A good road trip with kids comes down to six groups of things: comfort, food, screen-free entertainment, clean-up supplies, health and safety, and a five-minute check before you leave. Everything is on the free printable checklist below — tick it off the night before, and keep the "just in case" bag within reach of the front passenger, not buried in the trunk.
🚗 Road Trip with Kids — Packing Checklist
Trip: ______________________ Leaving: ____ / ____
🧸 Comfort
- Small pillow per kid
- Light blanket or hoodie
- Sunshade for side windows
- Change of clothes in a reachable bag
- Slip-on shoes for rest stops
🥪 Food & drinks
- Refillable water bottle per kid
- Snacks in single portions
- A small cooler
- Napkins and wet wipes
- Trash bags (several)
🎲 Screen-free entertainment
- Printable bingo cards
- License plate checklist
- Clipboard and pencils
- Small toys for little ones
- Downloaded audiobooks or playlists
🧼 Clean-up & just in case
- Paper towels
- Zip-top bags
- Hand sanitizer
- Sick bag or small bucket
- Spare outfit for the youngest
🩹 Health & safety
- First-aid kit
- Kids' usual medicines
- Car seats checked and adjusted
- Phone charger and cable
- Emergency numbers written down
🗂️ Before you leave
- Car checked (tires, fluids)
- Route and rest stops planned
- Departure time chosen
- Toll pass or payment ready
- House key and wallet!
Free printable from convoi.games
The must-haves that make the biggest difference
- A reachable "just in case" bag. Wipes, paper towels, trash bags, a spare outfit and a sick bag. On a long drive, the problem is rarely what you forgot — it's what you packed under three suitcases.
- Single-portion snacks and one water bottle per kid. Fewer spills, no fights over the shared bag, and you control the sugar.
- Window sunshades. A child in direct sun gets hot, cranky and sleepy at the wrong moment.
- Something to play that needs the window, not a screen. Printable road trip bingo cards and the 50-state license plate checklist cost nothing and last for hours.
- Car seats checked before the trip. Make sure each seat fits your child's current height and weight and is installed tightly; NHTSA has a free car seat finder and inspection locator at nhtsa.gov.
What to pack by age
| Age | Add to the list | Skip |
|---|---|---|
| Toddlers (1–3) | Favorite comfort toy, extra diapers and wipes, two spare outfits, a few small new toys to unwrap one at a time | Toys with tiny pieces that disappear under the seat |
| Ages 4–7 | Picture bingo, a clipboard, stickers, audiobooks, a small travel pillow | Crayons in a hot car — they melt |
| Ages 8–12 | License plate checklist, a map to follow the route, headphones, a notebook for a trip journal | Too many devices — one shared screen time slot beats four tablets |
| Teens | Their own playlist, a charger, a say in the stops | Planning every minute for them |
Plan the drive, not just the bags
What you pack matters less than when you leave. Holiday traffic can turn a six-hour drive into ten, and that's when the best packing list runs out. Check the best and worst hours to drive before you pick a departure time, run through our 15-point car checklist the night before, and plan a real stop every two hours.
For the long stretches in between, our 15 screen-free car games keep the back seat busy without a single download. And if you'd rather keep score on a phone, Convoi gives each kid their own profile for the license plate game.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you need for a road trip with kids?
The essentials fit in six groups: comfort (pillow, blanket, sunshade), food and water in single portions, screen-free entertainment, clean-up supplies (wipes, trash bags, a sick bag), health and safety (first-aid kit, usual medicines, properly fitted car seats) and a quick pre-departure check of the car. The printable checklist on this page covers all six.
How do you keep kids entertained on a long drive without screens?
Rotate short activities: road trip bingo for the first hour, the license plate game for the long highway stretch, audiobooks or music for quiet time, and a nap after lunch. Games that make kids look out the window also tend to be easier on queasy stomachs than reading or a tablet.
How often should you stop on a road trip with kids?
Plan a real stop about every two hours, more often with toddlers. Ten to fifteen minutes of running around at a rest area makes the next stretch much calmer.
What is the best time to leave on a road trip with kids?
Early morning or around a nap. Leaving before 7 a.m. avoids most holiday traffic, and young children often sleep through the first hour. On holiday weekends, check the worst hours first — the Wednesday before Thanksgiving afternoon is the busiest window of the year.