Road Trip Sanity, Part II
Categories: Preschoolers, Fun & Activities, Toys & Games
Last week I confessed that my mood improved and family vacations became a lot more fun when I stopped expecting my husband to read my mind about what needed to happen to get the five of us packed and out the door. Forms and checklists that Bill and I created helped us work together to plan and divvy trip tasks, eliminating much marital strife. (Even this week, years later as we prepare for vacation, we're using the packing checklist we created.)
Shortly after we figured out how to begin our trips on a positive note, I thought, why not do what we can to reach our destination on a positive note instead of secretly wishing we could put the bags in the car and tie our three over-energized boys to the luggage rack? Backseat boredom and disorganization were fodder for fights and frustration, so I began implementing ideas to quell chaos and promote peace. I share a few with you here, along with ideas from other moms who've discovered ways to make family road trips more fun.
Turn a cake saver into a travel box that doubles as a lap desk. Let your child personalize a 13x9x2-inch plastic cake storage pan to hold activity books and car-friendly games. Affix a Velcro strip on a corner of the lid and Velcro dots on pens and crayons so they'll be accessible but also stay put during use.
Make footwear findable. Hang a tote bag from the front seat headrest specifically for kids to store their socks and shoes when they take them off.
Make meals less messy. A plastic shoebox works well as a food holder for a child's lap when eating in the car. If something should overturn, the mess will be contained in the box and easier to clean up. (Buy the nesting kind for easier storage when not in use.)
Create a kid-friendly map. Download and print or cut out the portion of a road map with the highways you'll be traveling, then highlight the route with a yellow marker. Glue the map to a piece of cardboard and laminate it with clear contact paper. Kids will enjoy tracking your progress.
Stories along the way. Many moms say DVD players save their sanity, but audiobooks help to pass the time, too. And bring along some joke and brainteaser books. They come in handy while you're waiting for food to be served at a restaurant.
A handy deck. Tyra Damm of Frisco, Texas, mom of Cooper age 6 and Katie 4, says they've gotten a lot of mileage out of a deck of cards called 52 Fun Things to Do in the Car. They also like the alphabet game, where they have to find letters on billboards (not license plates) in alphabetical order. They also set aside time when they can only speak in rhyme.
Phone games. The Greenwood family of Princeton, N.J. created fun games for their own family and turned them in to an iPhone app called Family Car Games with instructions for 100 games families can play in the car.
Window art. Take along Colorforms for young children. They work well on windows.
One last word. As you gather everything you need for your trip and close up your home, relieve last-minute stress by glancing at this Exit Checklist before you leave.
What makes your crazy or saves your sanity on vacations?
Read more tips about being a great mom and Family Manager in The Busy Mom's Guide to a Happy, Organized Home. Free study guide available for download at www.familymanager.com.
Shortly after we figured out how to begin our trips on a positive note, I thought, why not do what we can to reach our destination on a positive note instead of secretly wishing we could put the bags in the car and tie our three over-energized boys to the luggage rack? Backseat boredom and disorganization were fodder for fights and frustration, so I began implementing ideas to quell chaos and promote peace. I share a few with you here, along with ideas from other moms who've discovered ways to make family road trips more fun.
This travel box is decorated with stickers. Courtesy of www.familymanager.com.
Turn a cake saver into a travel box that doubles as a lap desk. Let your child personalize a 13x9x2-inch plastic cake storage pan to hold activity books and car-friendly games. Affix a Velcro strip on a corner of the lid and Velcro dots on pens and crayons so they'll be accessible but also stay put during use.
Make footwear findable. Hang a tote bag from the front seat headrest specifically for kids to store their socks and shoes when they take them off.
Make meals less messy. A plastic shoebox works well as a food holder for a child's lap when eating in the car. If something should overturn, the mess will be contained in the box and easier to clean up. (Buy the nesting kind for easier storage when not in use.)
Create a kid-friendly map. Download and print or cut out the portion of a road map with the highways you'll be traveling, then highlight the route with a yellow marker. Glue the map to a piece of cardboard and laminate it with clear contact paper. Kids will enjoy tracking your progress.
Stories along the way. Many moms say DVD players save their sanity, but audiobooks help to pass the time, too. And bring along some joke and brainteaser books. They come in handy while you're waiting for food to be served at a restaurant.
A handy deck. Tyra Damm of Frisco, Texas, mom of Cooper age 6 and Katie 4, says they've gotten a lot of mileage out of a deck of cards called 52 Fun Things to Do in the Car. They also like the alphabet game, where they have to find letters on billboards (not license plates) in alphabetical order. They also set aside time when they can only speak in rhyme.
Phone games. The Greenwood family of Princeton, N.J. created fun games for their own family and turned them in to an iPhone app called Family Car Games with instructions for 100 games families can play in the car.
Window art. Take along Colorforms for young children. They work well on windows.
One last word. As you gather everything you need for your trip and close up your home, relieve last-minute stress by glancing at this Exit Checklist before you leave.
What makes your crazy or saves your sanity on vacations?
Read more tips about being a great mom and Family Manager in The Busy Mom's Guide to a Happy, Organized Home. Free study guide available for download at www.familymanager.com.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ellen 6-26-2009 @ 6:27PM
I love the excellent use of technology for family vacations. Our kids loved the interactive family games of I Spy ("I spy something... name a color... answer yes or no about it) and the Alphabet game (find the letters in the order of the alphabet). Car trips can be great times to get the scoop on what to do at the destination too. Ask each family member what the most important activity for the location. It will point everyone to the priorities and narrow down trying to get it all done. Happy trails!
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Rachel 9-04-2009 @ 2:39PM
Following off of Ellen's comment, we created an "I Spy" jar to entertain the kids on our cross country road trip. My toddlers loved identifying and counting items while my infant enjoyed shaking them. We also brought a bunch of little toys and a game bag.
http://quirkymomma.com/?p=377 - instructions on how to make your own "I Spy" jar
http://quirkymomma.com/?p=281 - other tips for road trip survival.
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