What better way to celebrate the holidays than a quintessential American road trip? Not only are they budget-friendly and adaptable to your family’s interests, but road trips are also a fantastic way for families to make cherished memories.

While pit stops at roadside attractions, sightseeing at national landmarks, and ice cream stops in small towns can make the hours on the road go by quickly, long hours in the car can still be hard on the family, especially for younger kids.

We’re here to help you prepare for the inevitable boredom and antsiness — here are four last-minute entertainment ideas for holiday road trips that we guarantee the whole family will love.

1. Pack a holiday-themed surprise box

Surprise boxes filled with inexpensive trinkets, small toys, or simple activities are a great way to keep kids entertained and distracted. Fill an old lunchbox or cardboard box with goodies from the dollar store or a clearance rack, adding a festive spin with items such as:

Sweet treats, like candy canes or chocolate Santas
Mini holiday-themed figurines, dolls, or plushies
Fun accessories, such as reindeer antlers
Holiday stickers
Themed coloring books

Create multiple surprise boxes for different legs of your holiday road trip or use them to reward good behavior, which builds anticipation and excitement. And remember: Unwrapping is part of the fun, so bust out that holiday wrapping paper!

2. Make a holiday sing-along playlist

While younger kids may not have the attention span for a podcast or audiobook, they’ll love to sing along to their favorite tunes. Create a mix of your family’s favorite holiday songs to make the ride fun. If you’re strapped for time, you can download a premade one from Spotify or Pandora.

3. Add a holiday twist to road trip games and activities

If traveling is part of your family’s DNA, you’re no stranger to entertaining distractions like I Spy. With a bit of creativity, you can add some holiday cheer to games and activities your kids are already familiar with:

Festive bingo: Instead of challenging your family to find, say, different road signs or state license plates, you can task them with spotting holiday-themed decorations, like Christmas lights, snowmen, or blow-up Santas.
Map tracing: Keep kids from asking, “Are we there yet?” by printing or buying a map of your route and having them follow along with a marker or a toy car. You can tell them they’re helping Santa track their journey, so he knows where to deliver their toys!
Washable window markers: Easily removable with a wet paper towel, washable window markers make for great fun, especially if you offer prompts like “Draw a Christmas tree” or “Draw a reindeer.”

4. Challenge the whole family to take photos

Holiday road trips are about the journey not the destination. Instead of only taking a family photo once you’ve reached your destination, consider tasking everyone to take pictures — kids included!

You can find affordable cameras designed for tiny hands online; alternatively, you can charge an old smartphone or buy a used point-and-shoot camera from a garage sale or online swap group.

Giving everyone a camera makes the photo-taking process a lot more fun and engaging, and one of the best ways to capture joyful moments on the road. Once you return home from your holiday road trip, you can create a travel photo book that mixes posed shots with these silly, authentic, and candid moments.
Mixbook’s travel photo books are the key to preserving the precious memories from your holiday road trip — start designing yours today.