25 Road Trip Essentials For A Whine-Free Family Vacation

Road trips are the best. As a kid, they were always my favorite way to travel (you know, back when seat belts were “optional” and my sister and I would put the seats down and roll around in our sleeping bags). There are a few more safety regulations these days, but there are also a lot more cool gadgets and games to get us through it. BTW, how did our parents survive road trips without iPads?!

Personally, I love the idea of being stuck in the car with a few good albums, some audiobooks, and my favorite snacks, but it’s not always so easy for kids. They get antsy, they get bored, and then they get whiny. The. Worst. So I’ve put together a list of twenty-five awesome road trip essentials that will keep the kids entertained in the car, your batteries charged (literally and figuratively), and everybody enjoying the sights and sounds of the open road until you get to your final destination. Check them out in the slideshow.

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Road Trip Essentials for a Whine-Free Family Vacation

National Geographic Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas

When we're in the car (or anywhere, really), my daughter has a million questions. "Where are we going? What's the weather like there? What is there to do?"—the list goes on and on. That's why I love this interactive atlas book from National Geographic. It's full of gorgeous pictures, easy-to-read road maps of each state, plus cool facts and roadside attractions, games, and activities.

Buy it: Amazon for $4.43
Sea-Band Wristband

Unfortunately, my daughter gets extremely carsick. Like, every single time we head out on an adventure. I don't like the idea of dosing someone so small with too much Dramamine (though I always keep it around), but then my sister-in-law suggested car sickness bands and we have been puke free ever since (well, nearly).

Buy it: Walgreens for $13.99
Tic Tac Toe

It's great to have a few games that you can take and play anywhere, and tic tac toe has always managed to provide quite a bit of entertainment for my kids. This one's awesome, too, because it comes in a magnetic tin so it's harder to lose track of the pieces (though surely not impossible for my kids).

Buy it: Amazon for $9.23
Headphones

These have been a godsend for long car journeys. Chances are, my daughter wants to listen to the Frozen soundtrack or repeat (or worse, her new favorite, a song by Ke$ha and Pitbull), and now she can do it without bothering anyone else in the car! Not to mention, these tiger headphones from Califone are super adorbz.

Buy it: Amazon for $13.11
Audiobooks

Now that my daughter finally has the attention span for longer books with less pictures, I love the idea of playing an audiobook when we're on the road. It's a great way to keep the whole family entertained, and it gives us something to talk about later, too! Magic Tree House is a classic choice, but the possibilities are endless.

Buy it: Amazon for $20.10
Snacks Galore

Make sure to pack snacks, snacks, and more snacks. And did I mention snacks? Nine times out of ten, when kids get whiny it's because they're getting hungry (or hangry, as the case may be). Keeping the car stocked with snacks that are easy to dole out and nibble is a surefire win.

Buy it: Vine Market for $5.39
Leak-Proof Insulated Cup

A good toddler cup is a lifesaver on a road trip (even for older kids). It's great to have something that won't soak kids' laps or the entire car if you drive over an unexpected pothole.

Buy it: Amazon for $9.49
Travel Scavenger Hunt for Kids

The difference between a good road trip and a terrible one is all about entertainment, and having a super fun game (like this scavenger hunt card game) is a fabulous way to keep brains busy. Plus, it help kids use all their senses to make the game even more fun.

Buy it: Amazon for $9.99
Mad Libs on the Road

I love Mad Libs. Always have. And now that my daughter is getting so good at reading and spelling, I love the idea of getting her to participate more in the activities. Set the kids up in the backseat with a pencil and a book of Mad Libs, and the whole family can participate and come up with some hilarious stories together.

Buy it: Amazon for $2.49
Reusable Sticker Packs

One time I gave my kids a pack of regular stickers in the back seat and you know what happened? I spent the next hour of my life scraping them off the windows with Goo Gone and a bad attitude. Since then, I've learned my lesson and will only hand back reusable sticker packs, which are great because the kids can create different scenes over and over again, while I know they'll peel off of anything in no time.

Buy it: Melissa and Doug for $4.99
Chat Pack Cards for Kids

Take advantage of all that car time and get to know each other a little more deeply. Chat Pack for Kids is 156 cards with questions designed to provoke conversation (for example, "Which musical instrument do you think would best describe your personality?") and get the whole family laughing and chatting.

Buy it: Amazon for $9.84
Igloo Iceless Cooler

It's been awhile since I've bought a cooler and OMG. Did you know that you don't even need ice for your cooler anymore? No more frantic trips to the gas station because Mom and Dad forgot to buy ice and now the Coke is warm and the sandwiches are about to turn and everybody is on edge; instead, you just plug it into your car. Road trips (and my kids' lives) are forever changed.

Buy it: Target for $99
Disposable Camera

I don't know about your kids, but mine have a tendency to drop my phone four out of the five times I let them use it. So while I'm sure you'd love to have them document your trip from their point of view, you probably don't want it to happen on your camera. Instead, why not invest in a couple of disposable cameras? They're pretty much unbreakable, the dial on the back provides minutes of enjoyment, and you get the added anticipation of waiting to see what photos actually got taken.

Buy it: Amazon for $23.20 (three pack)
P Is for Princess Book

I'm not sure I can fully convey how much my daughter loves this book. It has kept her busy for hours upon hours in the car because it is full of different things to do—of course, there are the princesses to check out, but each page also features a letter to trace and several flaps which hide items starting with that page's letter.

(And while I haven't been able to find a non-princess version, this Cars seek-and-find is about the same age level and is a big hit with both the kids as well.)

Buy it: Disney for $12.95
Kid-Tough Binoculars by Fisher Price

"I spy" is a fun game, but "I spy" using a pair of binoculars? I think we just upped the game to another whole level.

Buy it: Diapers.com for $15.49
Eric Carle's First Smart Pad

My kids are obsessed with their smart pads. They love how grown-up they feel, using them like they're working on an iPad or Kindle; I love that it's a fairly low-tech way to introduce them to letters and opposites, and it keeps them entertained on their own. Plus, this version's books are illustrated by Eric Carle, which is worth the price itself.

Buy it: Amazon for $23.88
Brady Rymer's Every Day Is a Birthday CD

There are only so many times a person can be expected to listen to "Let It Go," am I right? Add a new CD into the rotation that the whole family will enjoy (okay, easily tolerate). Brady Rymer's songs are upbeat and fun with lyrics that hit on things kids are thinking about, and, most importantly, they are highly singable.

Buy it: CD Baby for $9.99
Magnetic Wooden Alphabet by Melissa and Doug

Set your kiddo up with a cookie sheet and a bunch of these magnetic letters, and you've got the perfect venue to practice spelling and reading. Like M-O-M N-E-E-D-S A N-A-P.

Buy it: Amazon for $11.93
Jeep Car Trip Organizer

There is nothing worse than the chaos of junk that reigns during most road trips. (Fine, rest stop bathrooms are pretty bad and gas station coffee can be very hit-or-miss, but I think you know what I mean.) Get it under control with a handy back seat organizer that gives kids a place to put their cups, snacks, and books, and feel your stress subside.

Buy it: Target for $10.19
The Usborne Book of Drawing, Doodling, and Coloring

Keep your little artist entertained with 126 pages of drawing activities, doodling prompts, and crazy coloring. It's creative and hilarious, and you'll probably want to sneak in and work on a page or two once you remember how fun drawing can be.

Buy it: Dick Blick for $12.59
Batman Throw with Arms

There's nothing quite like the bliss that comes when the kids fall asleep in the back and you can finally turn on music that doesn't involve cows, princesses, or trucks. Encourage a good long nap with one of these hilarious throws that'll keep the kids warm and won't slide off while they're sleeping.

Buy it: Fun.com for $14.99
Color Block Mobile Phone Charger

The last thing you need is for your phone to run out of juice and leave you stranded without a Google map in sight. This one's great because it won't take up a lot of space, and it's totally cute.

Buy it: Bando for $18
Let's Look at Bugs Invisible Ink Book

Invisible ink books are the best. They're typically easy for kids to figure out on their own (there's usually not a lot of reading involved), there's no chance of mess, and, it doesn't matter how many times they do one, there's something magical about colors and words appearing on a page where a second ago there were none.

Buy it: Amazon for $6.49
Road Trip in a Box

The Dating Divas have clearly been on a road trip or two. They've put together an adorable pack of printables with ideas to keep the whole family entertained and upbeat. Included in the set are behavior reward cards, easy games to play, and activity tags so you can easily create fun surprises for different destinations.

Buy it: Dating Divas for $4.97
Crayola Window Markers

It's pretty much every kid's dream to write on the walls, isn't it? (I'm basing this solely on the amount of marker I've wiped off of walls in my life.) They're easy to clean up, and allow your little Picasso to express herself in a brand new place and an exciting new way. Awesome.

Buy it: Amazon for $4.90