5 kids in a minivan on a roadtrip

[Penny_P]

What are your helpful hints for surviving?  I'd like suggestions for easily packing and schlepping our stuff from the car to the hotel room and visa versa. Not to mention keeping the car neat and bellies from grumbling.

[OK Family]

We only have 3 kids but do a lot of road tripping. Each has their own backpack filled with vehicle friendly toys and activities. I also will give them ziplock baggies of car friendly snacks too, along with their own water thermos. They can only bring what fits in their backpack and are responsible for bringing it to and fro. Mine are 6,8,10. We've been doing this for years. Also, keep a stash of grocery bags in the van. Great for trash bags and unfortunately carsickness. Hope this helps and have fun!

 

Oh forgot to add each child also has their own rolling backpack that we pack their clothes in. They all go rolling in with their clothes and a backpack on their back. They love it too. It works great for flying trips too.

[gardenmom5]

car top carrier for "stuff" you don't need while driving.  we lent ours to a friend, and they were so amazed by what a difference it made, they decided to go buy one.

 

lots of EASY to fix snacks.  crackers. cheese sticks, 'clean' fruit. bagels.   things they don't normally get. let everyone pick something.  one son loves spray cheese spread and crackers, and traveling was one of the few times he'd get it.

 

have an easily reached garbage bag. 

 

easily refilled bottles of water.  

 

many years ago, we got a tv/vcr combo so they could watch movies while we drove.  (now - cars have their own systems).  books on tape (so it can go through the car's speakers and everyone can hear.)

 

alphabet game, periodic table game, etc.  other games. 

 

stop and really stretch on a regular basis.  some kids can go longer than others.  get them running for 20 minutes, find a park with a playground, or frisbie at a rest area.

[NoseInABook]

I have two main tips. We pack in duffel bags because we can squish them in better than actual suitcases. This way they all fit in the trunk of the minivan. I also bought two cheap waste baskets at Target then filled them with snacks. One for the kids and one for the adults. We also used the adult one to hold kindles, phones, phone chargers, etc so we weren't losing them in the pile of STUFF between the driver's seat and passenger seat. I brought a wicker basket from home and filled it with books, doodle books, crayons, and paper. I won't ever do a trip again without baskets. It kept the stuff together and not all over my van/unable to find half of it. 

[Hypatia.]

We did a cross-country road trip with 5 kids last summer.  It was... long.  I'm glad we did it, but it'll definitely take me a few years to recover!

 

Hauling the luggage in and out each night was a pain.  On the way back I organized the bags by night rather than by person, that way we only had to bring in that night's bag (with clothes/jammies for everyone) and the toiletry bag.  All the dirty laundry just went into a mesh laundry bag each night.  A car top carrier would have been really helpful, I won't do a long trip like that again without one.

 

We would stop for snacks since somebody usually had to pee anyway.  They each had their refillable water bottles and I carried a gallon of water in there for easy refills.

 

Keeping the car neat?  Hahahahahahaha!  Yeah...  I got nothin'.

[Whereneverever]

 

 

Hauling the luggage in and out each night was a pain. On the way back I organized the bags by night rather than by person, that way we only had to bring in that night's bag (with clothes/jammies for everyone) and the toiletry bag. All the dirty laundry just went into a mesh laundry bag each night. A car top carrier would have been really helpful, I won't do a long trip like that again without one.

 

 

We do this, too, and I won't ever go back to the old way.

[Um_2_4]

Re packing for stops on the road: I used gallon size ziplocs for the younger ones outfits (complete down to socks) and kept a flat storage container full of outfits and pulled out as needed to refill our "overnight bag" (or for roadside accidents). 

Depending on the van, I used under seat storage (some vans don't have much space down there, some do) with reusable grocery bags stuffed under there or plastic storage boxes. I've kept the following under there: 1st aid kit, clean up kit (lots of car sickness in my genes: grocery bags, wipes, gloves, etc.), extra distractions (in case of restlessness) and spare jackets in case of weather change (depending on season).

And make sure nothing the kids pack could be ruined by heat if left in the car (or take it in with you at stops). color pencils work better than crayons for example.

[Occasionally]

We only have 3 kids but do a lot of road tripping. Each has their own backpack filled with vehicle friendly toys and activities. I also will give them ziplock baggies of car friendly snacks too, along with their own water thermos. They can only bring what fits in their backpack and are responsible for bringing it to and fro. Mine are 6,8,10. We've been doing this for years. Also, keep a stash of grocery bags in the van. Great for trash bags and unfortunately carsickness. Hope this helps and have fun!

 

Oh forgot to add each child also has their own rolling backpack that we pack their clothes in. They all go rolling in with their clothes and a backpack on their back. They love it too. It works great for flying trips too.

 

We've done something similar. Each kid has a backpack with all their stuff to do--books, plain paper (which I bind with the Proclick to keep neater) a filled pencil box, coloring, mp3 players, etc. Also sunglasses, baseball caps and fleeces for whatever adventure awaits that day.

 

Clothes are in a small rolling suitcase each with a pillowcase for dirty clothes. It's very easy. They all roll their own stuff.

 

Snacks are kept in a cooler between the seats in the back. Easy stuff. I hand it out because that makes it more of an event, a way to break up a drive.

 

Last year we did a 16-day trip and packed the kids' scooters in the back. When we stopped at a grocery store for lunch fixings, we'd park in a corner of the parking lot and the kids would get a chance to get some extra energy out while I shopped.

 

[Ali in OR]

-duffle bags for kids--everyone who is able carries her own (your youngest two are probably too young; our disabled dd is off the hook)

-kids now pack their own entertainment bags--a doll with changes of clothes, books, clipboard with paper, colored pencils, stuffed animal

-books on CD from the library. Harry Potter appeals to everyone in our car.

-snacks they don't usually get--Trader Joe's is good for this. Little cheese and crackers, cookie packs, etc. Water bottles too.

-stops to look forward to: an In-n-Out burger, frozen yogurt when we gas up at Costco, etc.

-we have laminated maps dh made of basically I-5 from Oregon through CA--covers most of our trips! Each kid has one. Dh put our own "landmarks" on them--In-n-Out, Costco (see "stops to look forward to" above!)

-comfy clothes. Shoes that slip off.

-pillows from home.

-we haven't done a road trip since they got iPods. That would probably keep them entertained for awhile!

[Starr]

It doesn't matter how long our trips are, we all get a small suitcase and backpack/bag. I started this when they were 4 and 6. We do adjust  some when we are carrying lots of instruments and amps. :D I found it so much easier for everyone to be able to manage their own suitcase.

[Occasionally]

We also picked this game up on our last trip. It was really fun for the kids to flip over each state as they found it.

[J-rap]

We did many long road trips with our five children in a mini van.  They were each allowed one rolling duffel (they got them free when they opened savings accounts at our bank  :)) and a small backpack for the car.  We only allowed the small backpacks in the passenger part of the car.  (for car activities)   Everything else went on top in a carrier.   Or sometimes, when our drives stretched into the night, they'd have their pajamas and toothbrush on hand so they could change on our dinner stop.

 

We also had a small ice chest which usually held lunch makings.  Our routine was usually breakfast at the hotel (either an included hotel breakfast or our own which I'd pack), picnic on the road somewhere, and dinner at a restaurant.

 

When the children were younger and the trip involved lots of driving, we found that it worked out well for us to have a leisurely morning at the hotel, sightseeing in the area, etc.  We'd either have a picnic lunch right before we left, or drive a couple hours and have one.  We'd drive all afternoon until dinner, and after dinner the kids would change into pajamas and could fall asleep anytime.  We'd sometimes drive until 1 or 2am but they were sleeping so it was no big deal.

[prairiewindmomma]

We do cross-country trips regularly. The less we pack, the easier it is for all of us. We plan on doing laundry at the hotel every few days and pack along laundry supplies and quarters. We plan snacks that won't crumble to dust, and that are healthy so the kids don't have blood sugar swings. We will do one 12-14 hour day long haul, but on other days we plan short breaks where the kids can get active. We do audio books and a few small toys (a lego kit or A few small princess dolls). A decade ago I brought tons of stuff and it was a mess. A portable dvd player is helpful for the under 8 crowd, but not necessary.

 

We also pack by day rather than by person.

[unsinkable]

Great advice so far.

 

ONE bag for everyone's toiletries always worked well for us.

 

PJ's were comfy shorts and T-shirts for the kids. It helped when we wanted to walk to the lobby after PJs were put on or in the mornings to get a quick start or breakfast.

 

Mesh laundry bag stayed in the van for dirty clothes. There was no sense dragging it in and out of our hotel.

 

Never use the drawers in a hotel if you are only staying one night.

 

Always designate a "sweeper" to go through the room after everyone has left when you checkout. This used to be me, but my DD loves to do it now.

[KungFuPanda]

My sister drove cross country in a minivan with 4 kids and three dogs. I think she did water only, had a trash bag in the car, and everyone put their stuff in a backpack or small duffel. She just stopped and did laundry along the way.

[rjand6more]

So many great tips!

 

I have found that is works best for us to pack bags by night or destination as well.  Then you are not hauling every single bag out at multiple locations.  I thought it may be even better to do plastic bags inside luggage per person/per night.  We usually try to do single destination vacations, but we have done roadtrips.  Each child has his/her own backpack with personal items. We do not pack individual luggage, It takes too much space.   Clutter in the van is never allowed.  Each time we get out of the van, we carry out trash.  We do not collect it. Clutter and garbage make me unhappy.

 

We pack snacks and lunches(homemade lunchables or the cracker and lunchmeat trays at Walmart)  We usually eat our packed lunches at welcome centers and check out the walls of tourist brochures.  Instead of getting a treat for everyone at a fast food restaurant, I usually go to a grocery store and get icecream sandwiches-MUCH cheaper.

 

We do have a DVD player in our van.  I always buy 2 dvds that are a surprise and brand new.  I reveal one on the way and one on the way home.  The kids look forward to it and it yields some peace for dh and me. :)

 

We also NEVER use the drawers in the hotel for 1 or 2 nights.

[justasque]

Audio books.  This is a huge opportunity to do a big chunk of literature studies.  Pick a theme - perhaps historical fiction from a particular time period (throw in some music from the period as well) or genre (like variations on the Cinderella story) and borrow a hefty pile of selections from the library.  You'll all be listening together, so you can all discuss the stories together.  You're building a stock of shared references you can pull from in the future:  "Hey, that's like that part in the book we heard on vacation where that guy did such and such".  As a bonus, you're getting vocab, examples of good writing (grammar), and perhaps a bit of history.  Yes, it will take a bit of effort to pull together (less so if your library is well-stocked), but it's such a good opportunity that will reap rewards far into the future.
 

[unsinkable]

Really like the PJ tip.

 

This may sound dumb but what do you do with the dirty clothes if the laundry bag is in the car? Put them back in your bag or a grocery bag until you get to the car?

 

I either do what you wrote or if I remember to pack a second mesh bag, I use that. I keep the second mesh bag in the toiletries bag and then transfer the dirty clothes once I get back to the van.

 

HTH

[Heidi]

No soda or juice. Only water, even when you stop at a restaurant. They won't drink as much and therefore won't need to pee as much.

[lynn]

I make everyone get out at rest stops and we walk or run(when the boys were little) atleast 15 min this makes the traveling hours so much easier

Giving everyone their own snacks and water helps. I did not mind letting older

kids who were big emough sit up front amd I would ride in back and playw games with the younger kids.

[luckymom]

Audio books.

Water only in car.

Pack minimally  - three outfits per person - and use laundry facilities as you go - better yet, stay in properties like VRBO with clothes washers/dryers and throw in a load each night.

It's America  ... you can buy anything you need within an hour.

[Amber in SJ]

Little people get jump ropes.  When every we stop for potty breaks or snack breaks or whatever breaks it is easy to haul out the jump ropes and get some exercise.  My super active 9yo ds would have exploded had it not been for getting out an jumping.  We would give him challenges.  How many times can you jump in a minute?  Can you jump to the end of the sidewalk and back before your sister gets out of the bathroom?  and so on.  The other rule for us is if the car stops for a potty break; everyone tries to go.  Before we were seasoned travelers we accepted the, "I don't have to go right now." only to have that child have to go 40 minutes down the road.  Chances are if they try they will go. 

 

Amber in SJ

[StephanieZ]

My best trick from our mega-road trip (11,000 miles over 2 months) 3 years ago was to buy a LOT of duffel bags (cheap, on Amazon) of varied sizes. Each kid had 1 duffel for their clothes/stuff. Then I had duffels with just gear for various events/places -- a couple bigs ones of camping gear that'd only be needed for one leg of the trip, another one with beach gear only needed for another leg, etc. Having those clear bags that didn't have to be dug into until needed but could be easily found when required made the "stuff" issue much more manageable. Also, the duffel bags fit WAY WAY more gear into small spaces, and were much more rearrangeable than typical suitcases (soft or hard). Now we really only use duffels for road trips. The shaped bags only get used on air travel now. (And, of course, you need a couple structured lap top bags to protect electronics.)

 

To keep things non-disgusting in the van, we did trash collection at EVERY gas stop. (I actually do this 99% of the time while the gas is pumping.) Everyone passes all the garbage up to me (unbuckle, check under the seats, etc.) while I walk back and forth to the garbage bin by the pump, and you get it all out every 300-400 miles that way, lol. Keep a stash of wipes, a roll of paper towels, and a stash of empty grocery bags (trash collection) at the ready. I put all that stuff right with the "snack bag".

 

FWIW, IME, road trips are the one time electronics are a harmony-inducing item. DVDs, iPads, iPods, etc, should all be charged up and readily available!