Some people enjoy road trips, and they favor hopping into the car instead of going to the airport. Others don’t like the feeling of being contained in a moving box for a few hours. Kids fall into the latter group. Summertime can often be a fun, bonding experience, but it might be challenging to spend a few hours together with nothing interesting going on. When the children are cranky, that can often affect their parents as well, so let’s try to think of a few ways to keep them entertained.
Plan Ahead
Everyone needs some time to stretch, especially if it’s been a few hours. Search for ideal places to make pit stops along the way. A theme park, a restaurant, or even a green, lush spot are ideal locations to keep your kid entertained. How about making a stop near a lake and having a picnic? Even if you can’t seem to find something interesting about a certain place, kids are naturally gifted at finding things to have fun with. Have you brought a map? Ask your little ones where they think you’ve arrived; they can learn some geography along the way.
Turning on your car radio and enjoying some car karaoke is fun, but you might also want to have some music ready. Depending on the mood, you might want to have some slower songs when the children finally feel sleepy.
Drawing Kits
Professional artists may need tablets or canvas for their work, but your kids will surely settle for less. They’re young and creative with a need to express themselves. And depending on where you’re going, they’re going to see a whole lot more. People passively learn from everything they see. You needn’t spend a few hundred dollars for some high-quality equipment; pack up some crayons and a bundle of paper. That’s everything you have to do!
Toys
It may not seem like much to you, but for your children, it’ll be like having a friend tag along. Boredom is often easier to overcome when it’s a shared experience. It doesn’t have to be something big, and it doesn’t even need to be a toy. If your children love their pillow or their blanket, let them carry it along! It’ll keep them from homesick, as well.
Think About Games
Everything can be a game when it comes to kids, and there’s a lot of things to see when on a road trip. They might even find a countdown to your destination interesting, and every hour or so surprise them with something. There’s a fun idea! Have you thought of packing surprise bags that you would give to the children every hour or so? It would keep the kids entertained as they wouldn’t know what to expect next! It can be crayons, some candy, or anything else.
Keeping the Battery Full
The kids are likely to play some music as soon as the trip starts. Quickly after, don’t be surprised if they feel like watching a movie. Similarly to their tablets and e-readers, your car will need a healthy battery to get you through the trip. To prevent unplanned visits to the mechanic along the road, have some routine maintenance done beforehand. Another step you can take to prevent trouble is to buy a high-quality car battery replacement. There are days when your car won’t start and this is often the ideal solution, as most people have a battery replacement at home. Sadly, though, not many people expect this type of issue on a trip and they end up in quite some trouble.
When it comes to road trips, there are different kinds of people. Some enjoy the journey, and others shudder at the mention of a trip. This works the same way with children, but that doesn’t mean the trip can’t be fun. Plan ahead and get ready some supplies and games, because you might have some trouble if you’re going blind. Kids love surprises, and you could easily prepare a few bags of candy or snacks to bust out if they’re having a tough time
Gadgets
It’s hard to skip over this, as it’s a common thing these days. People often bring kindle, the popular e-reader with them. As far as kids go, a boring book to read is bound to make the trip only worse. Some parents have turned to audiobooks. Short stories can be quirky and interesting and can give you something to chat about along the way. As far as digital games go, you’re going to need some luck. The short attention span most children have is bound to make it difficult to find good games on a tablet or phone. Cartoons and movies, however, are a different story. This might be the easiest thing you can do, as you can find movies and hundreds of episodes of your favorite cartoons online. Download them onto a tablet and you’re ready to go.
