These seat hooks are some of the most affordable things on this list. But they’re at number one because they are quite honestly my second favorite on this list. (My favorite is definitely a tie between 11 and 12 on the list – and they go together!)

A DVD player to watch movies is a must on any long roadtrip. It helps pass the time so much easier than most other activities because kids tend to have short attention spans. But when you pop in a movie, their attention seems to change. At least for our kids. We usually save the movie for after lunch as a way to get everyone back in the car and start getting ready for a nice long nap.

I wasn’t 100% sold on headphones. I just wasn’t sure they were necessary. I mean, they can just play their games and have the volume low. But I have to admit, these headphones have been great. Especially in close quarters, like in the car for a long roadtrip.

This isn’t one of those necessary to run out and buy things. But we got it as a Christmas gift one year, and it has been one of the coolest and quite handy things we own.

A portable fridge that plugs into your car. If you put cold drinks in it and start it up, it’ll keep them the same temp even if it wasn’t plugged in before you started. I’ve been pretty impressed with that.

The trashcan we took on our roadtrip was actually from Target, but I can’t find that exact one anymore. I found it in the dollar spot at the entrance. But the reason I liked this one, was because it had a lid with a push-button closure. It could seal shut to keep any trash or odors out of the car as much as possible.

I had to cut down a grocery bag to fit, which worked but wasn’t exactly ideal. Other than that, I really like this little trashcan.

It was actually meant to be a mini desktop waste bucket, but I like it better for the car.

Kids get restless quickly. It’s just a fact of life. And we started hearing “Are we there yet?” about 30 minutes into our trip.

It’s about a seven and half hour trip for us, so that was way to early for boredom to set it. As soon as I hear it, I reached for our activity bag.

You never know when you need a first aid kit. And if you don’t take one, you’ll need it. So save yourself a trip to Walmart in the middle of your trip and grab these first-aid portable packs.

I got mine at Dollar Tree, and they included quite a few things for the price. This pack included multiple sizes of band-aids and alcohol wipes.

One thing we always seem to need, but never have is a nightlight for the hotel. I found this cheap one at Dollar Tree before we left. It was a big hit!

And I didn’t have to use my phone as the night light. Which by the way, if you’re in a pinch. There’s actually an app to use as a night light. Check out the Night Light Lite app.

Don’t forget to pack a few snack containers. I recommend these because chip and pretzel bags get ripped easily, especially with kids.

And you don’t want to have a brand new bag with a rip all the way down the side and pretzels spilling everywhere while driving down the interstate.

Then you’re finding pretzels and little pretzel bits in your car for ages.

I grabbed this one at Dollar Tree. They’re cheap, big, and have lids that screw on so they can’t accidentally pop off at the most inopportune time.

Handing food back to your kids is a nightmare, especially if you’ve giving them an entire meal from Arby’s and they just can’t eat their roast beef without some Arby’s sauce.

To be fair, I can’t eat them without the sauce either. But that sauce and them dropping the sandwich on the ground makes me cringe. It’s just so messy, and something that never seems to come out all the way.

But these travel trays for over your kid’s car seats are amazing.

My number one favorite thing travel essential on this list is this Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet. My kids love these! And I do too. They occupy the time on roadtrips better than pretty much anything else.

Because we can shout out to look at scenery, but 8 hours of scenery is not something kids want to look at.

This kids tablet isn’t just great for long roadtrips with kids, but also just for giving your kids something to do on rainy days when they can’t go outside and play.

And this one goes hand and hand with the tablet. If you don’t have a DVD headrest player, then opt for this Kids tablet holder with car mount to go on the back of the headrest. It’s a great option for watching movies on your tablet.

Our kids have games downloaded on their tablet, but can use wifi through our phones to access movies on the go. You can use your Disney account on the tablets as well.

My kids love puzzles! They get that from me. If your kids aren’t into puzzles, pass on this one. But these magnetic puzzles are great for long car ride with kids.

They stick easily, so your kids aren’t dropping pieces. And you’re forced to contort your body into positions it doesn’t want to be in to find puzzle pieces in the back seat. And they’re easy to pick up. Some magnetic games they stick so well it’s hard for my kids to pull them off. These aren’t like that.

Highlights hidden picture and sticker books are kind of nostalgic for me. And I didn’t know until this past summer that you can buy them on Amazon. I feel like I should’ve known. You can basically buy anything on Amazon these days. But these were a hit for the drive. Just for another activity to do.

We have a ton of these books. My kids love them, and I love that they incorporate fun things with learning. They don’t take up a lot of space, and you can reuse them over and over. The link above is for the Scholastic brand, but there are many other brands on Amazon as well. Little Hippo Books offers this dry erase book for pen control. It works well when your kids are just learning to write.