Usually once a year my family of 8 packs into our 8 seater minivan and takes an 18 hour drive to either Florida or North Carolina.  Are you starting to think I’m a little crazy?

My twins trying to sleep in the car

How do we manage such a long time in a cramped vehicle with 6 kids?  One of the ways I help occupy my kids is to bring along some surprises to whip out when the “He’s breathing my air!” whines start. My go to goodies to take along are Crayola Color Wonder pads, coloring books and markers.

This year Crayola lavished some this-mom-needs-some-help love on me prior to our annual trip. I was thrilled to find a box of goodies at my door that was sure to keep my kids quietly creating for hours on our trip.  I packed it all away secretly and whipped it out, piece by piece, once we were on our way.  

I should have recorded my kids when I started showing them what we got.  They were thrilled with the new coloring and drawing goodies.  They even played games together nicely with the Dry Erase Activity Center.

My kids seemed the most fascinated by the On the Go tiny Tube that sits in your cup holder while you pull out sheets as you need them and tear them off the roll when you are ready to share them.  You can even stick them up so others can see how creative you are!

I’d like to kiss the person who came up with the color wonder markers as they are a lifesaver on a trip!  I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced lost crayons on a trip only to find them later melted into the carpet but I sure have.  Color Wonder markers have saved me some major cleaning time since then!  They are a must on every trip we take.  All of my kids love them from the 3 year old to the 13 year old.  I might have even used them a time or two myself…

Crayola has graciously allowed me to share some of the same goodies I received with another mom and I have chosen to send them to a mom that I know who is expecting her 4th baby soon.  She is probably not going on any trips soon but she will sure need some activities for her kids in the coming days as she tends to her new baby.  These Crayola products will be exciting for her kids to get and should keep them occupied for a while.

So what do you have to have with you when you travel with kids? Have you ever brought Crayola Color Wonder products along?

Disclosure:  The information, products and additional Crayola Sumer Fun gift pack was provided by Crayola® through MyBlogSpark.