Road TRips with Children

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Road trips can provide a family a chance to visit family and friends, take a well-needed break, or maybe you are a family who loves just to take off and see new things – how long after you pull out of your driveway and onto the road is it before you hear the inevitable "Are we there yet?" From snacks to pit stops – we've got you covered before heading out and hitting the road!  

Plan your route. If getting to your destination is the primary goal, I would always stick with the recommended route offered by Google Maps (or your GPS of choice). However, if you are willing to add a little time to your adventure, take a look at some alternate options for getting from Point A to Point B. This will allow you to see more of the country and enable everyone to travel more scenic roads.  

When possible – drive at night. This is helpful, especially if your kids are younger. This tends to make for a much more peaceful experience for the adults, and you may be able to have a couple of uninterrupted conversations! If you can't drive at night – plan to leave bright and early.  

Snacks are a MUST! When we travel, we generally like to be sure we have plenty of healthy snacks with us, but I have to admit – we also pack some of the typically monitored items like candy, chips, and cookies. Let the kids have their way with them (within reason, we don't need anyone getting sick). The more laid-back tactic makes things more fun for the kids and less stressful for adults. One note – I do still stay away from messy snacks and keep wet wipes handy.  

Along with snacks, reusable water bottles are a convenient invention. This helps prevent any liquid spills (or reduce the amount spilled). They are easy to refill, whether at a drive-thru, bottled water, or juices. It is important to ensure that the kids have used them before their adventure and don't have any problems drinking from them. Here are a few of my favorite water bottles for myself.  

Don't schedule your pit stops. I have to admit that when my kids were little, I always felt like I was on a mission – that we had to make the most of every adventure that we went on and see everything that we possibly could. Now that I am a grandma, I know I should have done that differently. I would suggest that when you start to notice the kids getting restless, or beginning to bicker or getting cranky – whether anyone needs to or not – that is the perfect time for a pitstop. This approach may mean it takes a little longer, but it could also benefit you in that you are stopping unnecessarily, and the kids can endure a longer span of travel than you would have gone if you planned it out.  

When you do have to make stops for gas or food, that is also a perfect time for a short break – if the kids have been in the car for an extended period, find a park and let them run or another type of attraction that will allow you all to stretch for a while. There is a great App out there called Roadside America. Type in the name of the town that you plan on stopping in, and it will give you all kinds of attractions that are close. You never know; they may just sleep for a while when you get back in the car.  

Keeping the kids busy!   

Distraction is definitely the game's name when it comes to the "Are we there yet" question!   

My thoughts – 

1. Let them get their "Crafting" on!  Craft Supplies are easy to pack and store. Not to mention that they can keep your kids busy for hours. If you choose a suitable storage container, the great thing is that it can become an instant desktop for anything from crayons and coloring books to making friendship bracelets and playing some of the travel games we have listed below.  

If you opt for backpacks over small totes for storing things, you can add a little mystery to the backpacks and pack them yourself with various items from their favorite interests. This allows a little fun during the car ride and will enable them to see what they received and have to use. A few important things to add would be a clipboard to use as a hard surface, crayons (although make sure they are put away if they are going to be in a hot car) or colored pencils as an alternative, paper or coloring books, a travel journal, stickers, travel origami, really anything that you think would keep them busy.  

2. Portable DVD Player and Tablets – Yes, I said it, and it pains me. While I am not a fan of screen time with kids, let's be honest – sometimes we all need a little quiet time. You can download your favorite movies from iTunes or Netflix before you leave or buy something new to keep them focused on something that they haven't seen before. In addition, there are plenty of educational games, books, and music available on tablets – the goal ultimately is a bit quiet time, not to miss out on the adventure.  

3. Small Blanket and Pillow – everyone always enjoys a little of the comforts at home, so bringing a small blanket and pillow can also be helpful. It is easier to travel with a baby (unless they hate the car) since they nap often. The older we get, we still enjoy the comfort of a blanket. These travel pillows compress and pack away easily.  I hope you have found some of these tips useful for your upcoming adventures with the family. Do you have a suggestion that I didn't mention? Please let me know! I would love to focus a forthcoming blog article from my readers on their "Tried and True" tips. As we all know, just because these tips work for my family doesn't mean that they will always work for yours!  

Let the adventure begin!