In July, our family headed out on an 11-day trip to visit several national and state parks. We flew out west but also spent two long days in the car driving across multiple states. As we prepared for the trip, I knew the kids would be spending a lot of time in planes and cars. Unplanned time with two kids squeezed into the back seat sometimes doesnât go well, as you may have experienced yourself.
Iâve found that a key to surviving extended travel time with kids is to plan for and pack a variety of types of activities. Variety helps to pass the time and keep little hands and minds busy. Below are a few tips and activities to help you and your family survive a road trip.
For Your Listening Pleasure
Our kids enjoy listening to movie soundtracks and audiobooks along with a variety of kid-friendly music. Their current favorite album is the new Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, and one of their favorite childrenâs music artists is Laurie Berkner. She has several albums of fun, family-friendly tunes to sing along to in the car.
A great place to find free music and audiobooks is the Hoopla app. To access free audiobooks, music, ebooks, and movies through Hoopla, sign up for an account and connect it to your local library account. You can browse titles and view recommendations, then âborrowâ them to your device. The titles will automatically be removed from your device at the end of the lending period.
Our newest discovery for listening on road trips is the Wow in the World podcast from NPR. Wow in the World is a new podcast designed to help kids and families learn more about the world around them. Each episode is approximately 15 minutes long, and my kids are hooked the entire time. They laugh, ask questions, and learn a lot! You can subscribe through the NPR One app to receive new episodes when theyâre available.
Take a Break
To avoid the dreaded âAre we there yet?,â try planning your stops in advance and letting kids know ahead of time when you plan to arrive at your next destination. When I was young, my family measured road trip time in Cosby show episodes, as in âHow many more Cosby shows until we get there?â Use whatever unit of time your kids can easily understand to help them mark the passing time. Use a timer or map, and teach kids which landmarks to look for to help them track their progress on the trip. My kids love to follow along on a map. Give your kids a map and some markers, and help them identify where theyâve been and where theyâre headed.
A rest area or restaurant with a play area can be a real lifesaver on a road trip. While you may not always feel like having fast food while youâre on the road, an indoor play area can help kids get in a few active minutes in a day filled with sitting. Even better, schedule your stops around local playgrounds. To find a playground near you or near a location you plan to visit or drive through, visit mapofplay.kaboom.org, a guide to play spaces across the United States.
Hands-On, Minds-On
My family has found that the car is the perfect place to catch up on coloring, mazes, and other activities. In our family, nothing says road trip like a new coloring book, mad libs book, or activity book. On our most recent vacation, a sweet family member bought our kids a National Parks coloring book to help them remember the trip, and they loved coloring it and talking about the trip on the flight home. We bought a new pack of mechanical colored pencils to add some more fun to the flight home.
Pinterest is a great place for road trip inspiration. You can easily find printable scavenger hunts, road trip BINGO, and other games for the road. Also keep your eye out for portable games with few moving pieces. Spot It! On the Road is a quick and easy game to play in the car.
Wishing you and yours a safe and smooth ride ahead!
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