Planning A Fun Road Trip With Your Children
Planning a road trip for your next family vacation is a wonderful way to get to your vacation destinations without spending a lot of money on airline tickets. If you have young children, spending all that time in the car can be hard on them. However, if you plan properly, you can make this road trip into a fun experience that they will remember. Read this article for some ideas on how you can make this vacation enjoyable by all.
When you are going by car, you will need a lot more time to travel to your destination. Plan to get an early start so you can drive at a leisurely place. This will allow you to make more frequent stops along the way to stretch your legs and explore the local towns, and still be able to arrive at your hotel at a decent time.
It is important that your children be comfortable for the long car ride. Keep neck pillows and light blankets nearby so they can snuggle up and take a nap whenever they feel tired. Make sure that they have their favorite stuffed animal with them to provide that extra bit of comfort. Bring along shoes that they can easily slip on and off, and dress them in clothes that are stretchy to allow maximum comfort when they curl up.
Be creative and think of ways to keep them entertained in the car. There is always the old standby of showing a movie on the DVD player, but there are other more interactive ways to keep them occupied. Since you will be traveling along roads that you seldom travel, perhaps a game of I Spy would encourage them to look out the window to try to spot something. Other forms of entertaining can be craft related. Put together small craft kits that they can use to create something. Have on hand some colored paper, crayons, craft foam pieces with sticky backing, stickers, glitter pens, and anything else that they can use independently to create something. You may want to invest in a lap desk for each child so that they can have a comfortable spot for drawing and making things.
Make sure that you have plenty of snacks in the car. Put a cooler at the feet of the kids, and keep in there a variety of drinks, fruits, cheese, and yogurt. Pre-cut fruits into bite-sized pieces, if necessary, and put them in a zipper bag. In a separate bag, pack along crackers, pretzels, nuts, dried fruits, and other favorite snacks.
Be mindful of the moods that they can get into. Sitting in a car for hours at a time may produce unpredictable behavior. If you sense that your child is becoming irritated, try to divert his attention to something interesting. Make a stop if necessary just for the chance to get out of the car and get some fresh air. Sometimes that is all it takes to soothe an irritated child.
If you can keep your children happy on your family road trip, you will enjoy yourself so much more. Try the suggestions presented here, and create great memories on your next road trip.