🦃 Thanksgiving drive checklist
- The Thanksgiving drive, 25 to 29 November 2026
For a Thanksgiving drive with kids, pack for traffic: extra water and snacks, a bag of things to do in reach, wipes, a trash bag, layers for cold mornings, and the dish you're bringing, packed last so it's on top and level. Pick talking games for slow traffic. In 2026 Thanksgiving is Thursday 26 November, so the busiest driving days are Wednesday the 25th and Sunday the 29th.
✅ Getting your ticks…
What matters on this trip
The day before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after are two of the busiest days on American roads. Expect slow traffic and pack as if the drive will take an hour longer than the map says.
Slow traffic is the time for talking games, not looking games: Would You Rather, Twenty Questions, Categories. When the road opens up, switch to the License Plate Game: holiday traffic brings plates from far away.
Pack the food you're bringing last, on a flat spot, with a towel under it. Nobody wants pie on the car seat.
The whole list
The night before
- Print the license plate sheet: holiday roads bring far-away plates
- Pack a bag of things to do, in reach
- The dish you're bringing, ready to go
Food and water
- Extra water, for traffic
- Snacks for an hour longer than the map says
- The dish packed last, flat, with a towel under it
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
- Warm layers: November mornings are cold
- The clothes for the day, on a hanger or in a bag on top
For the drive home
- A cool bag for leftovers
- Keep the same plate trip going on the way home
Games for this drive
- Would You RatherSomeone reads a would-you-rather question.
- Twenty QuestionsOne player thinks of a thing and keeps it secret.
- CategoriesPeabody reads a category, like "animals that live in water".
- Story ChainPeabody says the first line of a story.
- The License Plate GamePrint the sheet the night before, or play on the phone.
Other trips: Short drive · Day trip · Overnight trip · Long haul · With a toddler
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