The idea of a family road trip traditionally conjures up fears of the proverbial small-fry question in an endless loop. “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” But airfares may not t into the family budget, and road trips o er impromptu opportunities that air travel doesn’t, such as visiting a quirky museum or a road stand market, as well as soaking up landscape utterly different than your own. With a little planning, families can survive a road trip and create fond memories at the same time. Here’s what to take.
AUDIOBOOKS: Listening to stories is great for all ages, and when my kids were young, we always hit the library before leaving (I’m all about free entertainment). Pick books with good narrators and a story long enough to engage the family for several installments. Try the Harry Potter series, Charlotte’s Web, read by E.B. White himself, or the Chronicles of Narnia. If you need ideas, your local children’s librarian can o er great recommendations tailored to your kids’ interests.
ART SUPPLIES: Invest in beanbag lap desks with storage areas, one for each kid. You’ll avoid the territorial squabbles and kids love having their own work area. Before leaving, pack the lap desks with new art supplies that won’t be messy if dropped. Try square crayons, washable markers, coloring books, paper, sticker books and Wikki Stix (available on Amazon). Plan to hold back some supplies for re lling the desks for a brighter return trip.
MAGNETIC GAMES: Many games these days are issued in a magnetic format with a travel-sized case. Don’t break the bank, though. Take along games you know your kids will enjoy – Magnetic Bingo is great – but double check that the pieces aren’t so small they can’t be handled (I’ve played games that practically required tweezers to pick up the pieces). Try Growing Tree Toys (growing- treetoys.com) for ideas.
CAR TRAVEL BOOKS: A few books with conversation starters and puzzles can engage families in ways they don’t make time for at home. After all, part of a road trip’s purpose is to connect as a family. Elementary-age kids will enjoy Miles of Smiles: 101 Great Car Games and Activities by Carole Terwilliger Meyers. For the older set, our family loves 399 Games, Puzzles & Trivia Challenges Specifically Designed to Keep Your Brain Young by Nancy Linde. Other family faves are the Mad Lib series and the Rand McNally Kids’ Road Atlas. While you’re at it, pack a Moon Guide travel book (libraries carry many) for the area you’re visiting or try weirdus.com for wacky regional tales (you can also purchase Weird books by state). Have your kids read up on the area to suggest fun stops along the way.
WORD AND SPY GAMES: Young kids will enjoy license plate tag, Slug Bug and I Spy. Older kids have fun with word games. We play the Four-Letter Word Game (uh, no, not those four-letter words). Here’s how: one person says a word containing four letters and the next person thinks of a four-letter word starting with the last letter of the previous word, and so on. Example: tack = keep = pear. For younger kids, try a three-letter variation. We also love Snaps is the Name of the Game, a syllable game well suited to tweens and teens.
HANDHELD GADGETS: Yep, my kids have an iPod and many families don’t leave home without iPads and smartphones. Handheld gadgets can go a long way to keeping family peace. But if you don’t want your kid playing hours of Angry Birds, consider a few educational geography apps such as My Big World (ages 3-5), Barefoot World Atlas (elementary/middle), Google Earth (teen and up), and Got It – United States of America (elementary). Visit bestappsforkids.com for more ideas.
CAR TREATS: Edible treats do a great job of occupying time, and it’s worth altering your treat policy while on the road. Besides healthy snacks, which I pack individually for each child, I let my kids hit the candy aisle for a treat to start o the trip. During the trip, we look for local goodies – a fun-looking ice cream shop or a specialty candy shop – and I usually have something tucked away in the car to pull out when spirits are sagging. Chewing gum or a hard candy can do wonders at the right moment.
DVD PLAYER: Popping in a movie for the kids is an easy fall back for families, but it also keeps kids from noticing what’s outside the window – and the point of a road trip is, well, altering the day-to-day routine of home. But when everyone needs a break, a movie can be just the ticket. Don’t forget the headphones, and consider tapping your friends to borrow movies your kids haven’t seen.
STOPS, STOPS, STOPS: Not exactly a car supply, but a critical component of a road trip. Building in day-time stops helps avoid burnout, especially for the very young. If part of the road trip’s purpose is the journey itself, then plan to hit the playground in a town you’re passing through or search out that small-town oddity. Try mapping park stops before you leave or along the way.
These days, our family starts tossing around travel ideas well before school is out, and my kids look forward to hitting the road. With a little planning, you may nd that the dreaded “Are we there yet?” doesn’t even come up.
Joanna Nesbit is a freelance writer who actually enjoys road trips with her family.
