Holidays mean road trips, at least in my family, and that also means that I have to be ready to entertain the kids AND my husband while we’re making the four hour trip to his mom’s house. Four hours to a kid (yes, my husband is fully a child on the inside… like all men are) seems like a million years, so I have devised a failproof kit for road trips that has everything I need as a driver and everything the kids need for entertainment. I’ve added some things to it so it’s more universal, but this should serve you well for any road trip occasion this season (and, honestly, any time of year).

In The Car

• Blankets and pillows

• Music

• Folding chairs

• Reading material

• Camera

• Cash for toll roads

• GPS

• Binoculars

• Wet wipes

• Puzzle books and quiet toys for kids

• Pen, pencil, notepad

• Tissues, paper towels, toilet paper

• Small bags for garbage

Vehicle Emergency Kit

• Flashlight, roadside signal flares or reflective cones/warning signs

• First aid kit

• Booster cables, wrenches, screwdrivers (basic toolkit)

• Gallon jug of water

• Extra washer fluid, oil, transmission oil, brake fluid

• Rags, workshop towels, old blanket

• Gloves

• Spare belts (alternator, fan and air conditioner belts)

• Candle, warm clothes, heavy blanket (for winter travel)

• Duct tape and WD40