Car Ride Tips With Little Ones!

The kids haven't really been on a long car ride since our trip to California at the beginning of the Pandemic in Feb 2020. However, recently, we have started renting a car to go for hikes at nearby areas like the lake, Delsjön. The car rides are usually max half an hour each time but depending on the kids' moods and how smooth the roads are, it can feel much longer. 

If you're like us and live in a smaller city, where you don't need to own a car to get around (transit/walking/cycling is enough) and have kids who aren't the best in a car, 

here are some tips to survive car rides with the little ones. 

General Car Ride Tips! (Stay tuned for another blog on tips for the plane ride! ) 

• If it's warm out and it's possible, open the window slightly so they can have some air (our daughter used to feel really nauseous in the car. She would always yell "My tummy! My tummy!" and cry. The fresh air helped a bit.
• Bring a blanket to hang on side of window to shield them from the sun.
• Have music prepared on the phone.
• Try to drive when it's naptime so they can fall asleep.
• If it's a long trip, take lots of breaks to strech and just explore!
• One parent sits at the back to start, and if they're asleep, move to the front again.
• If it's winter, leave off all the winter overalls. We usually put all the warm winter clothes - overalls, hats, gloves - in the trunk and put it on when we arrive at the destination.
• Try your best to be patient, kids will get used to it eventually!

Ideas For the Baby (6 months)

• Teething toy
• A toy to hang so they can practice grabbing
• A rattle or toy keyslightweight book (we pack a few small lightweight books)
• Hang a mirror so they can see you (for back-facing car seats)

Ideas For the Toddler

• Stickers, not flat stickers but thicker ones are easier to peel off (my daughter loved putting stickers all over the car seat, it really entertained her).
• Lightweight, small books
• A fan if they get too hot, it's nice to have cool air on them (this helped my daughter fall asleep when she was miserable in the car.)
• Plastic bag (in case of car sickness)
• Water bottle
• Lots of snacks! Some of our car ride snack favorites are Sun Chips (can't get them in Sweden so I miss these chips!!), Gummies and Snack seaweed. Check out my blog on kids snacks for more ideas!

Happy Monday, stay safe, and remember don't forget your snacks!