How To Survive Long Car Trips With Kids

Car trips are perhaps the quintessential family vacation. Here's tips on making them enjoyable.

1. Pace: allow enough time for rest stops. Two hours of car time, then a break, makes a good pattern.
2. Pack: a special backpack or bag for each child, with crayons, books, toys, activity sets, stickers, handheld games.
3. Pack: some new wrapped surprises for little kids. But don't give out all the loot at once!
4. Print out some simple games to play in the car -- see link at right.
5. Play: a story for the whole family on the car stereo system; or bring individual players for your kids.
6. Play pint-sized board-games. Clue, Sorry, Trouble... are oldies but goodies.
7. Playrooms: Burger King and MacDonalds have great playrooms on major highways. Let the kids burn off energy while you order their food "to go" to eat later in the car.
8. Playgrounds: every school and most parks have them! Little limbs need to shake, rattle, and roll.
9. Picnics: buy the fixins' at a deli or grocery store, find somewhere scenic where the kids can run around. You save money, too.
10. Potties: it's worth bringing a training pottie, if your child has need-to-go-NOW emergencies.
11. Sleepy Time: kids fall asleep easily in the car, and a snooze can be a great way to let the miles fly by. Just be sure to allow lots of wakie-wakie time. Rousing a child from deep sleep because "we're there now" is tough.
12. Rush: is a four-letter word when you Travel With Kids!

Some Extra Tips:

• A tray-- or a "travel desk" suspended from the back of the front seat-- is handy, for any back-seat activity.
• Pack LOTS of snacks, such as fruit leathers, crackers, juice packs, treats. Bring plastic cups; bandaids, a dishtowel; frisbee and ball for rest-stops; and baby-wipes no matter how old your kids are.
• Once you have a couple of kids, costs for quenching a thirst can add up fast. Bring a small cooler, or insulated bag, for cold drinks. Buy giant-sized drinks; use plastic cups to share them out.

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