Are we there yet?

An oldie, but goodie…

We already know that traveling with kids can be hard. Now add a road trip of 3 hours, 13 hours or cross country and how is a parent to survive? Easy. Use the tips below to make any road trip fun.

I have a good friend who used to travel from NYC to the Outer Banks with her husband and three young step kids (the kids are adults now). She would buy one big activity book, photocopy it twice and have it bound. This coupled with the fact that they stopped at the same motel with a pool and ate take out dinner from the same place each time they did the trip made is so much fun for the kids. The children still talk about these trips.

Tips by age for road tripping with kids:

For infants and toddlers try to plan it around their nap times. This way they sleep on the drive and are awake for the rest stops. Also check to see if there are any McDonald’s play spaces on the route and they are open (they may be closed due to Covid). For the price of a cup of coffee or tea you have indoor playground for your kids to run around and burn off some energy. “Prepare for the inevitable messes. Small children can create some serious messes and oopsies are bound to happen. If you’re prepared, you can clean up quickly and go about your way. Keep a bag within arms reach (not in the trunk under your suitcase) packed with extra clothes and diapers along with wipes, paper towels, sanitizer and large resealable plastic bags for smelly or wet messes.” — Kayak

For elementary school-age kids

·      Pack pads and markers/crayons for drawing with a clip board or travel table

·      Buy special toys for the trip

·      Pack empty water bottles to fill as needed to prevent any spills in the car

·      Download a movie for the kids to watch

For Middle school-age kids:

·      Set boundaries around device use

·      Let them listen to their own music (pack extra-long charging cords)

·      Take along pillows and blankets, especially if you’re doing night driving

·      Give each child a clip board as a sturdy back to hold paper for drawing or writing

·      If your kid is like me, make sure they have books to read in the car and flashlight for night reading

·      If you feel comfortable with this, switch it up and let the child ride in the front passenger seat and a parent in the back seat (if my parents had done this, it may have prevented some of the fights my sister and I had)

For Teens

·      “There’s nothing crankier than a hungry teen. Adolescents are growing fast and need lots of food to keep them fueled. Be sure to pack lots of snacks for the journey. Bring a cooler filled with healthy options like fresh fruits, sandwiches, individually wrapped cheeses, and trail mix. Allow some special goodies, too, like snack-sized candy bars or chips. In my family, we like to pack the good-for-you snacks and stop at a convenience store along the route to grab a “naughty” treat or two.” — Coleen Lanin, TraveMamas

·      Listen to an audiobook as a family (Harry Potter series, anyone?)

·      Consider renting a bigger car so the teens can stretch out

·      Let the teens pick some of the rest stops on the route

Most important take care of the driver and make sure they are happy and not hangry. Secondly, remember to have fun.