Are We There Yet Road Trip Binders For Kids

Jeff and I have always loved a good road trip. When we were dating, we’d hop in the car with no real plan, just driving and hoping to get a little lost. Some of our favorite memories were made that way—windows down, nowhere to be, just us and the road.

When we had kids, I worried those road trip days might be over. Honestly, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. We’ve had some incredible road trips as a family. A few years ago, I’m pretty sure my friends thought I had completely lost my mind when I told them we were driving to Disney. At the time, Luke was 6 and Liam was 3.

Now, listen—we didn’t do a marathon drive to see how fast we could get to Florida. We turned the drive into the vacation. We cruised along Skyline Drive, stopped in Charlottesville, spent a full day in Savannah, walked beaches in Florida, and made memories that still feel vivid today. Honestly? I think I enjoyed that week of driving to Disney more than the park itself. It was truly an amazing experience.

One of the best things I created for that trip was a road trip binder… and I’m not exaggerating when I say it was the BEST. THING. EVER.

Since that first drive to Florida, we’ve taken several more road trips as a family—including a two-week adventure through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. For that trip, we flew into Colorado and spent our time driving from place to place, turning the journey itself into part of the experience once again.

Both trips included long days in the car, and on each one, the road trip binders came with us. They were just as helpful winding through the Southeast as they were crossing the Southwest—keeping the kids engaged, cutting down on the “are we there yet?” moments, and making the drive feel like part of the fun instead of something to endure.

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I keep things simple when putting together our road trip binders. I usually order inexpensive binders —or reuse ones I already have at home.

Then I stock up on fresh supplies: pencils, colored pencils, pens, and a pencil pouch that fits right inside the binder. Something about new supplies instantly makes it more exciting for kids.

Next, I grab a few educational workbooks—things like mazes, crossword puzzles, and activity books. One of my favorite finds was the Rand McNally Kids’ Road Atlas. It’s fantastic because it includes kid-friendly maps along with activities tied to each state, which makes it perfect for road trips.

I also head to Pinterest and search for coloring pages and printable activities that match our itinerary or destinations. Once I’ve gathered everything, I go through the pages and group them by day based on what we’re doing and where we’ll be.

I create a packet for each day, three-hole punch all the worksheets, and clip them together. Each packet gets labeled with a Post-it note so it’s clear which day it’s for. Day one goes straight into the binder, and the rest stay organized in a separate envelope.

Road Trip Binder Supply Checklist

• ☐ Binder (new or one you already have at home)
• ☐ Pencil pouch that fits inside the binder
• ☐ Pencils
• ☐ Colored pencils
• ☐ Pens or markers (age-appropriate)
• ☐ Educational workbooks (mazes, crosswords, activity books)
• ☐ Rand McNally Kids’ Road Atlas
• ☐ Printed coloring pages and destination-specific activities
• ☐ Three-hole punch
• ☐ Paper clips or binder clips
• ☐ Sticky notes (for labeling daily packets)
• ☐ Extra folder for organizing future day packets
  

Each day, the kids have something new to work on, and they genuinely look forward to seeing what comes next. It helps keep them focused on where we’re going and what we’re doing, instead of how much longer the drive feels.

I also include a travel journal page in every daily packet so they can record their adventures along the way. Those pages have become some of my favorite keepsakes—I save them all to scrapbook later, and they’re such a special way to remember our trips through the kids’ eyes.

Here’s a FREE printable Travel Journal page!
Click on the image below and follow the link to download it for your next trip.

Are you team road trip? Tell me where you’ve gone (or where you’re headed next) in the comments!