Travel

10 Cool Hacks for Traveling with Kids

by Jess on March 9, 2017 // This post may contain affiliate links.

Traveling with kids can be one of the most rewarding and chaotic times together with family.

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Most of the chaos comes from simple things like having enough snacks or keeping the kids entertained on long plane or car trips. It doesn’t have to be stressful, though. With a few of these hacks for traveling with kids, you can cut out the spills and the “are we there yet?’s”, leaving all the travel time for family fun.

Here are 10 helpful hacks for traveling with kids:

1. Spill-Proof Mason Jar Snacks

One of the hardest parts about having snacks for kids on a trip is preventing spills. This genius hack makes it simple for kiddos of any age to pour out what they need, without all the mess. Place the lid of an old drink carton on top of a mason jar, secure it in place with the jar ring, and voilà! Fill the mason jar with a small treat, such as trail mix, and enjoy.

2. No-More-Fighting-for-the-Tablet

If you have two or more kids in tow and only one tablet to share among them, it’s inevitable that there will be a scuffle over whose turn it is to use the device. Luckily there’s an easy, peace-making hack for that. Simply place a tablet in a gallon-size storage bag and clip it to the back of the headrest in the car This creates a makeshift display so everyone can see the movie without all of the fuss.

3. Double-Duty Frozen Juice Box

Ever need to keep things cold but don’t have the space in your insulated travel bag for an ice pack and your treats? Never fear, a hack is here. Freeze juice boxes the night before travel and use them as the ice pack. Double whammy: the kids get slushies which eliminates a lot of the mess from dribbles while drinking their juice.

4. Portable LEGO Lunchbox

Do you have a builder in your brood that cannot stand to be away from hir or her bricks on a trip? No problem! Using an old lunchbox, or an inexpensive one from the dollar store, glue a building base to the inner lid and store a collection of bricks in different shapes, sizes, and colors in the base. You have an easy “creativity station” on the go.

5. Plastic Organizer with Snack Options

We know that kids can get bored with only one snack option. This brilliant hack uses a plastic organizer to section off a variety of snack options is brilliant. Load each section up with quick snacks like peanut butter crackers, grapes, and cheesy fish crackers.

6. DVD Case Coloring Kit

A vacation is no place for an artist to rest. Doodling on the go can be a fun way for kids to take in their surroundings on a trip. Upcycle an old DVD case into a portable art station. Cut blank paper or printable coloring pages to fit the case and attach them to the side with the clips. Glue a clear storage bag to the opposite side of the case and load it up with fun crayons, markers, pencils, or pens. For an extra bit of fun, you could create a “DVD cover” for that trip so their special drawings become an instant souvenir keepsake!

7. Instant Travel Cup Lid

Prevent spills at restaurants, on planes, or in the car with this instant cup lid hack. Tightly attach the press-and-seal-style plastic wrap to the lid of any cup, poking a straw through the center to create a spill-proof solution when a lidded cup is not available.

8. Search and Find Bag

Fill a clear, three-ring pencil pouch with small toys, baubles, or knick-knacks as well as a filler, like grains of rice or fake snow. Attach a photo of the little treasures to find to the back of the pouch as a key.

9. Gummy Bear Ear-Popping Hack

It’s the age-old challenge of air travel: how to get your kids’ ears to pop when taking off or landing. It’s easy for grownups to pop in a piece of chewing gum or plug their noses to get comfortable, but it’s not so easy for the kiddos. An easy hack that helps is having the kids eat a gummy bear or two during take-off or landing. No fussy little ones!

10. Shoe Organizer Snack and Entertainment Hub

The last thing you want to worry about while traveling is trying to locate snacks or toys. Repurposing an over-the-door shoe organizer is the most genius solution. I recommend finding an organizer that has deep pockets, trimming it down to only the top row, attaching to the headrest with the provided hooks, and stuffing those pockets with all the essential goodies you’ll need to keep the kids entertained on your trip.