Thanksgiving Travel With Kids: When to Leave, What to Pack, and How to Get Through the Busiest Week of the Year

Thanksgiving travel with kids, made easier: the best and worst hours to drive each day of the week, car seat coat rules, and a packing list that works.

Gizella Nagyne Palinkas

10/20/20266 min read

If you are driving, leave before 11 a.m. — on the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving, or on Thanksgiving morning itself, when traffic barely moves at all. In 2025, the traffic-data company INRIX told AAA that the worst hours on the outbound days ran from noon to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, while Thanksgiving Day itself was expected to see minimal traffic impact.

And one rule before you load the car: no puffy coats under the car seat straps. The American Academy of Pediatrics explains that padding compresses in a crash and leaves the harness too loose. Put the coat on over the buckled straps instead.

Everything below is the detail: the full hour-by-hour map, the airport rules for milk and formula, and a packing list built for a long day in a car.

Why Thanksgiving week is the hardest travel week of the year

You are not imagining it. AAA projected 81.8 million people would travel at least 50 miles from home over Thanksgiving 2025 — 1.6 million more than the year before. Of those, at least 73 million were expected to go by car (nearly 90%), around 6 million by domestic flight, and nearly 2.5 million by bus, train or cruise.

The airports were the busiest they have ever been. TSA screened about 3.13 million people on Sunday 30 November 2025 — the Sunday after Thanksgiving — which TravelPulse reported as the single busiest day in TSA's history.

Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday 26 November, so the same pattern lands on Tuesday 24 November to Monday 30 November. AAA usually publishes its new forecast in mid-November; the 2025 numbers below are the most recent measured pattern, not a prediction for 2026.

The best and worst times to drive, day by day

This is INRIX's 2025 table, published by AAA, with 2026's matching dates added. Times are local to the metro area you are driving through.

Mapping 2025 weekdays onto 2026 dates is our assumption: the holiday sits in the same place in the week, but the 2026 forecast has not been published yet.

What that means for a family

Morning departures are your friend. Every "best" window except Monday's ends between 10 a.m. and noon. With small children, a departure at nap time or straight after breakfast lines up with the clear roads.
Thanksgiving morning is the quiet option. If the drive is a few hours, leaving on Thursday morning itself avoids both busy outbound days.
Sunday is the trap. On the roads the worst window runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and in 2025 Sunday was the record day at the airports too. If you can come home on Saturday morning or Monday evening, do.
Monday night works for older kids. After 8 p.m. on Monday is the one "best" window that is in the evening — easier with children who sleep in the car.

Car seats and winter coats: the pinch test

The AAP's winter car-seat guidance comes down to this:

Take the bulky coat off before buckling. A snowsuit or puffer compresses in a crash and leaves slack, so a child can slip out of the straps.
Do the pinch test. Once your child is buckled, try to pinch the harness strap at the shoulder. If you can pinch any webbing, tighten it until you can't.
Dress in thin layers — leggings or a bodysuit, a thermal top, then a thin fleece if needed. Babies generally need one more layer than adults.
Put warmth on top of the straps. A blanket over the buckled harness, or the coat on backwards, keeps them warm without getting between child and seat. Take it off once the car warms up.
Hats, mittens and socks add warmth without touching the harness.
Only use car-seat covers that came with the seat or are approved for it — nothing that adds a layer under the baby.

Flying? The milk and formula rules

TSA's rules on breast milk, formula and toddler drinks:

They can be more than 3.4 oz (100 ml) and don't need to fit in your liquids bag.
Tell the officer at the start of screening that you have them, and take them out of your bag to be screened separately.
Clear bottles are easier than pouches or bags, which may need to be opened.
Ice packs and gel packs to keep them cold are allowed.
The officer on the day has the final say.

Plan for crowds: if your return flight is on the Sunday, it is likely to be the busiest airport day of the week. AAA also notes that return flights on Sunday and Monday tend to cost more, while flying on Thanksgiving Day is often cheaper.

The Thanksgiving car-day packing list

A checklist for a long car day with children. Print it, or save the pin.

Within reach of the driver's seat

Wipes, tissues, hand sanitiser
Spare change of clothes per child (in a labelled bag, not the boot)
Sick bags and a small towel
Phone charger and a paper copy of the route

For the kids

Thin layers on, coats in the car (see the pinch test above)
Blanket for over the straps
Snacks that don't crumble and a water bottle each
One new small toy or activity per child, kept back for the second half of the drive
Headphones and downloaded audiobooks or shows (no signal on long stretches)

For the car (AAA's own pre-trip advice)

Fill the tank the night before
Check tyre pressure and battery
Emergency kit: extra blankets, dry clothes, hats, gloves, snacks — the AAP recommends keeping these in the car in winter

For arrival

Each child's sleep basics: their pillow, comforter or white-noise machine
Night light
Any medicines, in original packaging

Getting through the visit itself

The drive is half of it. A few things that make the days at someone else's house easier:

Protect one nap or quiet time a day. A tired child at a noisy family table is where most meltdowns start. If you need a plan for the big day itself, our Christmas Day meltdown plan works just as well for Thanksgiving.
Tell your host about bedtime before you arrive so it isn't a negotiation at 8 p.m.
Give children a job — laying the napkins, carrying the rolls. Kids who are busy are less likely to fall apart.
Agree your leaving time before you go, especially if you're aiming for one of those morning windows.

Take the quiz: How ready is your family for Thanksgiving travel?

Six quick questions, and you'll get a short plan for the gaps.

FAQ

What is the best day to drive for Thanksgiving with kids? Thanksgiving Day itself is usually the quietest. INRIX's 2025 forecast for AAA expected minimal traffic impact on the Thursday, while Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons were the worst outbound windows. If you need to travel earlier, leave before 11 a.m. on Wednesday or before noon on Tuesday. These are 2025 patterns; AAA usually publishes the 2026 forecast in mid-November.

What is the worst time to drive home after Thanksgiving? In 2025 the worst return window was Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Monday from noon to 8 p.m. The best options were Saturday before 10 a.m., Sunday before 11 a.m., or Monday after 8 p.m. Happy Parents Today recommends picking the morning slot with young children, since it lines up with their best mood of the day.

Can my child wear a winter coat in the car seat? No — not a bulky one under the harness. The American Academy of Pediatrics explains that padding compresses in a crash, leaving the straps too loose. Dress your child in thin layers, buckle them in, check with the pinch test, then lay a blanket or the coat over the straps.

How much breast milk or formula can I take through airport security? TSA allows breast milk, formula and toddler drinks above 3.4 oz (100 ml) in carry-on bags, and they don't need to go in your liquids bag. Tell the officer at the start of screening and take them out for separate screening. Clear bottles are easier to screen than pouches. Ice packs to keep them cool are allowed too.

What is the busiest day to fly at Thanksgiving? In 2025 the busiest day was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when TSA screened about 3.13 million people — reported as the busiest day in its history. In 2026 the matching Sunday is 29 November. If you fly that day, allow extra time at security, especially with a stroller and car seat to screen.

How do I keep kids entertained on a long Thanksgiving drive? Keep one new small toy or activity back for the second half of the drive, download audiobooks and shows before you leave (signal drops on long stretches), and plan stops before children are desperate. Snacks that don't crumble and a change of clothes within reach save a lot of stress.

This is general information, not medical or legal advice. Car-seat rules vary by seat — always follow your seat's manual, and ask a certified child passenger safety technician if you're unsure.

Sources

AAA Newsroom, "AAA Thanksgiving Travel Forecast 2025" (Nov 2025) — 81.8M travellers, 73M by car, ~6M by air, ~2.5M other; travel period; INRIX best/worst times table; return-flight pricing; pre-trip car checks — https://newsroom.aaa.com/2025/11/aaa-thanksgiving-travel-forecast-2025/
NPR via KJZZ, "Hitting the road for Thanksgiving? Here's the best time to go" (22 Nov 2025) — INRIX timing confirmation — https://www.kjzz.org/npr-top-stories/2025-11-22/hitting-the-road-for-thanksgiving-heres-the-best-time-to-go
TravelPulse, "Thanksgiving 2025 Breaks TSA's All-Time Daily Traveler Record" (updated 1 Dec 2025) — ~3,133,924 screened on 30 Nov 2025 — https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines-airports/thanksgiving-2025-breaks-tsas-all-time-daily-traveler-record
TSA, "Breast milk" — liquids rules for breast milk, formula and toddler drinks — https://tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/breast-milk
American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), "Winter Car Seat Safety Tips" — https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Winter-Car-Seat-Safety-Tips.aspx