We had an 8 hour car ride with 5 kids. My kids are decent travelers, but I wanted to do something extra fun for the long day of driving. Here is one of my favorite car trip hacks!

The kids had a present to open on each hour of the drive. It made the time go by so fast, and the kids were happy and anxious to see what would come next.

Car Presents Info

We didn’t get in the car until 8:00, so they got to open the first present right away. It was the Barbie: Puppy Chase movie. I had expected them to be pretty tired from waking up earlier than normal, so this would be a low-key way to start the drive.

Next, at 9:00 we had a little container of treats for everyone. Every car trip needs a good treat!

At 10:00, they each got a toy/activity to work on. By now the movie was over, so I wanted something to keep their hands busy. These Dry Erase Workbooks are a favorite.

At 11:00, they got books. I specifically chose books that my kids had shown interest in, and should last them a while.

Noon, we stopped to get some lunch, so I didn’t do a present in this hour. We don’t eat out very often, so it was like a special treat.

After lunch, at 1:00 I gave them new notebooks to decorate with stickers, and then we did a few drawing prompts. Lots of fun!

And finally, I knew the baby would be getting tired and everyone else would be getting antsy by now, so we had a 2:00 movie of Finding Nemo, which we haven’t watched in a long time. When the movie was over, we had about 20 minutes to our destination. It was amazing!

I hope this car trip hack comes in handy for you! What other things do you do to keep young kids happy on long car rides?

Happy Travels!

Kristen

The post Road Trip Hack With Kids first appeared on Just A Mommy Minute.

The post Road Trip Hack With Kids appeared first on Just A Mommy Minute.

With 5 kids under 10 years old, life gets hectic and messy. These 5 products help save my sanity on a frequent and daily basis. These are my must have kid products that I don’t want to live without.

1. A Good Water Bottle

I got tired of having twenty cups pulled out of the drawer, used for a half a second, and then left all over the kitchen. We got our kids these Contigo Water Bottles and used a Label Maker to put their names on them. You could also let them decorate their own with stickers (might come off or fade in the dishwasher), or purchase different colors for each child. I prefer the stainless steel ones that I linked, because it keeps water cool for longer than the plastic. We love being able to grab them to bring in the car or take to the park quickly because they are always sitting on the counter ready to use.

2. Plaque Disclosing Tablets

Our bedtime routine is busy getting multiple kids in pajamas, teeth brushed, flossed, mouthwash, journals, stories, prayers, kiss, and tucked in. I want to make sure my kids have good oral hygiene, but needed to let the older ones take responsibility for their own teeth. These tablets help them learn how to brush well and get rid of ALL the plaque. We usually use one every other week, or so, to make sure they don’t start slacking!

3. Comfortable Walking Sandals

These shoes are one of the most versatile and comfortable kid shoes I have found. Each of my kids owns a pair. They are great for walks, hiking, splash pads, water parks, playgrounds, etc. They can get wet and dry out quickly, but also have good grip in the soles. There are many color options. I also like that they are closed toe, and have an adjustable heel strap. I have not had any problems with the velcro and typically my kids grow out of them before they wear out.

4. Toy Organization

Organization!!! I have tried many different systems with toys. The exploded toy room seems to by my kids’ favorite, but I prefer an organized method. These smaller bins work well for a lot of our toy sets, but these larger ones are nice for building blocks, train tracks, or larger toy sets. Again, use a label maker or put sticker labels so the kids know how to clean up!

5. Pantry Snack Storage

“I’m hungry” and “Can I have a snack?” are two of the most commonly spoken phrases in my house. I like to have healthy and grab-able options for these occasions. These containers sit on the bottom shelf in my pantry, so my kids can reach everything on their own. Some ideas of what I keep on hand are pretzels, granola bars/fruit bars, dried cranberries, mixed nuts, dried mangoes, trail mix, and, let’s be honest…chocolate chips! I also try to keep apples on the counter and string cheese in the fridge.

These 5 kid products make my life run more smoothly with lots of children in my house.

What are some of your parenting ‘must-haves’?

The post 5 Favorite Kid Products first appeared on Just A Mommy Minute.

The post 5 Favorite Kid Products appeared first on Just A Mommy Minute.