“Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive–it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imagination then, would there?” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

In August of 2017 we took a family road trip to one of my bucket list destinations: Prince Edward Island.

I’m a huge Anne of Green Gables fan so that was part of the allure, but also from reading those books and watching the movies, I have been obsessed with the gorgeous, natural beauty of PEI for years.

We figured New York City was the closest we would ever live to the eastern edge of Canada so this was the time to take a trip there. So, we pulled out a map and started planning our big road trip.

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New Brunswick with Kids

We started our big road trip in New York City. We spent a night in Maine to break things up a little and then got back in the car to drive 4 hours to St. John New Brunswick.

STAY.

St. John

This is a cute little area not too far from the Bay of Fundy that begins near St Martin.

TO DO.

Bay of Fundy

We went both at High Tide and Low Tide. It was SO cool to see everything appear in the morning where it had been covered in ocean the evening before.

TIP: Where closed toe sandals like these Keens are best. The ground is rocky and wet. Shoes that won’t slip off but are good in water are best. My kids have this pair and this one.

Fundy Trail

This National Park is a gorgeous stretch of land and water. The cliffs offer breathtaking views and the park has tons of trails for biking and hiking.

Stop at the Visitor’s Center, near the bridge, for additional tips and information.

Prince Edward Island with Kids

After dragging ourselves away from the beautiful Fundy Trail, we drove the roughly 3 hours to Prince Edward Island.

STAY.

Kindred Spirits Inn

This delightful spot was one of our favorite parts of the area. It has an Inn and several cottages that surround it. I can’t imagine a more perfect spot for the kids with the playground, pool, and green space.

Oh! And don’t miss the breakfast! Amazing every day.

EAT.

Avonlea Village

Lots of good options and cute little tourist spot. The pizza place was one of our favorites.

TO DO.

Green Gables National Park

This was one of the highlights for me. Getting to see the house and grounds was amazing. Fortunately my kids loved it too!!!!!

TIPS:

*Stop in the building to the right of the barn for an activity book for your kids to work on while you tour the premise.

*Look for the actor pretending to be Anne.

*Don’t miss the trails through the surrounding wood.

Plan to spend at least a couple hours at the Green Gables property.

Prince Edward Island National Park

PEI has beautiful beaches with gorgeous views and clear water. Drive along the shore and keep your eye out for beaches. There are several little ones, along with some busier beaches.

Thunder Cove

This little nook is beautiful. Climb the rocks, play on the red sand beach, and splash in the clear water. Don’t miss the Teapot Rock.

Charlottetown

The highlight of this little town for us was the cute storybook hunt that takes you around the town starting at Founders Hall / Visitors Center. When you finish, grab a Beavers Tail and stop in one of the bookstores.

Nova Scotia with Kids

We couldn’t head home without at least peeking at gorgeous Nova Scotia. We only scratched the surface – so obviously I immediately started plotting another trip – but here are a few things not to miss.

STAY.

We spent the evening in Halifax. It was a vibrant town with tons of restaurants and spots to explore.

EAT.

Ice Cream Shop

Imagine my surprise when a tiny little hole in the wall in the town by Peggy’s Cove had Dairy Free Ice Cream!

TO DO.

Peggy’s Cove

This was spectacular. I originally thought we were a little nuts to drive out there, but the view is incredible. The water more blue and powerful than anything I’ve ever seen.

The adorable lighthouse and cute little town are just icing on the cake.

Oh and the rocks. My kids could have climbed rocks for hours.

Halifax Waterfront

Walk along the water. There are little shops and plenty of places to eat with a view.

Find more top family road trip tips Here!

I think it’s totally normal to feel all the feels about family travel, but after 6 years of road trips with our twins we have built up a hefty set of reliable tricks so that I’m usually at least mostly excited when we have a road trip coming up.

We just got back home after a road trip from New York City to Prince Edward Island and back. Our trip, like all events involving small children, had ups and downs but the road trip part was actually a highlight.

Below are tips on how to plan for and enjoy a family road trip with preschoolers and up (infants and toddlers involve an entirely different kind of plan).

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How to Plan Family Road Trip Activities

In August of 2017 we took a family road trip to one of my bucket list destinations: Prince Edward Island.

I’m a huge Anne of Green Gables fan so that was part of the allure, but also from reading those books and watching the movies, I have been obsessed with the gorgeous, natural beauty of PEI for years.

We figured this was the closest we would ever live to the eastern edge of Canada so this was the time to take a trip there. So, we pulled out a map and started planning.

Some Stats:

• Our road trip took us from New York City to Prince Edward Island with 2 stops in both directions.
• Our driving legs varied from 4 hours to 9 hours. Our 6 year old twins have managed a 13 hour drive at once before (at ages 4 and 5), but we like to avoid super long drives when possible.
• We were in the car for a total of 2,244 miles and about 35 hours total over the course of 7 days.

Planning Road Trip Activities

Three important pieces of advice.

1. Variety is the spice of life. Movies, activity books, printables, coloring books – they’re all great for the car but too much of any one thing ensures crabbiness and boredom eventually.
2. Make sure to plan for the trip home and anticipate more restlessness on the later parts of the trip so save fun new stuff or trusted favorites for this part of your trip.
3. You can never pack too many snacks. We are not huge snack people in general – but all of our good meal eating habits go out the window in the car and I’m certain it helps to keep the peace.

Find more top family road trip tips Here!

Now, what did I pack for 35 hours in the car with two 6 year olds?

Best Road Trip Activities for Kids ages 3-8

1. The license plate game.
   We spotted 38 of 50 license plates spotted on this trip. We use the Melissa and Doug Flip Board to make it extra fun and visible. My kids started getting into this around age 5 – I think they were finally tall enough to see out the window.
2. Picture Books with CDs and Audio Books
   We started using picture books with CDs when our kids were toddlers and they are always a huge hit.For this trip I brought Miss Rumphius Book and Audible Book and BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL since we were driving through Maine, but they are not always related to where we are going.Audio chapter books are new to us. We started with the Magic Treehouse series – which are read by the author – when my kids were about 4. I wasn’t sure how they’d do without any pictures, but they did great.

   On this trip I planned to listen to the Anne of Green Gables audiobook. I should have bought it, but I requested it from the library and it didn’t come in on time. Instead we listened to the Ramona Quimby series narrated by Stockard Channing. It is AMAZING! By far, it was the favorite thing to do in the car. It had all four of us laughing out loud.

3. Activities about the Places we are visiting.
   To help get my kids excited about where we are stopping along the way I like to find printables or other activities that discuss our stops. These I pull out in the morning when we head towards our next destination.For this road trip from New York City to Maine to New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island (to see Green Gables from the Anne books) to Nova Scotia and back home through Maine – here are the ones I used:
   *Miss Rumphius Printables from Free Homeschool Deals
   *Maine Coloring Page from Crayola
   *Coloring Pages and Activity Packet Printables from Boston Kid Friendly
   *Canadian Paper Dolls Printables from Adventure in a Box
   *Anne of Green Gables Printables from Homeschool Giveaways
   *Blueberries for Sal Printable Pack from Teaching with Children’s Books
4. General Activity Books or Printables
   There are a lot of decent activity books for kids (some of our favorites are listed below) and also tons of free road trip printables available online. I use a combination of both. Here are some favorites:
   *Road Trip Printables from KCEdventures
   *General Road Trip Printables from Playdough to Plato
   *Usborne Activity Books are my favorites. We have used a dozen over the past 3 years.
   *For more also read: Quality, Engaging, and Creative Activity Books to Bring on Family Trips
   
5. Other Activities
   Along with listening to stories and doing pen and paper type activities I always bring some other things that involve a little more movement. Obviously you’re limited by seatbelts and safety, but listening and coloring gets boring for anyone after a while. Here is what I packed for this trip:*Melissa and Doug Reusable Sticker Pads
6. Screens
   I am not a screens whenever person, but also not anti-screens. I know there are some strong opinions on this, so obviously do what makes you comfortable.On our family travels, we usually allow more screen time than at home but try to use it more at the end of the day and especially the end of the last day when energy and enthusiasm is falling apart. I typically pack:* Their Kindles (don’t forget to charge the night before and bring the charging cable). My kids have each had one since they were 3.
   * Headphones (we love these kid ones!)
   * Movie player
   * New movie – I often buy a new DVD for a long trip like this one. I bought Bambi and Beauty and the Beast as surprises for the last day.
7. Snacks
   As I said above, pack WAY more snacks than you think you’ll need. We tend towards healthy-ish things like apple sauce pouches and granola bars, but my main tip is to aim for a balance between salty and sweet. Let your kids have input and they’ll be happier.Some snack ideas:*Applesauce Pouches (fruit, always a crowd pleaser – my kids ate an entire box on our trip, and relatively mess free)
   *This post on Family Road Trips has more great snack ideas
   *Ingredients for Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches (and plastic knives) – between driving in remote areas and our son’s dairy allergy we like to have a back up meal with us. We went through two loaves of bread on this trip.
   *Important tip: Pack a container for each child to hold food (we use these) or pre-pack everything in snack sized ziplocks.

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