Nothing says road trip like long sunny Summer days and miles of open highway. So as you make plans to pack up the car and kids, keep these tips in mind for making the road trip as memorable as possible!
Stock up on snacks: Pack a small cooler and load cup holders with plenty of water and healthy classics like trail mix, granola bars, almonds and fruit
Take your time: Plan to make plenty of stops and take advantage of beautiful vistas along the way. It will give the kids (and you) a chance to re-energize
Play games: Car games are lots of fun for the whole family. Get the kids excited about their surroundings and start a great conversation
Plug it in: iPods and iPads are a great way to wind down the crowd and give the kids a chance to have some quiet time to themselves
Map it: Plan your route in advance to ensure you don’t miss key stops but make the journey as smooth as possible. Be sure to have maps and guide books close at hand in seat pockets
It’s showtime: Reserve a special movie for later in the trip. For that point in time when the kids are running out of patience it’s wise to have a surprise movie or game for them to enjoy
Climate control: Certain car models like the Ford Edge allow for single-zone manual air conditioning so passengers can adjust for a personalized temperature. This is a big part of an enjoyable trip
Get cozy: Don’t forget extra blankets and pillows (and stuffed animals) for those who want to nap along the way
Listen up: Stock up on kid and adult friendly music to keep everyone entertained
Belt it out: a perfect time to teach your kids the Beatles! Singing is a mainstay for uniting the team and keeping spirits high en route. Have fun and take lots of pics!
Perfect tips! We are headed to the beach today and I will definitely use some of these helpful hints!
I think taking your time is the hardest one to deal with. Trips that used to take 4 hours may take closer to 8 for us! 4 kids ages 5 and under (ages newborn through 5 years) make trips interesting to say the least!
I have travelled for year both by car and plane with me 2 boys. BE PREPARED!!! and everything is a breeze. I have done at least 20 flights and by car 5 trips to florida, PEI, Myrtle Beach, and about 10 trips (6hr drive) to visit family a year. Have bribes and entertainment, backup batteries, snacks and drinks, and lots of wipes. Lots of excellent tips above!
Great tips! For me I always have a bag started for garbage and baby wipes at the ready. I also have a towl for each to lay over them when they have snacks. Easily shook out or laundered to catch crumbs and drips instead of my car upholstery bearing the brunt of it. And while I bow down to the parents that can play I Spy for an entire 8 hr car trip, I just can”t. Portable DVD players with seperate headphones are a Godsend.
One year we traveled from Victoria to Ontarioi in a mini van with 4 girls and no airconditioning! We sang and sang and sang lol (this was before the days of iPods etc. Great tips!
following most of the suggestions should for sure make for a better journey and satisfied people
Great tips! Thanks for sharing.
Love the Beatles idea – music is such a great way to entertain children!
great tips! we have a road trip coming up. Will definitely use some of these
It is great to sing to keep the kids entertained.
Great tips,we always take along our portable dvd players with a couple of new movies!
Even with all this great tips I would avoid traveling with kids at all costs, lol. Just too stressful for me.
I love singing in the car and with an ipod I can get as silly as I want (and still look cool to my daughter, lol). Thanks for the tips.
I prefer to avoid very long trips with young kids if I can, but if I do take lots of stops so they can stretch their legs. 🙂
Thank for the great tips..
Those are great tips, we would probably use them more often if it wasn’t for my husband wanting to listen to the news ALL the time, it drives me nuts, and then the kids drive him nuts, i’ll have to point it out to him more often so that instead of him complaining about the kids all the time being loud in the back he smartens up and at least plays the music that I put into our truck’s cd player for the kids! Thanks for the tips 🙂
I just sewed the cutest pillows that velcro to the kids cars seats so their little necks don’t break when they doze off to sleep
Great tips especially the extra blankets and pillows! I remember bringing my own pillow along when we went on a road trip to Disneyland when I was young. Nice to be able to nap in the back seat!
I am afraid of doing any trip longer than an hour or so with my kids…they are so irritating in the car 🙂
Maybe this summer we will expand out travels…thank goodness for portable DVD players!
I make sure I have extra batteries for my sons Leapster and a new game hidden away for the just in case. We pack snacks and make sure we stop alot. Most of the time there are parks by highway rest stops and if its light out we get out and have a race to stretch our legs.
These are really great tips! Perfect timing too as so many of us are taking to roads for summer vacations.
Great tips,thanks! The snack one and plug it in are definately used alot in my vehicle with a teenager!
Personally I plan my trips with (a 2 year old and an almost 5 year old) when they’d be sleeping for the most part… helps so much and DH and I can chat, listening to music etc on the drive.
Great Tips! I will definitely be using these one day. 🙂
I’ve heard before if your going to be travelling a long distance leaving the house at night is a good idea. That way kids can sleep the whole way. But I’m not sure who watches the kids when mom and dad want to sleep… lol Maybe that idea only works if your travelling a long ways to visit grandparents or something lol
I have great memories of singing along with my cousin on a very long car trip from Ontario to Florida (about 20 years ago).
thanks for the tips, one thing I would suggest is to not always rely on your gps, too many times it has been wrong or make sure you have it updated for recent additions.
thanx for the good tips..could use a few of these!!
I think it pays to remember what it was like to be a child also! Aww the road trips…lol. I use to get car sick as a kid…
Hey can use all the tips that I can get. I travel with 2 kids – my husband and young son. So much male testosterone, what ever happened to easy listening music on the radio lol…..
good suggestions. i’ve also created an “art box” container for each child – filled with pencils, markers, paper etc – easy things for them to do while driving, and also a place to store their art (and any mess) along the way.
When we go anywhere long distance we always pack quick and easy little snacks and toys to keep them busy. We also play the guess the color of the next car game.
janicebudgellpollard at hotmail dot com
Awesome tips, i’ll have to keep in mind for the next roadie!
Road trips cause arguments in my family LOL
Great tips…they will come in handy next month for our summer road trip
http://happychinadoll.blogspot.ca/2012/07/organized-mom-tips.html