Everybody is wanting to give their kids a 90\u2019s summer, and as someone who lived through the 1990\u2019s I feel I have some authority on this subject.<\/p>\n
But first, are you SURE<\/em><\/strong> you want to give your kids a \u201990\u2019s summer? <\/p>\n Because that would mean you\u2019d have to let them roam all over the neighborhood (or in my case, the dirt roads and deep woods of Alabama) with zero supervision and definitely not track their every move by GPS satellite. The only satellite we had back then was the huge satellite dish that looked like NASA set up a space station in our backyard. <\/p>\n You\u2019d need to stock your pantry with food filled with either trans fats or zero fat, and lots of Red40 food dye. Even our Mountain Dew had Red40 back then. <\/p>\n You\u2019d need to let them ride without seatbelts or airbags, and sometimes just toss them in the bed of your truck while you run to the gas station for cigarettes. <\/p>\n And yes, we still had screens back in the 90\u2019s. I spent the entire summer of 1991 glued to my brand new Nintendo, because that princess wasn\u2019t gonna save herself. <\/p>\n But if y\u2019all really want to do a 90\u2019s rebrand, I am here for it! <\/p>\n Here are my parent loading up our station wagon, getting ready to head back home from another Panama City Beach vacation. Look at that grin on my mama\u2019s face. And those glasses! <\/p>\n We had many different cars when I was growing up, but this burgundy 1989 Caprice Station Wagon was my favorite. My sister dubbed it the \u201cDragon Wagon\u201d. <\/p>\n It had rear facing seats where you could get up close and personal with the Mac truck that was riding your bumper on the interstate. I preferred to lay the seats flat and make a pallet so I could sleep on our long road trips. We regularly drove 6+ hours from Alabama to Kentucky to see my grandparents, 5 hours to the beach, and 10+ hours out to Texas for church retreats. Long road trips were a normal part of my childhood. <\/p>\n But riding ten hours in the back of the Dragon Wagon made it feel like a luxury trip compared to some of the other tiny cars my dad owned.<\/p>\n Today, let\u2019s talk specifically about give your kids a true 1990\u2019s road trip experience. Summer is going by fast, which means you better hit the road quick if you want to avoid those unexcused absences.<\/p>\n If you want to try to kick it old-school style and have a technology-free road trip then you are gonna need to get creative. Kids today are not as easily entertained as those of us who grew up staring out the backseat window, imagining a tiny man scaling the power poles, and punching our cousins every time we passed a Volkswagon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n That means you need to make a plan and be prepared. Here are my suggestions for things that will totally give your kids a TRUE 1990\u2019s summer experience.<\/p>\n So, let\u2019s start off with a staple of every 1990\u2019s road trip\u2026 A notepad and markers so you could write messages to truckers. <\/p>\n Just don\u2019t let them write \u201cWE\u2019VE BEEN KIDNAPPED\u201d like we used to, because if you hold up a sign like that today, and you get arrested. Nobody cared back then. <\/p>\n Or just teach them to pump their arm up and down, which is the universal trucker signal to honk their horn. If you can get a trucker to even look down at you these days, you\u2019re off to a great start.<\/p>\n Mad Libs on the Road<\/a> (also a good way to sneak in some summertime learning)<\/p>\n Travel Bingo Cards <\/a>(let them channel their inner retirement village resident)<\/p>\n License Plate Game Printable<\/a> (how many can you find?)<\/p>\n Family Scavenger Hunt<\/a> (because Eye-Spy gets real boring after 25 rounds)<\/p>\n Travel Yahtzee<\/a> (this was my FAVORITE for long road trips)<\/p>\n The Original Tamagotchi<\/a> (the quintessential 90\u2019s toy)<\/p>\n Fun window clings<\/a> If all the games get boring, whip a pack of window clings out of your purse and let the kids go wild sticking them all over the windows and their foreheads.\u00a0 This will provide minutes (ok, seconds?) of entertainment.<\/p>\n Walkman Cassette Player<\/a> You\u2019ll have to search eBay for a truly vintage Sony Walkman, but there are plenty of knockoffs on Amazon. Don\u2019t forget to pick up some cassette tapes for the ride. For a true 90\u2019s experience, I suggest Barney\u2019s Greatest Hits, or 2LiveCrew, depending on the age of your children. <\/p>\n You think I am joking, but no lie\u2026 Me So Horny<\/em> was the first cassette single I ever bought in 1990. I was in the 7th grade. The Swifties could NEVER handle true 1990\u2019s music. <\/p>\n National Geographic Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas We are so reliant on GPS these days, and this is the perfect opportunity to teach your kids how to navigate using a map.\u00a0 Get them to figure out your best routes to get to your destination.\u00a0 You might be changing their names to Siri when you see how efficient they can be.<\/p>\n No road trip is complete without snacks, amiright? And since fast food is so expensive, you\u2019re gonna want to pack a picnic lunch for the road. That means you\u2019re gonna need a few extras. <\/p>\n Travel-Size Igloo Cooler<\/a> Reusable Ice Packs<\/a> But listen. <\/p>\n If you are gonna make your kids relive the 90\u2019s, you BETTER not bring any bottled water, protein bars or seaweed snacks along for the ride. Like, gag me with a spoon. <\/p>\n Those did not exist in the 90\u2019s. Or at least not in the 90\u2019s I grew up in. I only want to see 100% genuine 1990\u2019s approved SNACK FOODS in that car. Leave the Larabars behind. Nothing healthy is allowed. Definitely nothing organic. Leave all that stuff at the store. <\/p>\n Your kids better be pumped full of high fructose corn syrup and Red-40 before you even hit the outskirts of town.<\/em><\/p>\n You definitely need a Stanley Thermos <\/a>filled with Tropical Punch KoolAid <\/a>(my fave!) My sister never left home on a road trip without a spray can of EZCheese<\/a>, because nothing says 1990\u2019s \u2018MURICA<\/em> like squirting cheese from a can onto a sleeve of Ritz crackers.<\/p>\n My favorite road trip food was a Little Debbie Star Crunch<\/a>. They may have left that slick film coating on the roof of your mouth, but they held up beautifully on the bottom of a paper grocery sack filled with snacks. <\/p>\n My mama was a Diet Coke and Golden Flake Cheese Curl <\/a>kinda woman, and if you topped it off with some Whoppers<\/a> she was set for the whole trip. <\/p>\n Before there was Buccee\u2019s, there was Stuckey\u2019s, and no road trip was complete without a Stuckey\u2019s Pecan Log<\/a>. My dad LOVED these things, so they were a must-have for every trip. We were guaranteed one every single trip to Kentucky to see my grandparents. <\/p>\n He also loved to slurp down some Vienna sausages, so be sure to pack those or some potted meat for a simple white bread car picnic. <\/p>\n Photo from StuckeyStop on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n Ok, now that you\u2019ve got snacks\u2026 on to the final must-haves for a safe summer road trip.<\/p>\n Travel First Aid Kit Roadside Emergency Kit Window Breaker\/Seatbelt Cutter<\/a> Baby Wipes<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/bethbryan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1990s-Station-Wagon-with-Rear-Facing-Seats.png\")
<\/figure>\nPrep your kids for a 90\u2019s Style Road Trip<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\nHere are classic road trip games to bring the nostalgia.<\/h2>\n
Other road trip necessities with true 1990\u2019s vibes.<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Another old-school accessory you might want to consider?\u00a0 An atlas<\/a>. My mama always made me the \u201cNavigator\u201d on road trips. She would hand me an atlas and say \u201cFind where we\u2019re going and tell us how to get there.\u201d I LOVED being the Navigator, and now that I\u2019m an old lady I\u2019ve got a killer sense of direction. <\/p>\nDon\u2019t forget the Road Trip Snacks<\/h2>\n
Don\u2019t let the dog pee on the sandwiches, Clark!!\u00a0 <\/strong>Protect them inside a sturdy Igloo cooler. My family never left home without an Igloo Cooler filled with sandwiches and cans of Fantas. This is a must-have for a nostalgic 90\u2019s style road trip.<\/p>\n
Toss these in the freezer a few days before your trip and they will keep your refreshments chilled along the way. This is actually a cheat, since my mom just put ice in a Ziploc, which would eventually melt and make everything soggy.<\/p>\n
But for a true 90\u2019s experience, make sure to get the old-school green Thermos kind of Stanley that your grandpa carried into the coal mines every day, not the fancy ones we know and love today.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/bethbryan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-10.28.33-AM-1.png\")
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<\/a>Because Boo-boos happen. Better safe than sorry!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Your inner Boy Scout will thank you for always being prepared for roadside emergencies.<\/p>\n
You never know when you might need this tool.\u00a0 Let\u2019s hope it\u2019s NEVER, but just in case\u2026.<\/p>\n
Just take the whole case. You\u2019re gonna need \u2019em.<\/p>\n
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