We know you are all prepping for the Holiday in the last available moments before Christmas in upon us – last minute shopping, packing, and travel plans. We hope our Thanksgiving post about preparing for a safe road trip has been helpful in mapping out the routes! And we want to continue helping ease the chaos of holiday travel with a few ideas to calm the kids on your next trip to Grandma’s house.
QUIET TIME ACTIVITIES
Pack some in-car games to keep the kids distracted. Plan a new game for each leg of the trip and reward the kids when they’ve completed each game with a snack or small toy from the closest dollar shop. Thankfully, there are a lot of resources out there with ideas for in-car activities, and some have even put together printables to make it easier for you!
FREE Printable Road Trip Activity Links: License Plate Numbers and other games, Fast Food I Spy, Travel Bingo
Or if your family is a little more tech-savvy, you can download an interactive game of Bingo to your mobile devices and play as a family for a couple of bucks.
Of course, there is always the handy DVD player if you have one. Some of our newer models come with multiple screens and multiple players, as well as headphones so you don’t have to listen to Frozen for the seven hundredth time.
QUALITY TIME ACTIVITIES
Play the group road trip games you remember as a child – 20 questions, the A-Z game (find a word in a sign or billboard that starts with the letter “A”, then find one that starts with “B” and so on. The first to finish wins!), or the States game (whoever finds the most states on passing license plates in a ten-minute period wins!), or a number of other Road Trip Time Passers.
If you’ve found an online game you and your kids love playing together, you can hook up to your in-car WiFi and play away!
PACK A SNACK KIT
It’s one of two terrible things to hear on highway 720 in the middle of nowhere – “Mom, I’m huuuuungryyyyy…” Luckily, some absolutely brilliant moms have come up with some incredibly genius solutions to the road trip snack time crisis. (As for the “I haf to use the bafroom…” we wish you luck. And possibly a detail coupon.)
Did you know that a tackle box gives you a waterproof, compartmentalized carrier for snacks? Or that a mostly empty peanut butter container is the perfect vehicle for a few stalks of celery? A writeable CD container holds onto a bagel sandwich pretty nicely without it falling apart. Clean coffee creamer containers keep and distribute pretzels and cheerios fairly easily, and are small enough to slip into a diaper bag. Be creative!
And use Stow-N’-Go to keep things that are not being used out of the way during snack time!
STOCK YOUR EMERGENCY KIT
It is essential that everyone have an emergency kit in their vehicle. You never know what could occur on that backroad you’re using to avoid the traffic on I-20. And you never know how long it will take for first responders to get there (remember that traffic, now). Gauze, burn aid, band-aids, neosporin, water, aspirin, gatorade, blankets, flares and glow sticks, a flashlight, batteries, etc. You can purchase one that is pre-made or you can put one together yourself. But you should have one in your vehicle at all times.
PACK A SICK KIT
Motion sickness is something a significant portion of people suffer from. It can really make a road trip miserable for those of us with the green gills. Prep ahead of time so you’re ready to ease your little one’s pain when it sets in. Here’s a handy infographic we found with some great ideas for your Car Sick Kit.
If this doesn’t work, it definitely does make one consider WeatherTech Mats, doesn’t it? So easy to clean, and it’s not just for mud, folks.
MAKE TIME FOR PIE
This one was too cute to pass up! Not only is it an excuse to stop and rest, allowing the driver a minute to readjust, letting everyone stretch their legs and backs, but it’s also a great excuse to eat desserts. If you’re going on a long road trip, and you’ll be making several stops for meals and gas, pick up a dessert at a local eatery while you’re there. Everyone can keep a score card and rate who had the best desserts, and then you’ll know where you need to stop next time!
This is kind of a way to tie it all together in both a tip and an overall perspective. Traveling with kids can be a real challenge – especially if they’re active and antsy (I feel your pain, kids. Sitting still stinks.), but it’s also a captive audience. It’s an opportunity where all of you are in one place at one time, with one goal. Cherish the little moments with your little ones, create some memories, and make the most of it. These are the times that fly by in the blink of an eye, but you can make it fun while it lasts! We hope some of these tips will help making that happen.
Safe Travels and Happy Holidays!
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This post was written by Milton Ruben Social Media Specialist Heather Cortright.
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