The Best Mess-Free Road Trip Activities for Hours of Fun

We do a lot of long road trips traveling from Georgia back up North to visit family, so I’m constantly looking for easy, mess-free road trip activities to keep my kids busy in the car.  With Spring Break and Summer travel coming up, I thought I’d share my two of my faves. Both of these activities will satisfy your little artist, encourage imaginative play and best of all, are totally mess-free!

(Note: this is not a sponsored post, I am just sharing two of my favorite finds).

 The Best Mess-Free Road Trip Activities for Hours of Fun

 I didn’t even know that was possible…

A few years ago when my older daughter was still in nursery school, we were in the midst of one of our typical holiday road trips.  I had given her some regular washable markers to use while coloring in the car.  I like the washable markers because the ink comes up pretty easily from both kids’ bodies and clothes.  However, I never dreamed I’d have to try and remove it from the actual car!

I quickly learned the hard way… Washable markers are NOT WASHABLE from car interiors!)

I’ll never forget–things had gotten a bit quiet in the back seat (which, as we all know, is never a good sign, unless it’s nap time) and then I heard the giggles….and a “Ooooh pretty!” and then more giggles.  I looked in the back and to my horror I saw my daughter had decided to draw fireworks above her head.

“Cassidy! What did you do?!   We don’t draw on the car!”

“But Mommy, they’re pretty fireworks. See?”

Yes, I saw.  And have to admit, they were rather nice.  And I couldn’t help but laugh to myself.  Who thinks to create a mural in the car?  I guess I had a little Michelangelo (or maybe even Rapunzel) on my hands.

Crayola Color Wonder Mess-Free Markers

Not wanting to stifle my little artists creativity,on our next trip I promptly switched to those fabulous Color Wonder Mess-Free markers from Crayola.

So now, I only allow the MESS-FREE markers in the car.  These are those magical markers that appear clear on surfaces and require the special Color Wonder Mess-Free paper in order to produce actual color. And yes, they are a lifesaver.

Melissa and Doug Reusable Stickers

My absolute favorite activity for car travel are the Melissa and Doug Reusable Stickers.

My kids will literally spend hours playing with these stickers.

And they don’t even use the scenes that come in the package!!!

Their palette of choice is…. the window!  (Who would’ve thought?)  And this is totally fine with me because the stickers aren’t sticky!!

What?!

The stickers magically stick via static.  So my kids can decorate their windows all they want!  They’re completely removable and completely worry and mess free!

YES—MESS FREE!

I think the appeal is that the kids get to decorate their space and can change it up as often as they like.  And for little ones, ownership of space is important. 

It gives them a little bit of control, makes them feel better/more comfortable, and that’s an important emotion to consider, especially on long trips.

We all want to be as comfortable as possible, even our little ones.

Now if only they made some that looked like fireworks….

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HI! I’m a Shana, self-proclaimed Media Mixologist, wife, and mom to two little girls. I love to mix up cocktails of crafts, recipes, wellness, family and business with just the right amount of sparkle to help you shine everyday. So, grab a glass, and let’s celebrate the cocktail of life!