[ Edit: Since originally posting these ideas, I have had some comments about the safety of my suggestions in the event of an accident. To be honest, I hadn’t considered the possibility of lap trays hurting my kids or toys becoming projectiles. I would never intentionally endanger my children and appreciate your concerns. Please use these ideas at your own risk. ]
Earlier I shared a few cheats on how to get your car clean for a road trip with two kids. Today I’m back with my game plan for keeping my munchkins happy along the way. This topic really deserves 2 posts – organization and entertainment.
Organization!
1. Personal space.
For such a long ride, each child needs their own area to eat and play. I had seen the idea of setting a cookie sheet atop a pillow and, while I liked the magnetic factor, I found the lip of a cookie sheet to be uncomfortable on arms for extended periods of time. So, I developed a similar lap tray using a pizza pan. Look for the step by step tutorial on how to make your own next week!
By simply attaching self-adhesive magnetic buttons to the bottoms of things, you significantly cut down the spill factor.
2. Hydration
Does one judge the caliber of a child car restraint in the same way one judges that of a car—by the number of cupholders?! If so, my kids’ seats are a big fat zero, despite their hefty price tags. I couldn’t even find a suitable attachment aftermarket type. Enter the suction cup shower caddy. Not only does the big one fit a decent sized water bottle, but also some snacks and a personal fan. They’re easy for kids to reach on the window and quick to remove. I bought a few different sizes for Songbird’s window to keep her colored pencils and small toys handy as well. [edit:On second thought, colored pencils at eye level are probably not a good idea in the event of an accident. Maybe crayons instead?]
3. Snacks
Duh… these are essential to road trip success – kids or adults! I tried to pick things that didn’t need refrigeration and already came individually packaged: granola bars, pretzels, lunch-sized goldfish, fruit squeeze pouches, and veggie straws. I also divided up larger bags of things like Chex Mix and Cheerios into sandwich-sized ziplock baggies. In the front seat I put a few snacks in a dollar store bin with a package of baby wipes for spill maintenance.
Although I am an impeccable driver, I also buckled them in to prevent flying food in the event of quick stoppage.
On the passenger floorboard I put Gatorade, water and energy drinks into insulated lunchboxes to grab in-between meals.
Another bin in the trunk has back up snacks and drinks.
4. Trash
All those snacks and meals on the go are bound to generate a few handfuls of trash. A tupperware bin with a trash liner shoved between the carseats works great. Kids can reach it themselves.
5. Comfort
Be sure to bring the favorite blankets and stuffed animals. Leaving a child’s legs dangling for hours on end can prove very uncomfortable. Place kids’ suitcases on the floor beneath their feet as footrests. This also frees up a ton of trunk space for other travel goodies.
6. JIC
“Just In Case.” Once, when Bug was tiny, we had an incident that left me with a blowout and no diapers. I swore that would never happen again and fashioned this car organizer to keep all sorts of extra necessities handy in my vehicle; things like bungee cords, diapers, wipes, extra clothes, sunblock, scissors, etc. Basically it’s just a plastic shoe organizer that’s been cut, restitched and hung from a cheap shower rod. Some day I’ll get around to posting a tutorial if ya’ll want.
Alright, that’s all I got for kid prep – organization. Entertaining these monsters will be a whole other beast; stay tuned…
You have some phenomenal ideas here – like the suction baskets on the windows and the magnetic tray. You’re going to make my 10 car ride to the beach with a 13 month old MUCH easier!! Thanks so much!
Pingback: Road Trip Organization - Brass and Whatnots November 12, 2015
[…] Suction Cup Shower Caddies, Grey House Harbor […]
Pingback: 51 Insanely Clever Car Organization Hacks, Tips & Tricks December 27, 2015
[…] via grey house harbor […]
Pingback: 17 Super Easy Ways To Get Your Car Organized For Good - Buzz And Gossip February 9, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Easy Ways To Get Your Car Organized For Good - AltoSky - AltoSky February 9, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Easy Ways To Get Your Car Organized For Good – Slugline.io February 9, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Easy Ways To Get Your Car Organized For Good | Free Books Zone February 9, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Easy Ways To Get Your Car Organized For Good | CNN LIFEHACKS 2015 February 9, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Easy Ways To Get Your Car Organized For Good – Spanglish Humor February 9, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Easy Ways To Get Your Car Organized For Good - PinBytes February 9, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Easy Ways To Get Your Car Organized For Good | PintVerse February 9, 2016
[…] people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here […]
Pingback: 17 Super-Easy Ways To Get Your Car Organized For Good – How to kill your time? February 9, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Necessary Hacks For Anyone With A Car | CNN LIFEHACKS 2015 February 9, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Necessary Hacks For Anyone With A Car | Max Trending February 10, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Necessary Hacks For Anyone With A Car – Slugline.io February 10, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Necessary Hacks For Anyone With A Car – Spanglish Humor February 10, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super Necessary Hacks For Anyone With A Car – AMNY February 10, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super-Necessary Hacks For Anyone With A Car – AMNY February 10, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super-Necessary Hacks For Anyone With A Car – Spanglish Humor February 10, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Pingback: 17 Super-Necessary Hacks For Anyone With A Car - BuzzCrest February 11, 2016
[…] Little people can make a big mess. Check out this hack and a few other road trip ideas here. […]
Please adjust the car seat straps in the last pic (trunk organizer). The back strap goes ‘under’ the headrest not over.
Great ideas!!!!!
Geralyn – thanks for your concern. This is a Jeep Grand Cherokee and the headrests do not remove. The owners manual for the vehicle states that the straps should be secured over the headrest as I’ve done. Good lookin out though!
Love your ideas! Thks so much
Pingback: Add Storage to Your Car with a Shower Caddy - Binary Reveux February 29, 2016
[…] Road Trip: Kid Prep- Organization | Grey House Harbor […]
Pingback: Add Storage to Your Car with a Shower Caddy - RIIM February 29, 2016
[…] Road Trip: Kid Prep- Organization | Grey House Harbor […]
Pingback: Add Storage to Your Car with a Shower Caddy - LifeTitude March 3, 2016
[…] Road Trip: Kid Prep- Organization | Grey House Harbor […]
Pingback: 20 Amazingly Clever ways to Organise your Car - Paging Fun Mums March 31, 2016
[…] Via: Grey House Harbor […]
Pingback: Podróż z dziećmi - samochodowe triki - ODKRYTE LITERY - Blog o domu na wsi // Szycie // DIY // Ogród // Dom // Metamorfozy // Wnętrza June 18, 2016
[…] rodzaju organizery, w których dzieci będą mogły trzymać swoje umilacze czasu. Opcja organizerów na szybie bardzo mi się spodobała. Te zakładane pod fotelik też są bardzo pomysłowe ale do nich trzeba […]
Pingback: We NOW have a show summary…aptly titled “LAUNDRY LIST” – laundry pile podcast July 20, 2016
[…] Suction cup shower caddies are really cool to stick on the window next to the kids to hold crayons, pencils, DSIs. See the idea here! […]
Love the ideas! Hadn’t thought of magnetic adhesives for snack tray. Thanks!
Pingback: 16 Tips to Traveling With Grandkids - TGIF - This Grandma is Fun August 25, 2016
[…] Shower Caddy Organization- The only word I can think of for this idea from Grey House Harbor is brilliant. Truly, truly […]
Pingback: Winning Car Hacks for Moms November 27, 2016
[…] about a shower basket to store your kid’s “essentials?” | Grey House Harbor (buy a shower […]
Pingback: 7 Ways to Keep Your Sanity on a Road Trip - Close to Crazy December 26, 2016
[…] 1 – From Grey House Harbor ~ Road Trip Kid Prep Organization: […]
Pingback: 8 Clever Car Organization Ideas- Frugal Ways to Organize Your Car! February 25, 2017
[…] 1. Suction Cup Window Organizers by Grey House Harbor […]
Very clever ideas. The suction cup one, although cool looking scAres me in case of an accident, we were in one last year and those cups would’ve smashed into a Kids face and those supplies would’ve went flying and could’ve injured someone (no matter what they were). Really changed my perspective on keeping the car organized and how important it is to not have things loose. I’m liking the other ideas though!! :) thanks so much!!!
Pingback: Is your car a mess? Expert DIYer shares 12 nifty organization hacks I never thought of March 30, 2017
[…] Source: Grey House Harbor […]
Pingback: Is your car a mess? Expert DIYer shares 12 nifty organization hacks I never thought of – News and Entertainment March 30, 2017
[…] Source: Grey House Harbor […]
Pingback: Is your car a mess? Expert DIYer shares 12 nifty organization hacks I never thought of | FrankoPolo March 30, 2017
[…] Source: Grey House Harbor […]
Pingback: 17 DIY's for Keeping the Kids Happy on Road Trips - Ritely March 30, 2017
[…] 5. Shower Caddies as Road Trip Holders […]
Pingback: 7 Car Organizer Ideas That Are Really Simple and Under $5 May 18, 2017
[…] Shower organizers come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, with a variety of features. And if your container happens to have suction cups, then BOOM, you got yourself a portable doo-dads holder. It’s perfect for long road trips as well as everyday running around. (source) […]
Pingback: Road Trip Hacks and Tips June 7, 2017
[…] about a shower basket to store your kid’s “essentials?” | Grey House Harbor (buy a shower […]
Pingback: 14 Tricks for any car trip becomes a pleasant adventure - Coolest Hacks February 24, 2018
[…] If you’re traveling, touring long distances and the children are not indifferent to the creativity, you can put crayons and even small toys in special containers with suction cups taking advantage of the windows. This will be glad to your trip and theirs. The idea is detailed here. […]
Pingback: 10 Car (Interior!) Organization Ideas and Tips - May 11, 2018
[…] Suction Cup Storage from Grey House Harbor […]
Pingback: 12 Insanely Clever Ways for Moms to Keep the Car Clean and Organized May 30, 2018
[…] Source: Grey House Harbor […]
Pingback: 25 Cool Car Hacks and Tricks You Really Need To See! | 99CarStereo.com September 5, 2018
[…] Your kid maybe needs a place to play and eat during the long ride. Take look at this really great hack. Via greyhouseharbor […]
Pingback: Why Didn't I think of That? Life Hacks for Moms - Clean Eating with kids October 17, 2018
[…] the Clutter off the floor and your car a little cleaner with this clever car organisation hack from Grey House Harbour. Stick Sucker Cup Shower Caddy to your car window for instant back seat […]