Car Trips with Children - Part 1: Supplies

Lots of people think we are crazy, to drive such long distances with 3 small children. To a certain extent, I agree. However, Arch and I love road trips, and we love a challenge, so it just makes sense to us to figure out how to make the seemingly impossible happen: an enjoyable road-trip with 3 girl-babies under 5 years of age!

A friend recently asked for some tips, and in an over-caffeinated state I went a little overboard in my response, so I thought I would include some pictures and make this just a fun "how-to" for everyone to enjoy!

So here is what we bring along for our entertainment pleasure:

For Mom/Dad:

• A list of all the things we want and/or need to talk about. 
• In case you haven't heard, Archer had a list of his thoughts about dating, that took him over an hour to explain after he said the words: "I like you a lot and would like to pursue a dating relationship." I thought this was soooo charming. We like lists. ;-)
• For example: the fights conversations that we both fell asleep in previously that might actually need to be discussed, as well as how-to-deal-with-the-latest-child-who-has-stumped-us strategy discussions, which state should we travel or move to next ideas, etc.
• All the latest podcasts of interest: from NPR: Cartalk, Planet Money, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Science Friday, and then all of the most recent sermons from Mark Driscoll, John Piper, and our two home churches: Coram Deo (Omaha) and Knox Presby (Ann Arbor). 
• Our respective favorite music.

For the girls:

• Audio Books. We just got into these, but you can download a TON of kids books online. I recently found a bunch of Beatrix Potter and Winnie the Pooh. I've also heard some good things about Gustav Mole, but haven't gotten a hold of those myself. I did download a few free Adventures in Odessey, but they seemed a bit too old for the girls (and too corny for me, personally).

• Coloring. I like to have like a clipboard for them so they can actually keep it still/firm to color. I bought a carseat tray but it isn't a whole lot better than their laps, honestly, and just ended up being extra paraphernalia in the backseat, so I haven't used it in a while. I get a select # of markers/crayons in a ziploc for each girl, and that's what they get.
• Sewing cards. I just put them in a gallon size ziploc (scrap the box) and these are great.

• Magnetic scenes to play with. Someone gave us two American girl scenes, and I found a ballerina magnetic paper-doll type thing, so those are favorites. Like this. I never would have thought of it, but it's fun. 

• Books, of course. At first I would bring the big anthologies because there were more stories, but they can't handle those themselves easily in their carseats, so now I go for the big sturdy flat ones with lots of little things to look at: Richard Scarry types are good, as are things like One Thousand Words, and Things People Do. Board books if they tend to tear them. And magazines like Highlights High Five (or "mazagines" as Noelle would say). They can rip them up and I just toss 'em. 

• Sticker activity books. Love the Roger Priddy ones the best. Very good travel occupation! It's like a scavenger hunt to find where each sticker goes.

Snacks:

• Fruit snacks (my kids think these are candy)
• Peanut butter crackers
• Apples 
• Dried fruit - mangoes and prunes. These are especially good, I think, to help keep everyone's digestion somewhat healthy while on the road when our eating habits are in uproar.
• Little packets of M&Ms are great for when everybody really just needs an attitude adjustment. 
• Juice boxes

And finally:
The best things that ever happened to our road trips, and what I would consider highly worthwhile investments are:
3) a kiddie potty setup
2) an iPad
and
1) a minivan