Help Me Prepare For My 8 Hour Car Ride

[Anonymous]

We're heading down south to the beach and will be in the car at least 8 hours with a 3 year old (37 months) and a 15 month old. We're in a minivan with a dvd player so I'll obviously bring a few favorite dvds. Any tips or best practices for such a long ride? Any must-haves? Anything to avoid so the kids don't get car sick? Any snacks that will be perfect for the car?

And once we get to the beach.... anything I should 100% bring from home and have on hand for the kids. So far I'm packing a baby gate and the baby's portable high chair. I ordered some beach toys, a few klean canteens, some floatie things for the kids. Anything else that was a life save for you on a week long beach trip with the toddlers?

[Anonymous]

Perfect snacks for the car= favorite cereal, cheese crackers, raisins. With the 15 month old, I would get an inflatable pool or some kind of pop-up shade creator to keep baby entertained on the beach. At least you can put some water in it and keep the little one entertained while the 3 year old can play in the sand with a watchful eye. I also find UVA/UVB shirts to be a lifesaver when trying to reapply sunscreen a thousand times. Saves time. Enjoy your time on the beach with your kids!

[Anonymous]

Keep liquids in closed containers to keep down on spills. Snacks that aren't too messy or might melt if left in the car. Bring a cooler with ice packs to keep things cold for everyone. We usually pack sandwiches for the adults and have drinks and other food on hand for quick stops. We plan on stopping for gas, stretch the legs etc but the timing can be off if your kids fall asleep and you don't want to wake them. I also travel with different size food storage containers - for bringing food in the car, bringing snacks to the beach, left overs from resturaunts etc.

Certainly sand toys- buckets, shovels etc. The sand gets hot so we always have water shoes - not open toed sandals they fill up too quickly with sand- for the kids so they can walk on the sand. Whatever hat you bring for the kids make sure it has an under the chin strap - too many baseball caps have sailed away because there was no way to keep them on the kids head. Also an umbrella or sun shade its really important. We found when the kids were younger they couldn't do a full day at the beach - we'd go first thing in the morning and late afternoon - worked well because it was less crowded.

We also put on the sunscreen in the house BEFORE we left for the beach - easier when there is no sand around. The cover up shirts are great and a pair of sunglasses for the glare.

Have fun

[Anonymous]

Carsickness? No traveling on an empty stomach. The middle seat position is best, so whichever child is more prone to carsickness, install their seat there. Keep the air temp pretty cool as well. Riding forward facing helps my son a lot, but I understand if you don't want to do that with a 15 month old for sure.


I keep a pop-up trash can in the car with a plastic bag in it. Throw trash, wrap up, and throw away at a fast food place or other area with a trash can.

[SAM2]

If you can, start your drive in the afternoon (5pm?) so that your kids will fall sleep for part of it. Alternatively, load the car the night before and start early in the morning (4:30am?), so they'll sleep for the first 2-3 hours and then be in good morning moods for the rest of the drive.

Whether this works obviously depends a a lot own kids' individual temperaments, and also on your travel schedule. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Spray sunscreen is amazing.
Keep a portable potty easily accessible in the car.
Sticker books and drawing materials - we received one of those lap drawing kits as a gift for 3yo dd and it was a lifesaver this year. Also colorforms and magnetic play kits.
Keep a trash bag in the car.
Leave at 3am and put them in the car in their pajamas, still asleep.