Macaroni Kid Family Travel has scoured the internet, called on our friends and asked moms across the nation what products can help make your next family road trip easier. Not only have we found eight fabulous products, but we will be giving them ALL away in the Ultimate Family Road Trip Prize Package.
One winner will be chosen via Random.org on July 24. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of one of the 50 United States. Void where prohibited. Click HERE for complete rules.
UPDATE July 25: Congrats to Christine from New York who won our Ultimate Roadtrip Giveaway!
Free Like Birdie's Travel System
Trust us on this, keeping organized is crucial to a family road trip and the three-piece travel system from Free Like Birdie is a huge help. The Weekender Bag separates clean from dirty, the tiny Quick Change Diaper Pouch miraculously has space for everything you need and the Quick Change Clothes Bag keeps one change of clothes ready to go, perfect for keeping a spare change for the kiddos handy.
All bags have waterproof interiors to prevent leaking and are double seamed to contain odors and are free from phalates, pvc, lead and chlorine. ($85.00)
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First Aid Kit
A well-appointed First Aid Kit is a must for family road trips and Johnson & Johnson makes it easy and super stylish with a hard-sided Oh Joy! First Aid kit, which comes free with the purchase of three products from Band-Aid and Neosporin. We packed ours with two boxes of Band Aids, a full-sized tube of Neosporin, Band-Aid Advance Healing Blister bandages and, our personal favorite, Neo To Go -- Neosporin in a little no-touch spray.
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Loaded Questions On The Go Card Game
Sure, you can plug your kids into their individual digital devices and relinquish the screen time limits while on the road. And really, no one would blame you. But those six hours in the car together provides a great chance for some fun and games.
When you tire of the license plate game and 20 questions, it's time to break out Loaded Questions on the Go and Loaded Questions Junior. Each travel-sized deck poses 200 creative questions and great conversation starters like "if you could take a school field trip anywhere, where would you choose" and "what's your favorite thing about your house." You might even learn a little something about your kids. ($9.99 each).
When you tire of the license plate game and 20 questions, it's time to break out Loaded Questions on the Go and Loaded Questions Junior. Each travel-sized deck poses 200 creative questions and great conversation starters like "if you could take a school field trip anywhere, where would you choose" and "what's your favorite thing about your house." You might even learn a little something about your kids. ($9.99 each).
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Prince Lionheart's Backseat Organizer
Within four hours of a family road trip, the backseat of my car is littered with a cornucopia of stuff. Tablets and chargers. Papers, pencils and crayons. Water bottles and sippy cups. Mad Libs and napkins. Binkies and blankies. Finally, a way to keep it all organized and within arms' reach.
The Backseat Organizer from Prince Lionheart hangs neatly over the seat back and has five pockets, one carabiner and a lifetime guarantee. It is a must have for road trips ... or trips to the grocery store.
Available at Amazon, Bed, Bath & Beyond and other retailers. ($24.99)
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BubbleBum Inflatable Car Booster Seat
Car and booster seats for the kids are an absolute must for a family road trip. We know you already have one in your car, but what about when you arrive at Aunt Sue's house and she wants to take the kids for ice cream, or what if you want to take a quick cab ride while exploring a city? You could do the uninstall/reinstall dance, hauling around your kid's regular seat ... or you could bring along a BubbleBum Inflatable Car Booster Seat. The BubbleBum is a portable, foldable booster seat for kids age 4-11. When not in use, it folds down to fit into a small pouch. Then when you're ready to use it, just unfold, blow it up and voila...instant car booster seat that meets or exceeds all safety regulations.
And we know we're talking road trips this month, but we can't help but think of how convenient a BubbleBum will be during our next plane ride and for carpooling. ($29.99)
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Pish Posh Baby Skip Hop Zoo Travel Blanket
The longer the road trip, the harder it is for little ones to stay comfortable in their car seats. The Pish Posh Baby Zoo Travel Blanket by Skip Hop can help. It's a pillow, a blanket, and a cuddly friend all-in-one. When your child needs a place to rest her head, the plush friend makes a great pillow. When she's ready to snuggle in for some rest time, the soft and cozy 30"x40" blanket tucked inside provides just the right amount of warmth. A kid-sized top-handle makes it perfect for on-the-go. Available in Ladybug, Monkey or Owl - your child will love the friendly faces, and you'll love that they are machine washable. ($20)
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Quest Water Bottle with Filter from Grayl
Stopping to buy four more bottles of water from a convenience store while on the road stinks. Overpriced, bad for the environment and with that awful plastic bottle taste. How ‘bout water bottles for all, with built in filtration?
GRAYL, a startup out of Seattle is on a mission to change the way the world drinks water on the go with a fun, stylish and easy-to-use Water Filtration Cup that works like a French Press - simply fill, press, drink, from any water fountain, sink, or even outdoor water sources while hiking or camping.
Available at TheGrayl.com, Amazon, REI, Orvis and other outdoor and specialty stores ($49.95).
GRAYL, a startup out of Seattle is on a mission to change the way the world drinks water on the go with a fun, stylish and easy-to-use Water Filtration Cup that works like a French Press - simply fill, press, drink, from any water fountain, sink, or even outdoor water sources while hiking or camping.
Available at TheGrayl.com, Amazon, REI, Orvis and other outdoor and specialty stores ($49.95).
Rinsekit
Road trips mean stops along the way. The freedom to spend an afternoon at a lake you stumbled on or a long day at the beach. Ever wish you could give the kids a real rinse before loading them up into the car? Tired of hearing them complain about the feel of sand in their seat? RinseKit is the first-of-its-kind portable, pressurized shower and spray-down system -- like having a garden hose at the beach, the park or the back of your car, and is perfect for rinsing off sandy or muddy kids, gear, feet and mischievous dogs while traveling.
The self-contained system fills from a household water spigot and sprays high-pressure water through a nozzle with 7 different settings. It requires no batteries or pumping, holds water pressure for a month and sprays for up to 4 minutes. It weighs just 24 pounds when full with 2 gallons of water. ($90).
You can see it in action here: https://youtu.be/REmAr7PYlv0
