Things You'll Need:
- Books
- Art supplies
- Travel games
- Electronic toys
- Snacks
- Kid's music
- Notepad and pen
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Step 1
Pack smartly for the trip. Designate one tote bag for each child's activities. You can either pack for your children and have their "goody bag" be a surprise during the trip, or you can allow them to pack for themselves. Be sure to put a limit on how many activities each child can bring. The reusable shopping bags that can be found at many grocery stores for $1 are the perfect size for a variety of activities and toys for children.
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Step 2
Bring one or two items from each of the following categories: arts and crafts, travel games, books (fiction or joke book), stuffed animals, electronic hand-held games.
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Step 3
Pack snacks to fight off bad moods. Bring snacks that are nutritious but fun, such as all-fruit snacks or crackers with string cheese. Juice boxes and miniature water bottles are portable and the perfect sizes for kids. Bring two to three plastic bags that you may get from a grocery store with you as trash bags for snack wrappers. Empty the bags periodically at stops throughout your trip.
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Step 4
Play games with your children in the car! Two popular games are "The Alphabet Game" and "The License Plate Game". For "The Alphabet Game", look for the letters of the alphabet, in order, on billboards, signs, and buildings during your trip. The hardest ones always seem to be J, Q, and Z. For "The License Plate Game", bring a printed map of the United States. When you see a license plate from a different state, color it in on the map. Children can learn both spelling and geography.
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Step 5
If the children are getting rowdy, tell them that you will reward them for being quiet with some "sing-along" time. Tell your child or children that if they promise to read or play quietly for 30 minutes, you will reward them by playing their favorite song or CD. If you have more than 1 children, challenge the two to be quiet by allowing the one that is the quietest to pick the song.
