After hundreds of hours in the car, these simple essentials have helped make the drive one of our favorite parts of every vacation.
Have you ever noticed how much time we spend planning the destination?
We research hotels, make restaurant reservations, and build itineraries...
But then we spend hours in the car just trying to survive the drive.
I know because we used to do the same thing.
As a teacher, mom of two, and the creator of Time Flies®, I've spent hundreds of hours on family road trips. Somewhere along the way, I realized something surprising:
Some of our favorite vacation memories happened before we ever arrived.
They happened while laughing together in the car.
During random trivia questions.
While watching the sunset through the windows.
While stopping to throw a tennis ball around at a rest stop.
Those moments don't happen by accident anymore.
They're part of how we travel.
Here are the six things we pack for every family road trip:
1. A Small Cooler Full of Easy Snacks 🍎
We keep a cooler between the kids with foods that are easy to grab and don't create a mess.
Our favorites include:
- Grapes
- Apples
- Cheese sticks
- Protein drinks
- Pretzels
- Other low-mess snacks
The less time we're cleaning crumbs, the more time we're enjoying the drive.
2. Everyone Gets Their Own Trash Bag 🗑️
This tiny habit makes a huge difference.
Every family member gets a small bag for wrappers, tissues, and snack trash.
Instead of the car slowly turning into a rolling landfill, everyone helps keep it clean.
It's one of those simple systems that saves dozens of little frustrations.
3. We Always Pack a Tennis Ball 🎾
Whenever everyone starts getting restless, we stop for five minutes.
That's it.
We throw a tennis ball.
Stretch our legs.
Laugh.
Move around.
Five minutes of movement often resets everyone's mood better than another hour of sitting.
4. We Use GasBuddy Before Every Fill-Up ⛽
Vacations are expensive enough.
Checking gas prices takes less than a minute and often saves enough for ice cream, souvenirs, or another family adventure.
Little savings add up.
5. We Listen to Kids Trivia Together 🎧
Instead of everyone disappearing into their own world, we answer trivia as a family.
The conversations that start from those questions are often better than the trivia itself.
Sometimes we learn something new.
Sometimes we laugh because nobody knows the answer.
Either way, we're talking together.
6. We Never Leave Without a Time Flies Activity ✏️
This has become one of our favorite family traditions.
Sometimes we pack our original Time Flies® card game.
Sometimes we bring Miles of Fun.
Both have one goal:
To help the drive become part of the vacation.
There's something special about hearing everyone laughing in the backseat instead of asking, "How much longer?"
Those are the moments I hoped Time Flies® would create.
The Best Road Trip Tip Isn't Something You Buy
After all these years, I've realized something.
Our favorite road trips weren't the ones with the fanciest destinations.
They were the ones where we enjoyed getting there.
The little conversations.
The unexpected laughs.
The silly games.
The five-minute stops to throw a tennis ball.
Those memories have stayed with our family long after we've unpacked our suitcases.
If Time Flies® can help another family create even a few of those moments, then it's doing exactly what I dreamed it would do.
Because the best family memories don't always happen at the destination.
Sometimes...
they begin somewhere between mile marker 37 and the next rest stop.
Ready for your next road trip?
If you're looking for an easy way to keep kids engaged, laughing, and making memories together, take a look at Miles of Fun, our printable road trip activity book. It prints at home, only requires something to write with, and was designed by a teacher and mom after hundreds of hours of family road trips.