"Are We There Yet?" Tips for Car Travel with Kids[an error occurred while processing this directive]Car travel with children is not an adventure to be taken lightly. Whether your road trip is a two-hour jaunt or a two-week vacation, your success depends on your travel survival strategy and attitude. Survival Strategy:
Before You Go
1. Talk to the
kids about your trip.
Tell them what
to expect while you're on the road. Depending upon
the age of your children, you may need to make them aware
of safety issues and let them know where you are going.
This is a good time to ask the kids if they have questions
about the trip. Encourage the children to pick out some
of their favorite toys to bring along.
2. Talk to your
spouse or other adult traveling companions about
the impending trip.
Make sure you
both understand the requirements involved in traveling
with children. If your spouse thinks you can drive for
four hours straight and then take a break, give him or her
plenty of time to get over that idea and adjust to the reality
of traveling with children.
3. Make a game
out of planning roadside breaks.
Refer to your
maps and try to find a playground, park or place
for the kids to run around at each stop. Get all of the
kids out and running around. You will be glad you did when
you think of how less fidgety the kids will be when they
get back in the car.
Survival Strategy:
You Can Never Have Too Many Snacks
Get ready to
break or, at least bend, some of your rules about
snacks and eating for the duration of your car trip. On
a road trip, snacks are not even remotely related to nutrition
or hunger but are simply treats to be doled out when
necessary. The best snack for a car trip is one that takes
a long time to eat.
Survival Strategy:
You Can Never Pack Too Many Toys
Pack a special
travel backpack for each child. Get your children
involved in packing their favorite toys.
Babies:
rattles, pop-up-toys,
anything bright and new
Toddlers and
Preschoolers:
things that fit
in other things (Tupperware sets),
stickers and activity books, crayons and coloring books,
finger puppets, small magnetic puzzles, stick-on play
sets and Go Fish cards
Older Children:
paper,
pencil and markers for playing hangman,
Etch-a-Sketch, comic books, fantasy cards, Legos stored
in Ziploc bags, books
Teenagers:
music/walkman,
comic books, favorite magazines
Survival Strategy:
Be Ready for Spills and Messes
Bring along a
complete change of clothes for every person in the
travel group. You never know what will spill or who will get
sick. Bring baby or diaper wipes in Ziploc bags or travel
packs.
Survival Strategy:
Have Answers Ready
Have answers
prepared for these common kid complaints:
1. "It's
not fair."
Well, if you are lucky, you might make it out of the
driveway before you hear this one. Try to dole out the
treats and snacks evenly.
2. "I'm
bored."
Get involved and play a game with the kids. See the list
of best car games below.
3. "There
isn't anything to do."
Tell a funny story about when that kid was a baby.
Survival Strategy:
Have Fun and Play Games With the Kids!
Play car games
with your kids. You'll be amazed at how much
fun you can have.
Here are some of the best car games:
1. Counting Cows
Divide into teams. Decide on your destination for the end
of the counting session. Count the cows on your side of
the road. Winner has the highest number when you reach
your destination.
2. Twenty Questions
One player thinks of a person, place or thing. Everyone
else gets to ask twenty "yes" or "no"
questions to figure
it out. Winner gets the next turn to think up something.
3. Scavenger
Hunts
Create a list of ten scavenger items: a bridge, blue car,
red truck, mountain, bus, etc. The members of each team
work together to find all of the items on their list. The
winners get a treat.
4. Alphabet Words
Find a word on a sign that begins with the letter "A"
and
work your way through the alphabet.
5. Geography
You start any place in the world. The first player
chooses the starting place, for example, "California."
The next person has to name a place that starts with the
last letter of the first place or in this case the last
letter of California. So the next person might say,
"Alaska." You may only use a place once in each
game.
Remember, your
kids will be telling stories about the family
vacation for
years to come. Give them something to talk
about!
|
