They say getting there is half the fun—but as any parent knows, when you’re traveling long distances with children this is not always the case. Try some of these stress-reducing strategies to minimize back-seat chaos and eliminate the words “Are we there yet?” from your kids’ vocabularies.
Leave early.
If time and your schedule permits, get everything ready, packed and in the car the night before your trip. Make sure to turn in early yourself. If you leave the house around four or five in the morning, the kids will sleep for the majority of the trip and you’ll arrive relatively stress-free. For extra-long trips, if you have two drivers consider leaving at night and driving in shifts. Traveling during off hours means lighter traffic, less noise and more peace inside and outside the car.
Pack snacks—but not drinks.
Avoid hearing the dreaded phrase “I have to pee!” when you’re 75 miles from the nearest exit by minimizing the amount of fluid consumption in your vehicle. Snacks are a great way to keep the edge off hunger (and boredom), but avoid giving them anything with caffeine, such as chocolate. Not only is it loaded with sugar, but it’s a diuretic (this brings back the potty problem again). Go for healthy snacks with moderate sugar and liquid content. Trail mix, granola bars and fresh fruit are great for long trips. *Bonus tip: Keep a supply of small grocery bags for discarding wrappers and peels to help keep the car clean, and toss them at every rest stop.
Assigned seats: not just for school.
Most parents don’t consider seating arrangements in the rush to get everyone in the car and get moving. But if you know that after twenty minutes of playing together, your six-year-old gets annoyed with your four-year old, seat them apart or put another child between them. If one of your children is self-contained and good at amusing himself for hours, and another is restless and fidgety, put the restless one by the window where there is a greater likelihood she’ll find something to distract her.
Music hath charms.
Be prepared to listen to music your children enjoy, sometimes over and over again. Bring along tapes or CDs, or tune in to the area’s Disney radio channel for little ones. Let them sing along as much as they like. But if you can’t stand one more round of Barney’s “I Love You” song, try putting on music you like to sing along to and make a game out of teaching your child the words.
Encourage quiet, individual activity.
Before the trip, help each child pack a bag of favorite small toys and activities. Coloring books, pads of paper and crayons (not markers!) or pencils are great; for younger children, check out a self-contained drawing toy such as Etch-a-Sketch or Magna Doodle. Each child should have either a lap desk (you can usually get these plastic trays with beanie cushions attached to the bottom at a dollar or department store), or for toddlers, a safety seat tray. Be sure to keep spare crayons and pencils up front with Mom or Dad for easy replacement without having to fish around on the floor when they’re dropped. For active babies, consider attaching a “toy leash” to a favorite toy so you or another child can give it back to her when she drops/throws it.
Play road games.
This is a time-honored tradition that works best when there are two adults, but even solo drivers or older children can give them a go. Here are a few examples of cool car games:
The Quiet Contest: This really works! Challenge your children to see who can stay absolutely quiet the longest, and offer a small reward (the winner gets to pick the next restaurant, pass out the snacks, choose a radio station, etc.). If your children are younger (under 6 or so) they will often fall asleep during this game.
Spot the (Adjective) Car: You can make as many variations on this game as you want. Call out a color, or have children look for cars with two doors, cars with bike racks, rusty cars, shiny cars, or cars with only one person. For older children, spotting out-of-state license plates is a fun take on this favorite.
I Spy: The classic pay-attention game. Pick an object (it should be in the car; kids won’t be able to remember everything you drive past) and then give them one clue to start: “I spy something (red, small, soft, etc.).” Children take turns asking one question at a time about the object, and whoever guesses right gets to choose the next object. A variation on this game is to choose a color, then have kids locate a number of items (2 for young ones, 5 for older children) that are that color. These can be things you drive by since you only need to spot them once.
Travel Scavenger Hunt: This one requires a little preparation ahead of time, but it can last for just about the entire trip. Make a list of things you’re likely to pass on your route, depending on whether you’re traveling on highways, through cities or through rural areas. Have kids check off each item when they spot them. *Bonus tip: Make the last item on the list your destination. That way, the game doesn’t end until you get there!
Reward good behavior.
Sitting still and quiet for hours on end in a cramped space is tough, even for adults. Make sure your children know before you leave that good car behavior will be rewarded. Offer extra money to spend at the gift shop, a choice of desserts when you stop for dinner, or one-on-one time with each child during the trip. If you’re visiting relatives, give out “travel tickets” kids can cash in for treats or favors when you return home.