
Are we there yet
21 Ways to Have More Fun on the Road
Now that school is out for the summer, many families are getting ready to hit the road. Whether you’re traveling across the state to visit relatives or across the country for a weeklong vacation, your family road trip will go smoother if you have a few tricks up your sleeve. Below, you’ll find 21 tips to make car travel with kids easier and more fun.
1) Messes will happen on the road. Avoid the drama of digging through crowded suitcases by packing an easily accessible “carry-on” bag with an extra set of clothes for each child. Include diapers and wipes if applicable.
2) Add a festive soundtrack to your trip by creating a playlist filled with family favorites before you leave home. Consider splurging on a few new tunes to keep things interesting.
3) Get an early start and serve your kids breakfast en route. For some reason dry cereal seems more exciting when eaten out of a travel-sized box.
4) Encourage passengers to play “license plate bingo” with the goal of crossing off license plates from all 50 states. You can buy a reusable license plate game from www.melissaanddoug.com or just use one of the many free printables available online.
5) Break up your drive with a mid-day pit stop at a conveniently located attraction. Two hours at a zoo or museum will give everyone a chance to stretch their legs and inject some fun into a potentially boring travel day.
6) Talk about your trip! On the way to your destination, have each family member share what he or she is most excited about. As you head home, reminisce about favorite foods and activities.
7) Plan ahead to avoid unscheduled snack stops. Pack a bag for each child with travel-friendly foods like bananas, raisins and whole wheat pretzels.
8) Head off the beaten path for a stop at the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle (Collinsville, IL), the PEZ Visitor Center (Orange, CT) or another quirky roadside attraction. Find one along your route at www.roadsideamerica.com.
9) Introduce your kids to a travel-sized version of a classic game. You can find portable editions of Connect 4, Trouble, Guess Who? and more for sale on Amazon.com.
10) Try to do something fun at each rest stop or travel plaza you visit. Play an arcade game, enjoy a milk shake or just give the kids change for the vending machines.
11) Play the Alphabet Game. You can find many variations online, but the easiest version simply requires passengers to find each letter of the alphabet, in order, on roadside signs.
12) If your itinerary includes a National Park or two, purchase “Passport to Your National Parks” to help you track your travels. Use your Passport book to plan a park visit and to collect interpretive stamps and park cancellations. Find a complete list of locations offering stamps at www.eparks.com.
13) Turn the music off for a while and play a family-friendly audiobook. Many libraries allow free access to a wide variety of popular titles.
14) When mealtime rolls around, let family members take turns choosing which restaurant you’ll dine at from a list of options.
15) Want an easy alternative to fast food but don’t have space for a cooler? Check out the shelf-stable meal boxes at www.gopicnic.com.
16) Older kids can easily pass time drawing and coloring, but little ones may have trouble holding onto their crayons when the car is in motion. Pick up a Magic Ink book for a mess-free alternative that requires only a single marker.
17) Keep an eye out for a park or playground along your route. When you see one, stop for a quick 15-minute play session to let the kids burn off steam.
18) If your road trip spans multiple states, choose a souvenir to collect each time you cross a border. Postcards, magnets, elongated pennies or dish towels make fun but inexpensive keepsakes.
19) Get nostalgic with Mad Libs! This pencil-and-paper word game encourages players to shout out various parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.) to create silly stories. Buy a book, or create your own.
20) Even if you’re using GPS to navigate, a road trip can provide a great opportunity to teach map skills. Buy your kids an old-fashioned paper map or atlas and show them how to follow along.
21) For more ideas for on-the-road fun, check out the variety of Usborne Publishing’s activity card sets on Amazon.
Try out a few of these ideas on your next road trip, and watch the miles fly by. Safe travels!
Michelle Shirk is a freelance writer, attorney, and proud mother of two. She has written about family, travel and seasonal events for parenting publications throughout the United States.