Books, Games, Snacks, and Backseat Fun on a Budget

Key Takeaways

• Build a small road trip kit with a mix of quiet activities, interactive games, and easy snacks.

• Introduce activities in stages instead of handing over everything before leaving the driveway.

• Choose low-mess, easy-to-pack options that kids can manage safely from their seats.

• Ollie’s inventory changes often, so shop with flexible categories in mind rather than a rigid product list.

A family road trip can go from “This is fun!” to “Are we there yet?” somewhere around the second exit. Don’t stuff the back seat with every toy in the house! Bring a small rotation of books, games, creative supplies, and snacks that feel new when kids need a reset.

That’s where a bargain hunt can pay off. Ollie’s carries changing assortments across Books & Stationery, Toys & Games, and Food & Candy, making it a useful stop for building a travel kit without spending vacation-level money before the vacation even starts. Selection varies by store, so grab the good stuff when you spot it!

Build a Road Trip Kit That Lasts More Than 20 Minutes

The best road trip activities for kids are the ones that are easy to reach, simple to use in a moving car, and different enough to rotate throughout the drive.

Pack activities in a small tote, backpack, or reusable bin that stays within an adult’s reach. Then divide the contents into three groups:

• Quiet-time picks: books, coloring pages, word searches, stickers, or activity books

• Play-together picks: trivia cards, guessing games, magnetic games, or conversation prompts

• Reset picks: one or two small surprises saved for the point when patience starts running low

Don’t unveil the entire stash at mile one! Offer one option at a time and switch categories when attention fades. A coloring book feels more interesting after a round of car bingo, and a new puzzle feels like a bigger deal when it’s hidden until the midpoint of the trip.

Create a Backseat Surprise Bag

A surprise bag adds novelty without requiring expensive toys. Wrap a few small items individually, place them in paper bags, or number them for different stages of the trip. Kids can open one after a certain number of miles, at a rest stop, or after completing a simple road trip challenge!

Possible surprise-bag additions include:

• A fresh activity or coloring book

• A small notebook with crayons or colored pencils

• Stickers or reusable activity pages

• A compact puzzle or card game

• A new book chosen for the child’s reading level

• A favorite snack saved for later

The wrapping is part of the entertainment. Even simple items feel special when they arrive as a mid-trip mystery rather than one more thing tossed into the seat pocket.

Pack Books and Creative Activities for Quiet Miles

Books are dependable backseat activities because they’re portable, screen-free, and easy to match to different ages. Younger children may enjoy picture books, search-and-find pages, or books with short activities, while independent readers may prefer chapter books, joke books, comics, or nonfiction tied to something they already love.

Browse Ollie’s Books & Stationery department and Kids & Young Adult collection for ideas, but avoid overpacking. Two well-chosen books are usually more useful than a stack that takes up space when you’re already cramped.

Coloring and activity books also work well when the setup stays simple. Look for sturdy books, large pages, and activities that don’t require loose pieces. A zippered pencil pouch can keep crayons, pencils, and stickers together instead of letting them migrate under every seat in the car.

Ollie’s Coloring & Activity Books collection can help you build a low-mess creative kit. Just be sure to skip markers, wet crafts, glitter, and anything else likely to turn a pothole into a cleanup project!

Choose Travel Games Without Tiny Pieces

Road trip games for kids should be compact, easy to pause, and playable without a full tabletop. Magnetic games, card games, trivia, and self-contained puzzles can all work, depending on the child’s age and the length of the trip.

The Games & Puzzles collection is a practical place to look for options. When comparing finds, favor:

• Cases, trays, or magnetic surfaces that hold pieces in place

• Rules that can be explained in a minute or two

• Games that work for one child or several passengers

• Activities that can stop quickly at a gas station or meal break

• Pieces large enough to find when one falls (and it will!)

For younger children, simple matching, search-and-find, or “spot the object” activities may work better than a traditional board game. Older kids may enjoy travel trivia, word games, logic puzzles, or a family challenge with a running score.

Road Trip Games to Fill the Gaps

Road trip games are some of the easiest travel activities for kids because they don’t require any supplies at all. They’re useful between planned activities, during short drives, or when everyone needs to look up and engage with the scenery.

Here are a few fun games everyone can enjoy:

• Alphabet hunt: Find letters in order on signs, buildings, or license plates.

• Color challenge: Choose a color and count how many cars match it.

• Would you rather?: Keep the choices silly and age-appropriate.

• Story chain: Each person adds one sentence to an increasingly ridiculous story.

• Twenty questions: Pick a person, place, animal, or object for others to guess.

• Road trip bingo: Create a simple list of things to spot, such as a bridge, motorcycle, water tower, or unusual roadside sign.

These games also give adults a break from managing supplies. Better yet, nothing can spill, roll away, run out of batteries, or get wedged between the seats.

Plan Snacks Like an Activity

Road trip snacks aren’t just fuel! Timed well, they can mark a transition, calm a restless stretch, or make a routine rest stop feel more fun.

Choose foods that are easy to portion, not overly sticky, and manageable for the child’s age. Pack individual servings before leaving home so no one is balancing a family-size bag in the back seat. A mix of crunchy, chewy, sweet, and savory options helps prevent snack boredom.

Check Ollie’s Snacks and Beverages collections for travel-friendly finds, remembering that exact brands and flavors will vary. Keep water handy, limit anything likely to melt in a hot car, and use a small trash bag or container for wrappers.

For longer drives, divide snacks by stage instead of making the whole supply available immediately. “After the next stop” is often much more effective than “Please stop asking for another snack.”

Add a Simple Backseat Reset Kit

A few practical supplies can prevent small problems from taking over the trip. Keep a compact reset kit near the activity bag with:

• Tissues or napkins

• Wet wipes

• A small trash bag

• Resealable bags for unfinished snacks or loose pieces

• An extra pencil or crayon

• A light blanket for naps

• A change of clothes for younger travelers

This isn’t the exciting part of road trip planning, but you’ll appreciate planning ahead after the first spill.

Match Activities to Age and Attention Span

Different ages need different kinds of variety:

• Toddlers and preschoolers generally do best with short activities, familiar characters, large pieces, and frequent changes. 

• Early elementary children may stay engaged longer with coloring, sticker books, search-and-find pages, and simple games. 

• Older children can handle chapter books, strategy games, journals, trivia, and more involved puzzles.

Avoid planning every minute. Leave room for music, conversation, looking out the window, and plain old boredom. The goal is to have useful options ready when the mood starts heading south.

Shop the Treasure Hunt Before the Highway

Because Ollie’s buys closeouts and excess inventory, the selection is always changing. That means you may find brand name books, games, snacks, school supplies, or travel extras for up to 70% off traditional retail prices, but you should not count on one exact item being available everywhere.

Start with a flexible list, browse the current flyer, and use the store locator to plan a stop before departure. Ollie’s Army members can also earn points and rewards on purchases, which may help stretch the family travel budget a little further.

Make the Miles Part of the Fun

A good road trip kit doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive! A few carefully chosen car activities for kids, some no-supply games, and a well-timed snack can make the drive feel less like something to survive and more like part of the adventure.

Check the current flyer, find your nearest Ollie’s, and take a treasure-hunt lap through the aisles before your next family trip. The destination may be the main event, but a bargain-packed back seat can make getting there a whole lot easier.