to get done. I can’t read in the car either, so I’m not looking at my phone or my laptop. It’s a chance to really space out and watch the landscape evolve, the weather shift, the colors change, the light transition and to make some really lasting memories. So buckle up and try to find the beauty in your journey. And bring a ton of stuff just in case you don’t. xo