What to Keep in the Car in Case of a Winter Emergency With Kids
Above and beyond the usual items, here’s what parents need to be prepared
“I’m not wearing a coat—we’re just going in the car!” It’s a phrase I hear at least once a day with five kids under 11. My response is to remind them just how cold they’d be if the car broke down or if we experienced an emergency on the road. While my kids consider those kinds of worst-case scenarios wildly unlikely, we parents need to plan for every situation, especially during winter weather.
“No one ever plans to get stuck. Many people think it will never happen to them until it does,” says Jana Tidwell, manager of public and government affairs at AAA Club Alliance in Marcus Hook, Pa. “It’s always better to have what you need and not need it than need something and not have it.”
Tidwell says winter weather driving comes with a variety of challenges we should plan for. “Fast-moving storm systems, white-out conditions, ice, road closures, detours, vehicle crashes—all of these can cause delays, if not complete stoppages on the roadway,” she says.
While most parents are experts at planning for a day out and about with kids (diaper bag that could make it to the top of Mount Everest? check!), here’s how to get more specific about just what you might need if your car breaks down or if you encounter a driving emergency with kids in tow this winter.
Planning for Winter Car Emergencies With Kids
Depending on where you live, winter weather can be unpredictable—which is why it pays to be prepared. Tidwell recounts a time when she took her kids to the movies, only to come out to blizzardlike conditions after the show, and her usual 10-minute drive home took her family more than 4 hours.
“Slick and slippery roads led to road closures and numerous vehicle crashes,” she says. “While sitting in standstill traffic, I had to repeatedly get out to clean snow from the car and dig out the tires.” But having the right supplies for the unexpected emergency made all the difference. “Because I had blankets and extra clothes in the truck, we were able to stay warm and not have to keep the car running the whole time. Nonperishable snacks and games helped pass the time. External chargers kept my phone from dying.”
What to Pack in Your Car’s Emergency Kit for Kids
It can help to think categorically when organizing supplies for the family car. Not all categories will apply to all age groups, so consider what’s most helpful for your family’s needs from the list below.
Extra Diapers
Most parents have found themselves somewhere short of a diaper. Keep enough diapers for a full 24-hour period in your car—just to be on the safe side—and pack along your essential diaper-changing extras, too, like wipes, a place to put dirties for disposal, and a change of clothes for those inevitable blowouts.
Bottle-Feeding or Nursing Essentials
If your baby is bottle-feeding or nursing, you’re probably already packing your feeding must-haves along with you in your diaper bag whenever you’re planning to be out. But if you’re getting into the car on a winter day and the weather’s looking dicey, it’s always smart to pack extra necessities just in case. If you’re bottle-feeding, that might look like extra bottles and a thermos of water for mixing formula. If you’re nursing, that might mean bringing whatever you might need to breastfeed comfortably in the car if necessary.
Snacks and Drinks
To keep toddlers and older kids fed and hydrated in the car during unexpected emergencies, Emily A. Thomas, PhD, associate director of auto safety at Consumer Reports, recommends bringing water bottles and snacks that can be stowed safely in an enclosed cargo bin or in under-floor storage. Think protein bars and nonperishable items rather than the typical go-to snacks like apples, so you don’t have to remember to swap them out periodically.
Warm Layers
Especially in winter, fleece footie pajamas are a great way to stay warm in a child car seat without adding the unsafe bulk of a puffy coat. Pro tip: If you do want your kids to wear their winter coats while in their car seats, buckle them in first, then put their coats on backward, like a blanket with arms.
Extra Blankets, Coats, and Pants
As a mom of many kids, I have to think through scenarios, like how to keep all five kids warm in case of a breakdown. This means hauling around five small, warm travel blankets, as well as a few extra coats, because I can bet on at least one of those stubborn kids “forgetting” theirs at an inopportune time.
I also keep a few pairs of warm sweatpants in the car that can fit most of my kids in a pinch. These come in handy when they wear their basketball shorts home from practice and aren’t fully dressed for the weather.
Helpful Gear for Parenting in the Dark
Thomas says to pack extra flashlights along with a portable phone charger. And I’ve noticed that any unexpected emergency, such as a power outage at home, is a whole lot more fun with mini flashlights for kids to read or play games, which can help pass the time even if you are stuck in a cold car. Keep a stash of extra batteries for your flashlights in the car, and store batteries out of the flashlights until you need to use them.
Consider how you’ll alert other drivers that you have stopped, especially when kids are inside. Tidwell recommends reflective/warning triangles. Other winter driving must-haves include flares and a reflector vest in case you need to get out. They’ll make you and your vehicle as visible as possible.
Entertainment
“Are we there yets?” will be just the beginning if your vehicle is stuck in a winter weather-related situation, so having some age-appropriate things to do for each of your children that don’t rely on a charge or WiFi access can make the entire experience a lot less miserable.
An easy and engaging option for younger kids is a magnet puzzle, which ensures that pieces don’t fall everywhere. (We like this option from Mudpuppy), or magnetic box games (such as this dress up doll kit from HABA.) A pack of sticky hands fidget toys that kids can slap on the windows inside the vehicle can help keep little ones entertained. A simple pad of paper and a pack of markers is also an easy option, along with favorite books your kids like to read.
A Kid-Friendly First-Aid Kit
A regular first-aid kit will do, too, but as most parents know, sometimes kids need extras, including fun Band-Aids and kid-sized medical tape. For example, my kids have always loved the Keep Going First Aid Kits, which come in lots of fun colors and themes and have a whole host of ointments, tools, and kid-sized items to help with everything from a nose bleed to a bug bite. I also like that there’s room to add your other medical must-haves, such as if you have a child with medical needs and might also need to keep extra reserves of necessary medication or supplies in the car.
A Clear Plan
Do you know whom to call first if your car breaks down on the side of the highway? Check now to see whether your insurance has roadside assistance, and add that number to your phone. Also make sure you have emergency information in your wallet, including numbers saved on your phone that you don’t know from memory. Glove compartments in some newer cars open electronically, so it could be smart to move your important papers (like your vehicle owner’s manual, registration, and insurance) to a compartment that has a manual release button, like a center console, in case you’re unable to start your car.
The above essentials, and a plan, can mean you’re able to keep calm and parent on, instead of panicking, if you happen to be in a winter weather situation with your vehicle.
