Family vacations and daytrips are fun and memorable events that are often cherished memories throughout life, but getting to your destination may not be so pleasant. Even with modern DVD players, extended trips with small children can be very frustrating for parents. These tips may make traveling with children more enjoyable for both the parents and the child.
The most important part of enjoying a peaceful drive with your children is to plan plenty of stops. Children build up energy and tend to get difficult if they sit still for too long, so plan to stop every couple hours to use the restroom and move around. You may want to stop for a picnic lunch if you will be on the road for several hours. Bring along a Frisbee to release some energy when you stop.
Children also get more frustrated when they are hungry or tired, so remember to bring along a favorite blanket and pillow and pack plenty of healthy snacks and drinks. Juice boxes, water, or sports drinks can be tossed in a small cooler for easy access. Some easy to pack snacks could include individual fruit cups, granola, cereal, or fruit bars, or small packs of crackers.
Boredom is the other primary reason kids act up on a long car trip. With a little planning, your next drive with the kids can actually be fun. Allow each child to bring along one moderately sized, quiet toy. A puzzle book, favorite doll, or a puzzle like the Guidecraft 3-D dinner puzzle are good choices. If you will be on the road more than a couple hours, bring along a bag full of other small toys that can be given out at various times along the way. Handheld games, small dolls or action figures, dot to dot pages, coloring books, and easy needlecraft sets are all fun choices. Road trips may also be a good time to encourage your child to read a book, or even listen to a story on tape.
Give older children a small atlas or pocket map so he can follow along the map to your destination. For younger children, design a simple map together ahead of time. Highlight your route and mark a few landmarks along the way so your child can follow along as you travel. If your children know where you are on their own map, they are less likely to ask you when you'll be there!
Once everyone has grown tired of playing with their toys, initiate a fun game for the whole family. There are lots of traditional car games for traveling that are still fun to play. Look for license plates and see who can find the most from various states. You can use a paper copy of the US map and mark off the states, or you can simply tally it on paper. Tell children to make a word using the letters from the license plate or see who can add the numbers on the plate the quickest.
Other fun car games are I Spy, 20 Questions, and Bingo. Try making your own bingo cards with pictures or names of things you may see on your drive, like cows or an airport, and let your children color in the squares. Remember to set aside some time for quiet time to give everyone a break and a chance to relax.
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