Travel Tips – Snacks and Water

Spring is when we gear up for car travel. We plan our road trips, wish, dream and hope we can go everywhere we want. I am always searching for more car travel tips to make it easier, like how I pack clothes. Today I want to share my travel tips for snacks and water.

Traveling with kids in a car can be hard for many reasons. My first child screamed in the car everywhere we went. Now, 11 years later that same child may scream in the car for other reasons.

One thing I have found helpful is to have many snacks ready to throw at them. (Yes, sometimes I do throw them to the back of the car.) If they are well fed and hydrated then most of the time they can be rational.

The hard thing about snacks in the car is they can melt. I have a big problem with chocolate covered fingers! One chocolate chip from a granola bar makes a huge mess! My kids like granola bars so I’ve had to come up with a solution. But first I have to explain our vehicle entrance plan.

What my kids do before they get in the car:

1. Bathroom – I try to avoid those 2 minutes later stops.
2. Water – My kids are responsible for their own water. They are reminded to get their own water if they want a drink in the car.
3. Filling their water bottle reminds them to grab a snack.

There are many times when these steps are not followed. While I try to keep them accountable for their own wants I cannot deny them a need. I come prepared with backup snacks and water.

In the winter I keep bottles of water in my trunk – they will get cold on their own where I live. In the summer I freeze bottles of water in my freezer, then put a couple in a small cooler in my trunk, with a couple unfrozen bottles. The frozen bottles will cool the unfrozen bottles. Now I have water for now and later.

Having a small cooler for water opens up new possibilities. I keep a zip top bag on top of the water with snacks that could melt or need to be kept cold.

These snacks include:

• granola bars
• trail mix
• string cheese
• yogurt (drinks or tubes)
• snap peas
• carrots
• celery in water
• fruit
• peanut butter to go

Remember: You will need to check the cooler often if you include perishable items.

For all the other snacks try some of these car snack bucket ideas:

• pretzel (sticks or chips)
• fish crackers
• nuts
• chex party mix
• vanilla wafers
• dried or freeze dried fruit (uncovered)
• sunflower (shelled) seeds
• bagel thins
• animal crackers
• beef jerky
• slim jim
• dry cereal (non sugary)
• rice cakes
• veggie straws
• marshmallows
• popcorn
• pudding cup
• squeezeable fruit pouches
• crackers
• bellvita
• fruit snacks
• life savers

I have found that snacks shoved in compartments are easily broken. Broken = Mess. My sister picked up this shower caddy to use as her snack bucket. She has their favorite snacks neatly organized. The holes make it easy to see the snacks at the bottom without needing to take everything out.

Fill your car with water and snacks today. You will be prepared for tomorrow and the next day.

You know how often you use your car. We use our snack bucket and cooler on a daily basis, not just for road trips. When you return home and the kids are in bed because they fell asleep, or are busy playing because they are out of the car, take a minute to refill your snack bucket and cooler for the next outing.