This post is sponsored by Welch’s® Fruit Rolls. I am being compensated for this post. All comments and opinions are my own.
Hey Y’all! Spring is here and all the mama’s out there know what lies just around the corner…. SPRING BREAK! This year we went on a road trip from New Hampshire all the way down the Eastern Seaboard to Florida! And today I’m sharing my big road trip secret! The Road Trip Backpack!
As a child, my parents always tried to have something fun planned for us to do on spring break. Some years we went camping close to home, in the coastal woodlands of Florida, other years we hiked up and down mountains in North Carolina, or Georgia. Other years we took road trips to places like theme parks, or to visit family members that we didn’t get to see often. Now that I’m a parent, spring break has a totally different meaning, like planning a fun trip and all the details that trips involve, like lodging, a budget, making sure the places we go are actually worth the trip and making sure the ride is as easy and enjoyable as possible.
One of the things that I’ve learned over the last few years taking road trips is that the key to a great road trip is “The Road Trip Backpack.”
The first few family road trips we ventured on I did what most people do. I packed a bag with snacks, a bag with car activities like books, cross-word puzzles, little activity packs, coloring books, crayons, stickers, phone chargers, and movies. PLUS, I had back up activity after back up activity for my son to do when he got bored. WELL. It just resulted in a giant mess of stuff. Nothing ever stayed organized and we ended up throwing away so many of the activities that I had spent so much time prepping. We even had a lost crayon melt in between the seats, not cool. Plus, having to spend half the trip turned around helping my son with his activities made for a lovely back and neck ache, also not cool, especially while on vacation!
Introducing my perfected technique: The Road Trip Backpack.
Here’s how it works: each child gets their own backpack, just a small kid size one that they can wear and that is their responsibility to help fill. I help my son decide what some good (small) toys and activities are to pack in it. We also head to Walmart or Publix to pick a few special snacks, like Welch’s Fruit Rolls, cheese sticks and dry cereal to make snack packs with to put in his backpack too. Letting my son, who is 5, take on some of the responsibility of deciding what exactly to pack actually helps when we are on the road because he tends to be more content with the items he brings. Then during the trip whenever your child wants a snack, or to do a new activity they can just get it out of their own backpack. It cuts down on mess, on stress and back aches!
Inside Thomas’ Road Trip Backpack!
Activity 1: Building block box – For this road trip, Thomas asked if he could bring some of his tiny building blocks. At first I said no because I couldn’t think of a way he would be able to use them without some sort of tray table. But then I had an idea! I filled a small shoe box with blocks and then using double sided tape, taped a larger landscape sized piece onto the top, so he now has a little lap building block box that fits perfectly into his Road Trip Backpack!
Activity 2: Tablet – I know that so many people rag on technology for kids BUT it can really be a great tool for education and they are a terrific option for traveling. Think about it, on a tablet your kid can color, draw, do puzzles, learn letters, do math and other counting activities, sorting activities, mazes, and other “brain games” all on ONE device. The non-tech version of this is activity books, paper printouts and loads of crayons and pencils, which can actually create a lot of waste as well as take up tons of space in an already crammed car. Before going on a road trip I always search for new apps that I know my son would love. He enjoys puzzles, mazes and building games, so we search through the new apps together the night before we leave and download any new ones that catch his eye so that while we are on the road the newer apps and games are more exciting for him, thus he will play on them longer before getting bored!
Snacks: Welch’s Fruit Rolls – Welch’s Fruit Rolls are a go-to snack for our family anyways, but especially for our Road Trip Backpack because they are the ultimate mom and kid friendly snack! They are individually wrapped and pack nicely in a backpack or snack pack and aren’t messy, like crackers or chips! Welch’s Fruit Rolls have 100% of the daily value of Vitamin C as well as 25% of their daily value of Vitamins A and E. They are so tasty that not only does my son love them, but so do my husband and I. One thing I like to do for Thomas’ Road Trip Backpack is create little “snack packs” by pairing a few snacks together in one container. So don’t forget to “Unroll the Fun” with Welch’s Fruit Rolls on your Spring Break Trip and you can learn more about Welch’s Fruit Rolls HERE!
I hope these Road Trip Backpack ideas help y’all on your upcoming spring break and future school vacation weeks!
