5 Simple Tips for Smooth Travel with Kids in a Car

Planning a road trip? Don’t skip our simple tips for smooth travel with kids. Each easy activity is fun, engaging, and encourages learning — perfect for the small traveler!

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #SummerIsForSavings #CollectiveBias #WFM2

As much as I love a vacation, there are certain difficulties when it comes to traveling… and even more so, when traveling with kids. Later this summer, we’ll be traveling 12 hours in the car with a toddler and a kindergartener. Though visiting Disney World will be a blast, traveling on the road could get a bit bumpy {pun intended *wink*}. So, we’re taking these few months beforehand to prepare for long hours in the car — aiming for smooth travel with kids.

[Tweet “5 Tips for Smooth Travel with Kids #freeprintable #creatingahome”]

5 Tips for Smooth Travel with Kids

#1 Chart the Trip with GPS

Just because we depend so heavily on GPS nowadays, doesn’t mean that kids can’t learn to follow a map and chart their travels. Whether you grab a road atlas or download a printable “Map My Trip” kit, give kids a way to participate in the navigation. They’ll enjoy learning to use the phone’s GPS app, and charting progress on a map.

Free Printable Road Map Template and Travel Cards

Road Trip Atlases for Kids {images are affiliate links}

#2 Make a Road Trip Playlist

What’s playing on the radio when you are driving? Do you have sing-alongs as a family? Are you a podcast junkie?

Before you go on the road, prep a playlist {or several!} on your phone. As a family, we have been building a playlist inspired by Walt Disney World rides and live shows.

Playlists for Kids {images are affiliate links}

#3 Take a Travel Kit

Fill an old backpack or tote bag with a travel kit, made from items you may have around the house. We keep our kit in the car, within easy reach of the kids. Included in the travel kit are some of their favorite activities, such as Legos for building and crayons for drawing.

For tips on creating your own travel kit, including free labels, check out this post.

Free Printable Travel Kit Labels

Travel Kits for Kids {images are affiliate links}

#4 Utilize Travel Apps

Depending on where you are traveling; there just might be “an app for that.” Walt Disney World has a travel app that tracks everything from dinner reservations to ride wait times. In fact, we could let the kids book our Fast Passes while we drive!

Car Trip Apps {images are affiliate links}

#5 Play Travel Games

My husband and I love the journey — not just the destination — and we want to instill that same appreciation in our children. That’s why I created a set of travel games {you can download them for free, too!} for our road trip. Playing games together, as a family, encourages conversation and family bonding through play.