We recently took our almost three-year-old triplets on our first road trip of the summer. In the past, we tried to plan any and all travel around naptime, but naps are fewer and farther between these days, so we knew we couldn’t rely on them sleeping for much of the ride. I turned to Amazon and the Dollar Tree to find activities that would occupy them during our four-hour drive, and here’s what I recommend!
Trays: I’d seen a few influencers recommend these trays, but I wasn’t totally sure how they would work for us since the kids sit three across. Let me tell you, these were a GAME CHANGER. They have a buckle to stay in place and allowed us to pack smaller activities like Play-Doh, figurines, and crafts.
Organizer: We used a three-section trunk organizer and gave each kid their own section for activities, snacks, and drinks. It held a ton and fit perfectly at their feet, allowing me to easily access it throughout the drive to switch out their activities.
Activity kits for every 15-20 minutes: I used small plastic bins and zipper pouches from the Dollar Tree to organize a variety of activities for each of the kids. The biggest hit by far was the Play-Doh, and the worst decision was the Legos (too small for their tiny hands on a bumpy ride!). We also had good luck with the small figurine sets and the water-pen coloring books. After each activity, we’d put everything back in the bin or pouch and then place it back into the organizer before picking something new.
Finally, I think the biggest key for us was offering some activities they had never seen or hadn’t seen in a while. Once we got home, I stashed our organizer in storage with all the car activities so that they would seem “new” again when we take road trip #2 in a few weeks. Happy traveling! Xx - Mikala Ferry (@themoretheferryer)
