The Best Products to Make Road Trips with Children Easier

The Best Products to Make Road Trips with Children Easier | AD

Whether you are heading out on a day trip somewhere relatively local or heading out on a long road trip to a destination far away, there are some things that make travelling by car with children challenging. In this guide we will look at some of the best products to make road trips with children easier. Read on for my recommendations. 

What makes travelling by car with kids difficult? 

Pros of family car travel

Sure, there are some big benefits to travelling by car as a family – which is why many families choose this option:

• It’s easy to keep everyone close together – no worrying about anyone running off!
• You have all your stuff easily accessible within your car.
• You can pack much more compared to other modes of transport. 
• You can enjoy access to your car at your destination for more trips.
• The children can easily nap/sleep while you’re travelling.
• Car travel is usually cheaper than trains or flying. 
• You can travel at your own pace without strict schedules. 
• You can take breaks when you or the kids need it. 

Cons of family car travel

There are some disadvantages too that can make road trips with children challenging:

• Tiring for the driver on long journeys especially if they’re in charge of looking after the kids.
• Children might get bored staying in one place for longer car journeys.
• The frequent question “Are we there yet?” might get on the driver’s nerves…
• Children have smaller bladders so need more frequent toilet stops.
• Children also have more of a need to stretch their legs and move around so you might need longer stops to let them play actively too. 
• The journey usually takes longer compared to trains or planes. 
• The risk of anything going wrong with the car such as a flat tyre is more stressful when you have little ones with you and a destination to get to. 

What can you do to make travelling by car with children easier?

Some of the above disadvantages are unavoidable of course but there are things that you can do to make travelling by car with kids easier. Plus some very clever products that really help too!

We have made some recent upgrades to our car with smart accessories from Amana. This brand makes products for babies, children and parents. Car seats, pushchairs, cribs, nursing chairs, highchairs, accessories for strollers and cars, and more. The brand’s mission is “to empower parents by offering thoughtfully designed, beautiful products that support exceptional baby care”.

For our car update, we got the following Amana products:

1. Amana 3in1 Car & Stroller Premium Organiser
2. Amana Car Seat Activity Table
3. Amana Pack of 2 Stroller Clips
4. Amana Deluxe Stroller Fan
5. Amana Car Boot Organiser

With these products, our car is now ready for road trip adventures with the kids. Let me show you how these work for us.

Amana 3in1 Car & Stroller Premium Organiser

First up, the Amana 3in1 Car & Stroller Premium Organiser which is a brilliant and versatile solution to on-the-go organisation of kids’ stuff. It’s a multi-functional travel accessory that you can use in 3 ways: as a stroller organiser to hang off the handlebars, as a tote bag, and as a backseat organiser. 

This handy product has multiple pockets, including a dedicated slot for an iPad with a transparent front, an extra large pocket, 4 mesh pockets, 2 cup holders and an oversized zip pocket that’s large and padded enough to hold a laptop when in Tote Bag mode. 

The Amana 3in1 Car & Stroller Premium Organiser is a stylish and practical way to improve your car set up for travelling with kids. It looks great, is easy to install and has so many handy pockets for stuff that kids want/need to have close by on car journeys such as:

• Drinks
• Toys
• Snacks
• Activities
• iPad for watching a movie on longer trips. 

It’s brilliant for the kids to have their essentials within reach like this. My girls are very happy with the new setup!

Amana Car Seat Activity Table

Next up, the Amana Car Seat Activity Table which is the perfect travel companion for longer journeys. This versatile table features plenty of pockets for storing essentials.

It has a foldable design that is compact for easy storage. It folds out quickly and easily into a tray that your child can use as a drawing board or play area, keeping everything contained on a stable surface. It has a holder for a drink in the corner too.

My girls love using it for colouring or activity books or as a surface for playing with small toys such as Lego or fidgets. This tray is excellent for using in the car but can also be used in the house. The latter is great for when visiting grandparents’ houses or staying in holiday homes where there might not be a suitable table for crafty activities. The activity table is durable, stain-proof, and easy to clean too.

 

Amana Pack of 2 Stroller Clips

Carabiner hooks are handy for many things, including for organising children’s stuff in the car. The Amana Pack of 2 Stroller Clips includes a super-sized clip and a smaller one. The larger one has a foam grip to prevent slipping and sliding and can hold up to 60lbs. These kinds of clips are excellent for carrying lots of bags on your stroller when out and about and also great for holding bags/toys in the car. The smaller clip is perfect for smaller items!

We use the larger clips for holding a children’s backpack on the back of the seat. We use the smaller one to hold a small wet bag to hold any rubbish from wrappers during the drive. Either hook is also great for keeping the most important teddies nearby! 

Amana Deluxe Stroller Fan

The next item is summer-specific – the Amana Deluxe Stroller Fan. It can quickly get too hot in the car, especially in the back seat so having a fan available to use in the car can be a lifesaver when the weather is warm.

The Amana Deluxe Stroller Fan features a 360° rotation so that you can adjust the breeze effortlessly in any direction. The durable fan is brushless and ultra-quiet too to ensure a peaceful environment for your children. It also features 3-speed modes and a large clip to attach it in the car (or on your stroller). The fan also features a 2-way power system – you can run it on 3 x AA batteries or plugged in via a USB cable.

Amana Car Boot Organiser

Last but not least, the Amana Car Boot Organiser to keep your boot space tidy! The boot of a car can quickly get messy when you have kids. Having this clever organiser available has made such a big difference to our car.

For day trips with the car, we use it to keep essentials tidy and easy to find when we need them. It’s got two or three (you can adjust this) main compartments plus lots of pockets around the sides. Plus it folds up compactly for when not in use and clips together securely.

Here you can see it filled with coats, hats, water bottles, a first aid kit, entertainment kits, and our emergency “sick bag”*. You can see where everything is, making it so easy to locate what you need without rummaging through everything.

*An emergency sick bag is something I would recommend all parents to create to keep in their boot too. Ours contains clean-up supplies (baby wipes, floor wipes, bin bags, kitchen roll, toilet roll), a small blanket, a small microfibre towel, a full set of spare clothes, a hair tie. If one of your children is sick during a car journey, you’ll have everything you need to get them and the car clean enough until you can get home or to your destination. 

More tips for making car journeys with children easier

As well as choosing products that help keep your car organised and your children entertained, there are a few other things that you can do to help a road trip with children go more smoothly:

• Choose the time of the trip wisely. If you can, strategic timing of the drive can make all the difference. If your child still naps, then nap-time is perfect for a drive. Or early morning or late night for children who can fall back asleep without problems. 
• Pack some toys that you know your child will enjoy. Perhaps something that you’ve hidden away for a while before the trip so they’ll be even more excited. 
• Other entertainment options include audiobooks (played on the car stereo or via a YOTO Mini Player or Storyphones headphones), travel games such as I Spy, or a little bit of screentime. Don’t let children sit with iPads or phones in their hands as looking down for a long time can make them feel car sick. Instead, use a holder like the Amana one above and play a downloaded offline film or episode of their favourite show. We like to save this option for the last leg of the trip when we go on road trips. 
• Dress your child in comfortable clothing for sitting down for the long drive. Soft, loose, thin clothes that will not cause discomfort from the car seat straps are essential. 
• Plan stops before you set off and choose options where your child can play to burn off some energy, like a playground or a castle, over just service stations. 
• Do plan some service station stops for toilet breaks. Ask your child if they need the toilet when you know you are getting close to one. Also pack a portable toilet such as a My Carry Potty for little ones or a Kiddiwhizz Whizzer for older children so that you’re ready for emergency wees! 
• Pack plenty of snacks and choose things that don’t create a lot of mess! I like to take individual packs of mini biscuits, mini breadsticks etc that can be popped straight into the mouth without biting bits off as this creates a lot less mess… Wraps are a great choice for sandwiches as they are less messy than regular bread too. Avoid anything sticky like chocolate or yoghurts. 
• Keep water easily accessible for your child in an insulated vessel that is non-spill too! 
• If your child is prone to be travel sick, then keep some Sea-Band Children’s Acupressure Bands in the car ready in case you need them.

Travelling by car with children is much easier when you are prepared and when your car is prepared for a road trip with kids. With the above tips and recommendations, you hopefully feel ready to get on the road with your family.

Collaboration.