1. DVD players for the Backseat- Before our kids had iPads we exclusively used DVD players for our long car trips. Our old ones broke and I hadn't planned on replacing them but then I realized that the iPad batteries might not be able to handle the long rides I purchased these from Amazon. So far I'm very happy with them.
Pros: Easy to use, Clear big picture, Easy to install and set up, Easy to remove if you want to hide them
Cons: Kids said the headphones were uncomfortable (so we used our own) and the buttons are sensitive but their response time is slower than an iPad so my kids would get impatient and hit them too many times.
2. Kid's Headphones- I purchased these when Miller started Kindergarten and then got a pair for Matthew because they were so good. They've lasted two years without any breaking or cracking in the cord.
3. Backseat Organizers- I had really high hopes for these. I thought they would save me having to reach into the back seat 100 times to get stuff that the kids dropped. Miller at 7 did an excellent job with his and used all his compartments and had it organized. Matthew didn't even try to use it and just let all his stuff fall to the floor. If you knew them both in real life you would know this is typical for their personalities. So I would say if you have any older kids or a kid who likes to be organized then purchase this for long trips. If your kid is going to drop stuff no matter what you may want to skip it.
4. Nauzene Kids- When we discovered Matthew got car sick we immediately made a detour for a drug store to find him some medicine because we were still in the heart of the mountains. He would not chew a Dramamine so thankfully Kyle found this medicine and worked just as well! We ended up giving it to him twice on way home when it got nauseous and it did the trick. This will now be coming on any long car ride with us
5. Male Travel Urinal- You all I can't even believe I'm sharing this but damn this thing came in handy on our trip! I will say that we found most rest stops to be open on 95 but we found when we were on some long backroads or in states where not as much stuff was open this saved us. The boys were more than happy to use this pulled over to the side of the road. I mean they would have gone outside in the wide open spaces but we are trying to teach them some modestly ;)
6. Storage Bin for the Center Seat- Keeping a storage bin in the middle seat for a long trip has been a go-to of ours for years. This is where I usually put books, coloring books, markers, their car laps desks, small toys, and snacks. This way the kids can just grab what they want without having to ask me for it. I am constantly reminding them to put it back in the bin after they have finished using it so they know where it is the next time they need it.
7. Boogie Board Writing Tablet- This is an easy and mess free item that I love to keep in the car. The boys each have one and then each of them can draw or write without having to get a bunch of stuff out. These also make a great birthday gift for kids that have started writing or drawing more.
8. Power Bank- I purchased two of these for our trip to use for the kids iPads as needed. When I was searching for something these had the best reviews for charging up larger items like iPads or kindles so I was sold.
9. Snacks- I think the #1 suggestion to me from everyone was snacks- more snacks than you could ever imagine! I packed each of the kids a gallon ziplock bag full of snacks for each day and they pretty much ate all of them. Since mine can open their own snacks I put the ziplocks in the storage bin so they could access them easily.
Yes to all of these! The urinal is so genius!!!
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