Ten Road Trip Tips

It is too late for the Christmas travel season, but I had some thoughts about road trips with youngsters. This was prompted by a conversation today with a co-worker, who survived, sort of, a drive to Chicago with three little ones.

Here are some quick tip for parents who want to survive a long time in the minivan with toddlers (or even with teens!):

1. Pack lots of snacks. Dry cereal, juice boxes, nuts, whole grain breads. Avoid the straight sugar highly processed stuff…don’t want to wire the kiddos up and then force them to sit still in their car seat for 10 hours.

2. Take lots of toys. Age appropriate, of course. One at a time, space them out over the course of the trip. Older kids will like an iPod or DVD player!

3. Take books and magazines. Little eyes will want to interact with something they like, take a variety of things.

4. Pack “travel gifts,” some little items from the dollar store that can be pulled out and unwrapped, then enjoyed for a time. Space these out, not all at once.

5. Pack wipees and extra napkins/paper towels. Messes will occur. Spills will happen. Be prepared.

6. Pack an old bath towel. In case someone gets REALLY sick.

7. Pack a plastic bucket. Good for all sorts of roadside emergencies., Use your imagination…

8. Take audio books. We always hit the library and stock up on some good literature. We’ve enjoyed a wide range of goodies, from Hank The Cowdog to Back of the North Wind.

9. Stop often. Ignore the urge to press onward to the point of breaking. Instead, plan to stop every two hours or so. Let the kids walk or run around. Keep it short, 10-20 minutes is all we’ve ever needed.

10. Eat meals in the car, not a restaurant. Why pay big bucks to sit some more without going anywhere? Can be a miserable experience. Eat in the auto…drive-through fast food, handmade sandwiches, or even a take-out pizza (we’ve done it, and it works nicely). They all are fine. The point is to avoid making the kids sit quietly while you try to eat…better to occupy them on the road as the miles click away.

There are more things I've learned about making the best of road trips. They'll wait until another time. These are good starting points.