Kid Favorites February 2026

Every year we take a big road trip. Traveling as a family of 6 takes some intentionality and planning, but it's SO worth it. These are some of our favorite things for our homeschooling family from our road trip! 

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Easier travel

Packing cubes Every kid gets their own so I can easily find their clothes. Stopping in a different hotel every day means I need to keep things contained. We used packing cubes pre-kids, but with 4 these are an extra game changer for organization. These help me pull out exactly what I need for each kid every day and then reseal the suitcases so we are ready to hit the road first thing every morning! https://amzn.to/4bPSOST 

Favorite durable duffles so we can max out our car storage. We use the 130L for the adults (they have wheels). And the 90L are great for the kid size. In fact, this trip I packed all 4 kids (ages 1-9) in 2 90L duffle. Clothes for warm weather in one bag; clothes for cold weather trek in the other bag. We've had these for 4 or 5 years. They include backpack straps that tuck in so you can wear them while carrying. This has come in handy when climbing stairs for maximum load per trip. :) When they're not in use they fold up into their storage bags and literally take up 18" x 18" x 18" of storage. They hold up great and are ideal for road trip traveling. We have used for flying and it's helpful when you need to move a lot of gear to/from the airport, but they aren't as awesome for rolling into the airport. I would recommend if you're already a luggage cart person OR your kids are big enough to use the backpack straps. - https://amzn.to/4c2D2DZ 

Snacks

Buccee's - I could write an entire blog on our favorite Buccee's items, but I'll just stick with this trip. Must haves (in order of importance ha): Fresh nutes (pecans are my fav, but we've tried all 3), Ice Cream Sandwich cookies, Pulled Pork or Brisket sandwiches, Iced Tea, Beaver Nuggets, Banana Pudding, Cookie dough bites and popsicles. In the spirit of honesty, the iced coffee was like jet fuel even with all the milk/sugar. And while we are being honest - yes we had ice cream for breakfast on day 6 of the road trip because a) the ice cream sandwiches are THAT good and b) it was the last Buccee's of the trip.

Apple sauce pouches are always a win. Natural sugar, fiber, quick and good for all ages. (No crumbs, no mess! As long as you don't let the baby squeeze the pouch themselves. ;)) 

Beef Jerky Sticks - Protein, no mess. Need I say more? Current favorite - Firecreeksnacks.com

Fruit (apples or blueberries) - We usually grab apples or bananas during breakfast at our hotels. I'm also a fan of grabbing some blueberries at Aldi or a grocery on the road for easy happy baby treats.

Cooler - if you don't already travel with a lightweight cooler, I highly recommend it. This size is great for between the seats for easy grab and go access. Not too big / not too small.  https://amzn.to/49Z8Fx2 (And this is the kind of ice pack I use https://amzn.to/3OmkrsF)

Entertainment in the car

Tracing pad - Keep the kids occupied and honing their artistic skills. Helpful for concentration and pencil control. https://amzn.to/3YJkzVo 

Kindle Unlimited - We have kindles that we usually use as adults. We decided to trial Kindle Unlimited with our kiddos to minimize the books we needed to bring, but to entertain them with an endless supply. Honestly, I was unsure - but it's been a total success! Rumor on the streets is the kid kindles come with 6 months free Amazon Kids. (Kid Kindle "If it breaks, we will replace it, includes ad-free books and cover, with glare-free display, faster page turns" https://amzn.to/45NOG1O Bonus: my kids FEEL like it's a tablet/screen, but it's really just books. 

Baby stuff

Cute silicone bibs for both boys & girls. The ONLY thing we forgot this trip was the baby's bib. Amazon to the rescue.The bow ties make every kid the cutest. People can't help but comment about how adorable they look every time they see us out. I've had these for each of our boys for the last decade. The replacement had to be equally as adorable. Target pickup would have been faster; but less cute. One of my favorite baby shower gifts from my first kid even a decade later. https://amzn.to/4apl4KG 

Overnight/Travel Sippy Cup An oldie, but goody. Still my favorite cup to have in their crib and playpen that doesn't spill and it's easy to grab in the middle of the night once they start drinking water regularly. (Around 12 months I put my kids to bed with some water in this cup so if they're thirsty I can sleep!) https://amzn.to/4kcS6Rq 

Cold Winter

Slippers - Super cute slippers for the kids on these cold winter floors. We were not prepared for these very cold temperatures this trip! https://amzn.to/4c2BGZV