About once a year my family and I make a pretty decent sized road trip from Tennessee to Pennsylvania. All five of us, and a dog, pile into our minivan and make the trek. It’s not easy, but there are a few things that we could not survive without.

For example, we bring a travel potty with us. I have many reasons that a travel potty is indispensable. The biggest is that we don’t have to hunt down a bathroom while on the road for the kids. Their bladders don’t hold much, and they have to go often. This way, when the urge hits them, we simply pull over, do our business, and get right back going. A normal small potty like you would use to potty train will work if you have room to bring it. If you choose this kind of potty, consider bringing those little bags that you would put dog poop in. Otherwise, you will have to dump your kids dumps on the side of the road. Gross. There is also the option of an acutely travel potty.  We found ours at Babies R Us. This is a folding potty, so it doesn’t take up much space. Instead of having a bowl to go in, you just buy the potty bags that they make. Your kids pee right into the bag.  Close it up, throw it away and you’re done. This one item can really save you a ton of time. All that time spent looking for restrooms and gas stations can really add up.

Another favorite item for us, is our On the Go Snack ‘n Play Trays. These trays are made out of foam, with a vinyl-like cover. They attach to your child’s car seat and provide a fantastic hard surface for puzzles, drawing, and even snacks. The absolute best part is that it has raised sides so no crayons (or toys, or goldfish) can fall off out of your kid’s reach. Hallelujah! I don’t know how we traveled without it. It’s water proof, and very easy to clean, and it folds up for easy storage. Each side has pockets to hold stuff, and the kids can access them easily. Another amazing selling point, they are only twenty bucks at www.onestepahead.com.

And our last indispensable item? A DVD player. And a bag full of DVDs borrowed from the library. A good mix of new stuff we have never seen as well as a few oldies. Life savers!

-Stephanie Wright