Preparing for the Family Road Trip

Embarking on a Summer road trip can be fun but also very overwhelming, especially when multiple children are involved.  Boredom, fighting, car sickness and the inevitable “are we there yet?” are sure to test your parenting skills.  But here are a few tips to help make a road trip more enjoyable for the entire family.

Every couple years our family sets out for a 12 hour car ride to visit family which can be painful for lack of a better word, but I must say, as the kids are getting older, it is getting easier.

There are definitely some things you can do to prepare for the adventure ahead! And of course… a little planning is involved! No Aunts die or dogs getting drug along the way in our list and be sure all the luggage is strapped down properly!!

First be sure to check out our vacation checklist here.

When packing up the car, get the kids involved.  Allow them to choose what goes into their own travel bag.  Just be sure each has the essentials.

Before the trip make sure “Big mama” (that’s what we call our Mom van) is set and ready to go! Have the car cleaned and washed beforehand. Check tire pressure, get  a tune up and if appropriate have the oil changed.  Have on hand a car emergency kit.

Comfort items:

• Pillows
• Fuzzy Blankets
• Favorite traveling companion                                                                                                         

Activity items:

• Movies and DVD player
• Books to read
• Activity books and crayons
• Handheld Ipods, video games etc. (do not forget spare batteries)
• Car Bingo and other family friendly car games

Here are 2 great resources for car games:

• 27 Free Games to Keep Your Kids Entertained on a Road Trip
• 101 Car Travel Games & Road Trip Games

• Make sure everything has been fully charged the night before you leave
• Snacks and cool drinks
• Gum is said to help alleviate motion sickness in addition to leaving you feel “less bored”
• A Frisbee and ball for a little movement at rest stops
• A bucket  (need I say more on this?)
• Have an empty bag to collect all the snack wrappers and empty juice box cartons

One thing that has worked really well for us is so stop about every 3 hours, use a rest room and then we play “get your wiggles out” before loading in the car again.  What’s that you ask?  We stand around in a family circle. One person is chosen to start (usually me) then I will call out a physical activity and a # and we each partake in that activity to “get our wiggles out”. For example: 14 jumping jacks. Running in place for 10 seconds. The kids will usually choose things like 8 Kung fu kicks! We continue this exercise until all family members have had a turn.

I hope this list helps you on your road trip and minimizes the “Are we there yet…?”