Summer in Dallas is in full swing. The AC is cranked up, the kids are complaining of boredom, and mom is dreaming of a vacation! And now more than ever, families are opting for road trip getaways.
I know what you’re thinking, Mom. Endless hours of hearing your kids ask, “Are we there yet?” doesn’t sound like a vacation. That’s why I’ve prepared 10 fun and easy-to-prep road trip activities for your kids. Some of the prep is as minimal as clicking “Add to Cart.” I call that a win! All that’s left to do is pick your destination and load the family into the minivan.
10 Minimal-Prep Road Trip Activities for Kids
1. Window Clings
An easy Dollar Spot find will give you some peace and quiet as younger kiddos happily arrange and rearrange these on a window or dry erase board. I even bring these on airplanes, and they work like a charm!
2. License Plate Game
Keep your older kids busy with this fun spin on the license plate game. Take to Pinterest and print out this map of the United States. Each time your child sees a license plate from a new state, they get to color in the coordinating state. Once you reach your destination, whoever has colored in the most states wins a prize!
3. Scratch Art Books
For the younger kids, try a scratch and reveal book from
Melissa and Doug with Safari Animals or Princesses. They have several to choose from!
4. Easter Egg Snacks
Spread out snacks and make each one a surprise. Fill plastic Easter eggs ahead of time with small snacks such as Goldfish, cereal, fruit snacks, or grapes. The kids will be delighted to see what’s inside each one, and it keeps them from eating all the snacks at once!
5. Mad Libs
Do you remember Mad Libs? I can remember hours of belly laughs over words like
diaper and
smelly in the most hilarious places. Now it’s fun hearing which words my daughter giggles over! I promise these are fun for the whole family!
Purchase this road trip Mad Libs book or print or create your own!
6. Reusable Sticker Pads
I love that
these sticker sets are compact and can be used multiple times. We take them in the car, to church, and to waiting rooms—they’re a lifesaver! Older kids might enjoy a
Sticker by Number as an alternative, though these are not reusable.
7. Popcorn Storytelling
Your family might call this game something different, but the general idea is that each family member tells part of the story. When they are ready for someone else to take over, they say “Popcorn!” along with the family member’s name. I always enjoy leaving my portion of the story on a cliffhanger before handing it over.
8. Alphabet I Spy
Give each child a notebook with the letters of the alphabet spaced out. Have them draw or write down things they see that start with each letter. You could make this one a competition too. If they finish, they win a prize or the whole family goes out for ice cream once you reach your destination! Here is an example from my daughter’s notebook:
9. Water Art
Another fun on-the-go, no-mess option are
Water Art Pads. They have learning ones where kids can practice ABCs and 123s as well as other fun themes such as animals or dinosaurs.
10. Road trip Scavenger Hunt
Print out this fun
Road Trip Scavenger Hunt and see how many things your children can find on the way to your vacation spot!
Now that you have the entertainment part of the trip down, tell us where you plan to travel to this summer. We want to know!
