14 Ways to Beat Boredom and Make it Memorable
I am the oldest of four kds. I have to admit that we didn’t always get along. It drove my parents nuts.
I guess you could say that we were typical kids, if you confined us to a small space for too long – we always ended up fighting. Sadly, my parents eventually just quit taking us places. They decided it wasn’t worth the hassle. Don’t be like my family!
Road trips don’t have to be painful if you follow these 14 ideas. You can do a lot to make travel with kids enjoyable for everyone.
1. Pack Healthy Snacks – No sugary treats please. The goal is to keep them as calm as possible and avoid sugar highs and lows.
2. Make time for wiggle stops – Children can only sit in one place for so long. You will learn when they reach their tolerance for sitting in one place. Plan stops with places to run and jump.
3. Limit beverages to reduce stops – If you have weak bladder kids this will keep you from stopping every hour.
4. Pack car friendly games. They should be easy to handle in small spaces, but not have too many parts to lose. Regular board games are not really car friendly. This Vehicles Reusable Sticker Pad
looks fun and so does Rubberneckers: Everyone’s Favorite Travel Game
. We have this 6 in 1 Travel Magnetic Games
kit and it works great. (Also see #9)
5. Stop for dinner as a family. Even if you are traveling through the day and eating lunch in the car it is important to debrief at the end of the day. Have everyone talk about the fun things they observed and work out any problems as a family.
6. Make them comfy and pack a pillow and blanket for each kid. Even teens need a blanket!
7. Bring their favorite music for sing-a-longs. I’m talking about all family sing a long. It is hard to fight when you are singing. I think my parents missed out on this one!
8. Older kids will like to record the trip with pictures. Purchase inexpensive disposable cameras for each child or have them use their smart phones.
9. Journal each stop and record insights about the places you visit. Our Best Bites has this Awesome Kid’s Roadtrip Activity Book that you can put together – one for each child.
10. Let them have their own music but don’t let them disconnect from the family. We all need a bit of alone time and it can be hard to get when you are together for hours on end. Be sure and set some limits on this so they do not disconnect from the family.
11. Have a few movies to watch when things get out of hand. I’m not above plugging them in if things get really bad!
12. Art supplies break boredom cries. Sticker books, washable markers, but stay away from meltable crayons.
13. Have plenty of books for solo and group reading. Consider books on tape if your kids are old enough to listen. We passed many a delightful hour listening to Harry Potter when my kids were young.
14. Pack a favorite toy and other individual play items. New toys and games may hold their attention for most of the time, but don’t overlook that tried and true toys that your child loves.
You’ve made it! Memories in tow.
I really love how the iPad, iPhone or those devices weren’t on the list. I do think we’re limiting our imaginations with those things. We also watch out for the wildlife and talk about different types of animals along the way. We have to travel 6 hrs to get to our inlaws. It’s a long time, but there are a lot of ways to connect as a family instead of zoning out on the ipad.