Road trips don’t have to be frustrating and boring. Keep kids entertained and having fun on your next road trip with these 7 great ideas!
Traveling with the family can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a bit stressful. When the kids get bored, everyone starts to get a little cranky and moody. Also, when the kids start bickering with each other it can be distracting. To help make your next adventure a safe and pleasant one, find ways to entertain your kids while traveling.
Here are seven ways to keep your kids entertained during a road trip:
1. Make a travel bag
Put together a travel bag with a variety of games and activities appropriate for a road trip. It can include books, paper, crayons, coloring books and magnet travel activity trays. (here are some toddler busy bag ideas)
2. Bring electronics
Take along electronics for older kids that include DS games, tablets and other portable devices. There are a variety of things can do on them, from reading, to games, to games together!
3. Make sure each child has their most prized possession with them.
For older kids this might be their phone, iPod or tablet. For younger kids it may be their favorite stuffed animal, doll or truck. If you’re travelling overnight, a small stuffed animal is a great way to keep the younger ones happy.
4. Pack snacks and beverages in non-spill containers.
Kids are a lot happier when they’re stomachs are full and they have plenty to drink. In addition, eating keeps them entertained for awhile so it’s a good distraction that helps them forget about being in such close quarters with the whole family.
5. Bring cameras.
Teens and tweens usually love taking photos. Bring alone the digital camera and allow them to take pictures of anything they see interesting while on the road. It’s also a great way to document your trip.
6. Involve geography.
Give each of your kids a printed map with your route marked out so they can track your journey. They’ll be excited each time you pass a new land mark because they’ll know they’re getting closer to their final destination! (here are some fun geography activities and games you can play without a textbook, some that you can use on a road trip)
7. Pack dry erase board and markers.
We love dry erase boards and markers! Your kids can use these to doodle and draw pictures to keep them entertained or to play games like tic-tac-toe.
Planning ahead can help make your next road trip a pleasant one. If you’re not sure which form of entertainment to choose, look for something that will keep all of your children happy regardless of age. This could be something like watching a movie, singing songs or playing travel spy games.
If your kids vary a lot in age (such as toddlers and teenagers), look for individual activities for each child. For example, younger kids may be happy coloring or drawing while older kids read a book or listen to music through a headset.
Thanks for sharing. These tips will become handy as we’re going to have our second trip to LA this month. It was quite frustrated to keep my kids busy and entertained tho.
My brother is going on a big trip fairly soon with his kids. They have never gone on a long trip before and he needs some advice as to what he should do to prepare for this. I will tell him to pack dry erase boards and markers as well as get his kids a children’s travel tray.