8 Clever Mom Hacks for Minivan Owners

Oh, the minivan. As one of the most polarizing vehicles known to the population, you’re either into them or you’re not. Some moms shrug them off and say driving one is a line they’ll never cross, but others dream of the day when they can park their own personal people-mover in the driveway.

If you’ve already made the commitment to Team Minivan and are looking to make the nay-sayers jealous of your ride for once, check out these hacks. Some are quick fixes, some can make your life easier, and others can transform your van from something necessary to extraordinary.

All you need is your laptop, a small folding table, and your second row captain’s chair to turn downtime during softball practice into productive, billable hours. While the mom-taxi is off duty for the hour, pull up to the curb alongside the field and open the sliding doors to maintain your view. Trading gossip on the field for a little extra time to catch up is a big win. And if you’re the proud owner of a Kia Sedona or Toyota Sienna with second-row lounge seating, you can relax and recline when you’re ready for a break.

If you’re tackling endless tasks and errands throughout the day while simultaneously fielding demands from bossy little ones, you can eliminate some of the chaos just by planning ahead. All of today's modern minivans can come equipped with telematics systems that are bound to make life easier for mom (or dad). If you have a Toyota Sienna equipped with Entune, you can perform a web search on your smartphone to find all of your day’s stops and save them, right from the comfort of your couch. Later, once you’re ready to hit the road, you can sync your saved destinations in Entune with the van’s navigation system, and you’re off and running. Similar “Send Destination to Vehicle” service functionality is also found in the Chrysler Pacifica using Uconnect and in the Kia Sedona using UVO services.

With tons of room to store ice chests and sliding doors that open on both sides, your minivan can rival any trendy food truck. Next time they’re looking to make a little extra money, let the kids set up their lemonade stand right from the van. When the crowd dies down on the block, close the doors, buckle up, and drive to the next busy park or playground. Bonus points come from giving them a lesson on the benefits of social networking – you can post live tweets to announce where the next Mobile Lemonade stop will be, just like the food trucks do.

It’s true, next time you get a mild scratch on your family wagon’s exterior paint, grab some clear nail polish to brush across it and watch the scratch disappear. Don’t believe us? Google it! Dad will never know…

Long road trip got the kids down? On the afternoon pit stop, try pulling over for a picnic lunch. Once you let the kids run and burn off some steam, allow them some wind-down time in the “pillow fort” afterwards to get them primed for the afternoon nap. This hack is also the perfect shady retreat from the sun’s harsh rays during a long day at the beach, or even at the park next time you’re there for the annual family reunion.

To mimic the “fort” shown above in the Toyota Sienna, fold the third row seats flat and slide the second row seats forward as much as the installed car seats will allow. Cover the floor with blankets and pillows and secure a backdrop by looping the blanket through the rooftop hanger hooks.

Do you need to keep the kids wrangled while you load up the car? It's easy to keep them occupied while they have fun. Place magnetic stickers on the van—one per kid—and use them as a place for kids to place their hand. They’ll think they’re “safe” or on “home base” and you can rest assured they’re safe from harm while you prep for the road. Just be careful not to place the magnetic stickers on the side the sliding door will open, or near the tailgate so fingers don't get smashed. You can pick up magnetic stickers like the ones pictured here at most teacher supply stores or on Amazon.

Book a babysitter for this one and enjoy the amenities of your minivan with just your spouse. Remove car seats, fold seats flat, and pack an air mattress. Take it to the next level and accessorize by draping a tapestry from window to window and hang battery-operated Christmas lights for some ambiance. Once you lift the tailgate—voila! You’re sure to be the envy of the drive-in with the best set up on the lot.

No sitter? No problem. Park the van in the backyard and head out once the kids have gone to bed. Don’t forget the Bluetooth speaker and the wine. Most all minivans (like the Toyota Sienna pictured here), have an electrical outlet in the cargo area too, perfect to use with the mattress if air levels are getting low.

Minivans get a lot of action. Whether yours is constantly being loaded up with sports equipment or handling on-the-go diaper changes, your minivan can start to smell funky pretty fast. In-between car washes and to help combat against the foul odor of spilled milk and big groups of sweaty teenagers, keep a healthy supply of dryer sheets under the seats in front and back. They’re inexpensive and will keep the van fresh—and they’re certainly less offensive than the “Ocean Breeze” gel that really smells like cheap cologne.