5 Summer Essentials You Should Have in Your Car
This post is sponsored by Chevrolet Traverse.
School’s out for summer!!! I remember how excited I used to get when I was a kid about being out of school for summer. It meant sleeping in, no homework, staying up late, traveling, going to the pool and more! It’s a little different now that I’m a mom with six kids who are out of school for the summer. I’m gonna be looking for things for them to do. In fact, we already talked about going to the swimming pool, going to the waterpark, going camping with my new Waterfowl hunting blind bag, and going to theme parks. So what are 5 Summer Essentials you should have in your car?
1 – Water. I’ve learned that you should always have water handy in your car. I usually try to have a case of water in our car. It comes in handy – whether it’s for drinking or cleaning up a spill. We also recently discovered seat covers that will protect the value of your cars interior.
2 – Snacks. I try to have a variety of snacks on hand in the car when driving around. Whether it’s bringing a reusable bag filled with snacks or storing some in the trunk, having snacks on hand is a great idea! If you’re going to store snacks, be sure they are ones that won’t melt. Granola bars and crackers are both great ideas and won’t make big messes either.
3 – Sunscreen. With six kids, you can imagine how much sunscreen it takes to prevent sunburns. I like to have both spray sunscreen and the kind you directly apply to the skin. I like to have at least SPF 50. I also install a uv protection shade in the windows to protect us from direct sunlight. Better to be safe than sorry!
4 – Tablets or electronics (and chargers). It’s amazing how much our love to play tablet and electronic games in the car when we’re traveling. It keeps them busy and minimizes the number of fights that might happen on a long road trip. With electronics comes the need for chargers. I prefer to have one for each child and an inverter so they can all be plugged in when their charge is running low.
5 – Towels, Paper Towels and Plastic bags. One of our children experiences car sickness sometimes, so I’ve found it VERY important to have towels, paper towels and plastic bags in our cars. Towels can be used for going to the pool or beach, keeping the kids warm if you don’t have blankets and for cleaning up messes. The same goes for paper towels, except that you can throw those away. Plastic bags are great if your child does get sick because you can just toss them out.
Before embarking on any journey, ensuring the safety of your family is paramount. Along with essentials like Dash Cams and GPS navigation systems, it’s also wise to consider the security of your vehicle itself. In case of emergencies or accidental lockouts, having the contact details of a reliable auto locksmith in London can be a lifesaver. Being prepared for any situation not only provides peace of mind but also ensures a smooth and secure travel experience for you and your loved ones.
A great vehicle to use when traveling with a family during the summer is the 2015 Chevrolet Traverse. It has best-in-class maximum cargo space, seating for up to 8* (yes!) and a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety.**
What items are Summer Essentials you have in your car?
*Standard on LS and 1LT. Available on 2LT. LTZ seats 7. Not available in Ebony/Saddle Up interior color.
**Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar.gov).
Chevrolet Traverse seats 8? Awesome!!!! great post you need all 5 things for just those reasons, especially number 5 , I can’t tell you how many times that came in handy.
Nice comment, Chevrolet.
We always make sure we have our tablets when we go anywhere. It keeps the kids completely occupied, and I can check weather and other travel related things.
Great tips for Summer, no doubt! Water is def high on our priority list for in the car items.
Great tips! I make sure we always have water on hand no matter where we are or what we are doing, its too hot! Can’t even mess with the weather and not staying hydrated!
the key to surviving time in the car with kids is be prepared! Thanks for this list!
Snacks and hand sanitizer are two things we always have in our car. When we get hangry on road trips, it’s awful.
Great tips, those are all a definite must for a road trip! 🙂
You can never have too many wipes! I try not to store them in huge quantities in the car since they dry out, but I always have to have them on hand.
Our essentials look a lot like yours. We definitely have to have water and snacks as well as electronics!
I’m so much more prepared with what I have in my car now that I have kids. And you really do need to be prepared for anything. Great list!
This is such a smart list for your car and I do not have everything on this list. I need to get sunscreen in there!
You can never be too prepared when going out with kids! You can guarantee one will forget something they need if you don’t take care of it yourself!
Definitely snacks! My girls can’t go 5 minutes in the car without complaining they are hungry!
We always have snacks and water in our car. They truly are a must have especially in the summer.
These are great tips! Wipes and snacks are on my top list for car essentials!
With that many kids, I can definitely see why you would need so many great essentials! I always keep a bunch of plastic garbage bags on me
I love the Traverse, I swear it’s one of the best cars to take on a roadtrip. Thanks for the list, I need to add a few things.
I’m always on the lookout for cases of water on sale. We move the oldest one in the trunk into the refrigerator and store the new one in the trunk. Even with grown kids, I carry all these supplies. They always come in handy, and in the remote desert areas, lifesavers.
All great ideas! It’s also important to have a first aid kit– just in case.
I leave a bag in my trunk that has non perishable snacks like almonds, sunscreen, and wet wipes. I also keep a blanket and extra set of clothes. You just never know whats going to happen.
I always carry wet wipes in the car. You never know when a mess will happen. I bring a cooler with us filled with snacks and drinks.
These are definitely all great things to have in your car! Especially the water, sunscreen, and smart-device chargers.
I am right on with your essentials to have in the car! I need a trash bag of some sort now, because the boys have been horrible about picking up their trash when we go on road trips!
These are great things to keep in the car. Even for short car rides, I always found it helpful to keep paper towels in the car. Someone always needed one.
This is a great list of essentials for the car! There is nothing worse than a cranky child, so we always try to keep non-messy snacks on hand for my grandsons.
Those are all excellent suggestions. I don’t have kids but I do keep all those things in my car except for the electronics.