With the uncertainty and hassles of airline travel, more and more people will be hitting the roads this holiday season to visit family and friends. Traveling with children for long periods in a car can be taxing for everyone involved.
Here are some tips to keep your children entertained and occupied to make your holiday adventures fun.
Plan ahead
- Each child should have their own “snack pack” with their favorite treats and drinks – avoids arguing with the siblings!
- Pack picnics and stop at a rest stop to stretch your legs and grab a bite. If the weather doesn’t permit you to be outside, some rest stops have inside spots to eat – or make it an adventure and picnic in the car.
- Break often – let the kids move around and get the energy out.
- For longer trips, such as heading to Florida from Connecticut – choose some fun adventure stops along the way to break up the trip.
Nighttime Adventures If you have very young children, traveling at night just makes sense. Plan on hitting the road after bath time when they are relaxed and in their comfy pajamas. Don’t forget their favorite sleep toys!
For older children, even teens, it’s all about the entertainment.
If your children don’t suffer from car sickness – pack a box that includes crayons, colored pencils, books, word puzzles – anything that they can easily pick up and entertain themselves with
- Tablets are your friend – download movies from Netflix, Disney or Amazon before you leave so you don’t need wifi to stream them.
- Audio books are great for readers who suffer from car sickness.
- Play the License Plate Game – give each child a pad with all the fifty states Each time they see a license plate from a different state they check it off. Give prizes or treats for each one they find, who finds the most of one state, who finds all 50 (hard to do), who finds the most of their home state or the state you are headed to!
- If you are crossing multiple state lines – have a State Goody Bag to give the children as you enter the new state. It could have some info about the state, a treat specific to the state or anything fun to make them look forward to the next stop along the adventure!
Prepare for the Unexpected
Life happens, kids get sick, cars get flat tires and road construction always pops up to delay your trip. Make sure you are prepared.
- Have a first aid kit with everything you need -including pain relievers, car sickness meds, nausea meds and lots of bandaids.
- Bring one more outfit than you planned for the kids – and have it easily accessible during the trip because at least one child will spill their drink.
- Make sure your car is up to date on maintenance, tires and breaks are checked to ensure a safe trip. Accidents do happen – so have a road side assistance plan, spare tire and jumper cables!
- Have a trash bag and paper towels – you’ll use them!
In the end, it’s all about spending time with family and friends. Long trips don’t have to be daunting, in fact they can be a fun family adventure creating a lot of wonderful memories!
