🧺 Day trip checklist
- 2 to 5 hours
For a two- to five-hour drive with kids, pack water and more snacks than you think, a bag of things to do within reach, wipes, a trash bag, a change of clothes for anyone under six, and a plan to stop every two hours. Print the license plate sheet the night before. Tick things off here as they go in the car; the ticks stay on this phone.
✅ Getting your ticks…
What matters on this trip
Plan the stops before you plan the snacks. Two hours is about as long as most kids sit happily; a ten-minute stop to run around buys the next hour.
Hand out snacks one at a time, not all at once. A snack is also a way to mark the time: "after the next stop, the crackers".
Keep three games in mind, one for each kind of moment: a looking game for when there's lots to see (License Plates, I Spy), a talking game for boring stretches (Would You Rather, Categories), and a calm one for the end (the Quiet Game).
The whole list
The night before
- Print the license plate sheet
- Pick a rest stop for about every two hours
- Pack a bag of things to do, to sit in reach
Food and water
- A water bottle for each person
- Snacks for every two hours, plus one spare
- Lunch, or a plan for where you'll eat
In the car
- A phone charger for the car
- A bag for trash
- Wipes and tissues
- The first-aid kit you already keep
- A couple of spare bags, in case someone feels car-sick
Clothes
- A layer for everyone: cars get cold and hot
- A change of clothes for anyone under six
Games for this drive
- I SpyOne player picks something everyone can see.
- Would You RatherSomeone reads a would-you-rather question.
- CategoriesPeabody reads a category, like "animals that live in water".
- The Quiet GameEveryone in the car is quiet: no talking, no singing, no humming.
- The License Plate GamePrint the sheet the night before, or play on the phone.
Other trips: Short drive · Overnight trip · Long haul · Thanksgiving drive · With a toddler
v0.1.0 · Checked 31 October 2026 · Everything you tap stays on this phone. No sign-in, no location, nothing sent. For grown-ups