This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sam’s Club. All opinions are 100% mine.
Have a road trip planned? As parents there is no such thing as starting to prepare too soon. We can avoid so many breakdowns and toddler tantrums by simply planning ahead and having a few pre-planned tricks up our sleeve.
How to prepare for a road trip with kids
1. Pack lots of snacks!
There’s nothing worse than a hungry kid stuck in a car — avoid it by making an on-the-go snack basket. You can start gathering all the non-perishables now and then just add in a few pieces of fruit right before your trip.
2. Pack plenty of games and quite time activities.
I love to stop by the dollar store before we leave and buy a few new surprise items for my daughter. She doesn’t know about any of them until we get in the car and I give them to her one a time spacing them a little to help the time go by.
Books on tape can be borrowed from the library.
3. Movies are your friends!
Be ok with the fact that your kids will be on screens more than you usually allow at home. A road trips only come every once and a while so it’s ok to bend that rule a little for the car trip, it’s not going to harm them.
4. Dare I say it… Pack less.
I’m not saying leave essentials at home but for the others stuff less is more. An uncluttered car is going to create a more peaceful environment while an overstuffed car can cause frustration — for everyone.
5. Avoid the flat tire!
In a kids mind a non-moving car = a boring car. No one wants to be the mother who is stuck on the side of the road with kids in the car, especially not hundreds of miles from home. It’s always a good idea to have the car tuned up before you head out on a long road trip, have the oil changed and have the car looked over to make sure everything is running well. If you’re tires are getting a little bald, you’ll want to get those changed before your trip.
Sam’s Club is a great place to get those new tires. Not only do they have low prices on tires and offer a great value on their Tire Installation Package* ($15/tire, $25/dually tire) but my favorite part is that they offer emergency roadside tire service — for three years from the date of purchase, members have 24-hour toll free access for emergency tire change service! A great deal for us moms! See details about their #DareToCompare Twitter Party with prizes below!
*Sam’s Club will match a valid “all in” quote from a tire and installation retailer dated in the past 7 business days. Read about it here!
Join the Sam’s Club #DareToCompare Twitter Party!
- Date: 3/11/15
- Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST
- Host/CoHost: @DealSeekingMom / @MomSpark
- Prizes:
- (4) $50 Sam’s Club Gift Cards
- (3) $75 Sam’s Club Gift Cards
- (2) $100 Sam’s Club Gift Cards
- (1) $500 Grand Prize Gift Card
- Hashtag: #DareToCompare
- Must attend party to win, winners announced through out party.
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Marta Mart says
Great post! Thanks for sharing! And if anyone is flying with kiddos I recommend our post on http://stickyfingersbahrain.blogspot.com/2014/06/3-best-tips-when-flying-with-children.html
Thanks!