This road trip essentials for single moms post is brought to you by Fisher Nut Exactly Snack Bites. All opinions are my own.

Planning on traveling solo with kids this summer? Check out these road trip essentials for single parents before you hit the open highway!

Planning a road trip with kids when you have a partner to help you out is hard enough. Planning a trek with kids solo? Eeek! Whether you’re a single parent or just happen to be flying solo with the kids this summer, I’ve come up with a few road trip essentials for single moms to help you on your journey. I’m going to be honest, though, my biggest “road trip” as a single mom takes me about an hour away. I’m scared to drive on the highway! Still, I have vacationed solo with kids (last summer I took Jake and my cousin on a short vacation), so I do speak from experience! We spent a lot of time in the car that weekend!

Road Trip Essentials for Single Parents

Good music- Every road trip needs a soundtrack, including those with kids. My son was brought up on the Dropkick Murphys and loves them, so I’ve never had to suffer through renditions of “The Wheels on the Bus” or anything. I did have a whole bunch of punk covers of his favorite cartoon theme songs when he was a kid. Ramones doing Spiderman, MxPx covering Scooby-Doo. That kept him interested and me from going bonkers. I kid you not, I get car sick if the music is bad! Then again, I get car sick if the car is moving, so I can use that excuse to get pretty much anything I want in the car. 😀 If you play music that everyone likes, it soothes your kids and helps keep you more alert. At least, that’s how it works in our family!

Talking GPS- I think every solo road tripper needs a talking GPS of some sort. It’s just dangerous to take your eyes off the road to check a map or directions, especially on a tiny screen. If your child is old enough to read directions, he can be your “talking GPS.” Otherwise, invest in something that calls out the turns, preferably in a suave, soothing voice!

Entertainment for the kids- Even if you plan to confiscate them upon arrival at your destination, charge up every single device you own and keep them on hand for entertainment. Jacob plays with his iPod and my iPhone in the car. Sometimes even my iPad on longer trips. Portable DVD players are a good old standby if you don’t want to hot-spot your phone for Netflix or something. If you REALLY must go low-tech, bring portable games, puzzle books and other activities that don’t take up much space. One tip: bring twice as much as you think you’ll need. Kids get bored in cars significantly faster than they do at home!

Easy Access Cash Stash- If you’ll be going through tolls, keep coins and singles close at hand in that little spot in your console or on the passenger seat next to you. Make sure it’s easy enough to just reach over and grab. You don’t want to be digging through your purse while you’re driving, or be that person who holds up the entire line because you can’t find your money. Even if you’re not going through tolls, keep a handy cash stash. You never know when you’ll have to swing through a drive-thru because someone is totally dying of thirst!

Car repair essentials- Keep things like Fix-a-Flat, a spare tire, a quart of oil (in case you run low), extra windshield wiper fluid and other essentials in your trunk, just in case. Also, if you don’t have triple A, look up and store numbers of mechanics in the areas you’ll be staying in. After out vacation last year, I had just gotten back to town from dropping off my cousin and my tie rod snapped on my car. Thankfully, I had my mechanic’s number in my phone. Even more thankfully, he came to me, fixed my car enough to get it to the shop, then took me, my son and the car back for a full repair on the spot. Best mechanic ever (MC Auto, for those in the Poconos). If you have an older car, all of these things are an absolute MUST. You don’t want to be stuck on the side of the road all by yourself with kids in a strange place. Trust me.

Must-Have Road Trip Essentials for Vacationing Solo with Kids + $50 Costco & Fisher Nut Exactly Giveaway #FisherNutExactly

Snacks- Snacks are a MUST for all road trips, but especially for single moms. Think about it: the less often you have to stop and take your kids in and out of snack shops, the better! I am currently IN LOVE with Fisher Nut Exactly. They’re not exactly chocolate, not exactly nuts and not exactly fruit. They’re all of the above and SO exactly delicious! I’ve been snacking like crazy on the Fisher Nut Exactly Snack Bites in the Almond Blueberry dipped in Dark Chocolate, available exclusively at Costco.

Nut Exactly Snack Bites: Road Trip Essentials for a Single Parents

For you, they’re easy enough to keep in a baggie and pop in your mouth as you drive (or at a stop light, since you’re really not supposed to eat and drive either). Give your kids a bag of their own to keep in the back seat. If you buy the big resealable 20oz bag at Costco, you’ll have plenty to split up between everyone. I’ve been munching on that bag for days and still haven’t polished it off.

Nut Exactly Snack Bites: Road Trip Essentials for a Single Parents

Fisher Nut Exactly is the first snack of its kind, combining savory roasted almonds, pumpkin seeds and whole grain popcorn with sweet blueberries, rolling them all together into a crunchy little bite, then dipping it into delicious dark chocolate. The result is an amazing little bite full of flavor and texture that you’ll absolutely adore. With no artificial preservatives, gluten-Free Fisher Nut Exactly makes snacking smart, fun and easy! It’s the perfect road trip snacks for moms and kids!

For more information about where to buy Fisher Nut Exactly, visit www.FisherNutExactly.com