Summer Road Trip

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Summer Road Trip.  Ahh, it’s almost my favorite time of the year, vacation.  Each summer for the past 5 summers, my family has made the 12+ hour road trip to TN to spend a glorious week in the mountains.  I literally look forward to and begin counting the days until we return each year just weeks after we leave.  We love our time in TN, we don’t love our time in the car.  I don’t want my boys to be glued to their cell phones the entire trip, nor do I want to make one hundred and fifty jillion stops for snacks along the way…so, I always pack quiet activities and snacks for them, and even my big kids look forward to their car trip goodie bags.  Each boy gets a goodie bag made just for them, with their favorite snacks, treats, and activities tailored to fit their interests.

One of the first things I do when I prep for a road trip is head to my local Walmart for snacks and goodies.  While I am there, I typically grab a new box of crayons, a new book or magazine, a hot wheels car (even for the big kids), some new sunglasses, and other small activities.  This year, I grabbed some Single Serve OREO Cookies – 2 pack and some Single Serve NUTTER BUTTER Cookies – 2 pack.  My littlest was so excited, he thought these were only for restaurants.  I also grabbed a huge bag of TRIDENT Unwrapped Gum! Yay for no tiny gum wrappers tossed on the floor in the car!  I also picked up some SWEDISH FISH Soft & Chewy Candy 1.9 lb. bags, those are a family favorite, and I think the giant bag may help get us through Georgia (that’s a big state  y’all). Keep an eye out for a coupon booklet too, my stores didn’t have any out yet, when I was shopping.  When I finished loading up the cart with snacks, I wandered over to the toys and school supplies and added a few more treats for the crew.  Be sure to head over here to download some free printable road activities. (Scroll to the bottom of the post for the one I created too)  And, enter to win the sweepstakes here!

Mondelez Road Trip #GetPackinSweepstakes

Once I got home, I reached out to one of my favorite Etsy vendors, Claudine Hellmuth Designs, and got these awesome print and assemble cars and luggage. (They are designed to hold cupcakes, but without the cupcake tray, they are just right for OREO and NUTTER BUTTER cookies!  They are ABSOLUTELY perfect for our road trip.  Then, I created a printable activity sheet for the boys.  I printed several cars out and assembled them with a little hot glue, because I am too impatient to wait for glue to dry. Once the cars and suit cases were assembled, I filled them up!  The smaller suitcase was just the right size for the TRIDENT gum, while the larger ones fit a handful of SWEDISH FISH candies.  The cars were filled with a few packages of OREO and NUTTER BUTTER cookies, and the activities for the boys.  I made two generic boxes so my kiddos didn’t know what they were getting in their boxes before the trip.  

Road trip goodie bags have saved our sanity so many times, and the kids really look forward to them on each trip! We tested out a few goodies this weekend on a quick trip.  The lap desk is awesome in the car! 

Download the free printable activity sheet here.

Tags : Collective Bias, Free Printable, Free Printables, freebie, Freebies, Nutter Butter, Oreo, Road Trip, Social Fabric, SocialFab, Vacation