As an Army family living in the middle of nowhere we travel a lot. The closest “big” city is an hour away so if we want to go to the zoo, children’s museum, mall, chain restaurant….you get my drift…we have to drive quite a while. We also love driving to Houston, which is 3 hours away, and Florida to see my family, which is 8 hours away. Needless to say, I have learned a lot over the last few year of traveling in the car with toddlers.
So today I have put together a list of items I recommend for Surviving a Road Trip with Toddlers along with a easy, made in only 1 minute, Toddler Snack Mix made with Gerber® Lil’ Beanies!
First thing’s first- before a trip we have to stock up on snacks from my hungry clan! We buy our snacks, including Stella’s favorite Gerber® Lil’ Beanies crunchy navy bean snacks, at our local Walmart. They are in baby food aisle and my girl – no joke – can eat a whole container on her own! I love that these are nutritious baked treats with 2 grams of protein (9% Daily Value), 1 gram of fiber, and 10% Daily Value of Vitamin E per serving! Even better Gerber® Lil’ Beanies are not made with genetically engineered (GM) ingredients and are naturally flavored! Gerber® Lil’ Beanies have helped me, as a toddler parent, create a happier and healthier snacking experience for my little ones.
Ava is 3 {going on 13} and Stella is 18 months so they like to share the same snacks and meals. One of their favorites are snack mixes that I mix up. Basically I empty an assortment of crackers, cereals, {healthier} cookies, and Gerber® Lil’ Beanies in a container, give it a stir, and voila- 1 Minute Snack Mix!
Scroll down for the recipe!
Save on Gerber® Lil’ Beanies with this iBotta coupon offer!
Check it out here.
Surviving a Road Trip with Toddlers
It’s road trip time and when you have got two wild and crazy kiddos under 4 like me you have to be prepared. Here are a few of my favorite items to have in the car for your toddlers and kids during a road trip.
Lap Mat
This thing is the bees knees, y’all. They can eat on it, color, read books, you name it.
It has pockets on the side to hold crayons, napkins, whatever you want.
Magnets
My girls love them so I purchased a tin lunchbox and filled them with alphabet letter and number magnets. You can store them and they can play with them IN the box, where they stick to the inside.
Learning Pads & Tablets
Stella has a light up, touchscreen learning pad that she loves.
Ava has a tablet with learning apps to play with and entertain her on the long drive.
These are great for nighttime driving
Snacks
Couldn’t forget this one, right? I always have snacks and water cups available.
They love snack mixes and Gerber® Lil’ Beanies.
Movies
We love our double screen DVD player. We store a CD case filled with cartoon movies DVDs in the car so the girls can watch movies during the drive.
They both have their own kid size headphones too!
Storage
In our SUV we put the arm rest down between the two car seats so the girls can put their drinks in the cup holders, babies on the seat, and my handy dandy husband strapped a small basket to the front for small toys within reach. I have another large basket on the floor filled with books, tablets, movies, and coloring pads. This saves a lot of clutter and mess in the backseat and helps organize the kids items.
Other helpful items:
- Stickers {we have stickers EVERYWHERE and they can never have enough}
- Electronic drawing pad or etch a sketch type board {so much easier and less messy than paper and pens}
- Cooler bag or mini cooler filled with bottled water, milk cups, chopped fruit, and juice boxes
- Board books {I say board books because Stella is in the book ripping stage}
- Baby dolls {we can never leave home with a baby or two}
- A change of clothes for each kid including socks, underwear, and shoes {messes happen A LOT}
- A couple towels {there will be spills} and a box of wet wipes
- A blanket {someone is always cold}
- Kid headphones {for your sanity}
- A favorite taggie or blanket {something to remind them of home}
Road Trip Toddler Snack Mix
Road Trip Toddler Snack Mix
Ingredients
- 1.55 oz container Gerber® Lil’ Beanies any flavor
- 1 cup cheese flavored fish shaped crackers
- 1 cup pretzel sticks broken in half
- 1 cup honey flavored mini bear cookies
- animal shaped crackers
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in an airtight container.
- Shake well to mix.
- Seal and store until road trip snack time!
This snack mix is easy peasy!
I empty an assortment of crackers, cereals, {healthier} cookies, and Gerber® Lil’ Beanies in a container, give it a stir, and voila- 1 Minute Snack Mix!
I use one whole container of Gerber® Lil’ Beanies because they are my girls’ favorite!
Seal and store until road trip snack time!
I like mixing up in portable snap close container like this.
Then when it is trip time I separate out into travel cups for the girls.
Happy girls with tasty snacks means an easier and more peaceful road trip for all of us!
Don’t forget about the Gerber® Lil’ Beanies iBotta coupon offer here!
Love all of the tips!