In the Fall, I'm a football mom like Liz. But in the summer, I'm a baseball mom. Two of my boys travel for tournaments on the weekends. Needless to say, we are on the road a lot! Those drives and hotel stays are fun at first, but they can become tiresome. So this week I'm going to talk about how to make road trips easier. Start by planning ahead!
- For the driver
- audiobooks!
- update your music - because finding a good station is almost impossible on the road, even if you have satellite - it repeats!
- I like to listen to a movie with the kids, like Wreck it Ralph or Despicable Me, it makes the time and the miles fly
- For the kids
- get movies onto the devices - they can take a while to load, don't wait till the last minute!
- don't forget the chargers!
- don't forget the headphones/earbuds!
- bring a book - mine have summer homework, and even if they didn't I encourage them to read something
- something different - mine will sometimes bring an old gaming system for a change of pace, like a PSP or Nintendo DS
- for younger kids - there's a ton of creative, fun stuff available that wasn't when my kids were little - Crayola mess-free comes to mind
- what NOT to bring - no stickers, no little pieces, nothing you can't replace! (see Liz's article about how to keep these things safe)
- do bring something different to pull out at the pit stops or buy a trinket on the road - more waiting and sitting still at restaurants can be tough!
- Know where you're going
- GPS isn't perfect, I print out a map to be safe
- figure out how long it will take
- see if you can avoid construction
- pick good spots to stop for meals or rest breaks
- if I have friends in the area, I like to give them a heads up, possibly meet them for lunch between games
- Be comfortable - sitting for a long car ride, you need to be comfy or you'll be cranky
- bring long sleeves--even tho it's hot outside, the a/c keeps a car brrr cold even when the fan is on the lowest setting
- pillows if space permits
- sunglasses and a spare
- don't pack stuff in your suitcase you want easy access to in the car
- Food! I'll be talking about snacks and drinks on Wednesday
Got more to add? I'd love to hear it! Any travel plans coming up? Happy Trails!
Excellent road trip tips. The DVD player was one of the best purchases we've ever made, especially for a kid who did not like being in the car for a long time.
ReplyDeletewe had a dvd player when ours were little, i have many spongebob episofes memorized...
DeleteI grew up road tripping and now that I have my own family...I stopped. Haha! We go on occasional long drives but nothing to crazy and I don't feel bad about it! But I love these tips!
ReplyDeletewe went away for a long Thksg trek every year when i was little - in the wood paneled station wagon, w/o seat belts... we visited around when kids were small, now theyre too busy!
DeleteSuper tips for families traveling today. When our kids were growing up, all of those fancy electronic gadgets weren't around yet, so we counted on low-tech ways to keep them entertained during those loooooooong trips on the road to visit their grandparents. One of the things the kids really enjoyed was the virtual scavenger hunt I'd make up for them. Each of them received a list of things... sometimes really crazy things... and there would be a lot of laughing and hooting & hollering when they found some of those things. (Oh yeah, my husband just "loved" that...) Sometimes, they competed with each other, and sometimes they worked together. I also made them cards listing various states and letters, and the idea was to find license tags for each of those states, beginning with each of the letters provided. Then there were alphabet games, based on trying to be the first one to make it through the alphabet, by finding words on road signs beginning with each letter. Then there was my hubby's favorite travel tip: Leave late at night, so the kids could sleep most of the way. :)
ReplyDeletei remember those days!
ReplyDeletewe did the alphabet game & license plate state game, the scavenger hunt sounds awesome!