Many people will make groaning noises when I talk about traveling with kids, and for many people, traveling with kids is a horrifying experience.  Perhaps it is because we have traveled with our children since they were little or perhaps it’s because the Big Man Upstairs hears my prayers, but whatever the reason, my children travel really well.  We have taught the kids a love for travel, and sometimes the excitement helps them survive a long road trip without much complaining.

However, there are some simple things we have put in place to survive and make the time feel like it flies. 

1. Use a Variety of Activities in the Car

Too much of one activity will create boredom and complaining in children on long road trips.  Do not put on movie after movie and expect your children to “be good” and watch them for 12 hours.  You need a variety of different activities.  Put together a fun song list and sing along.  Play travel bingo and the alphabet game.  Try to find license plates from as many states as possible.  Watch a movie.  Color in a coloring book.  Call Grandpa and Grandma on speaker phone to tell them where you are going (on the way there) or what you did on your trip (on the way home).  Read a book.  Play games on a tablet or phone.  Take a nap.

2.  Structure your Time in the Car

Schools and daycares have schedules to make the day run smoothly. Having a “schedule” on a road trip helps the trip run smoothly. Basically, think in terms of one to two hour chunks of time; much longer than that and any activity will lead to complaining. 

The schedule can be in your head only and can be very flexible. For example, sing silly songs for an hour, and when the kids seem to be getting out of control with the silliness, tell them it’s time for everyone to read for 30 minutes.  Once they are done reading, suggest the alphabet game.  After playing a few rounds of the alphabet game, let them find something to entertain themselves for a while.  Remind them that in X amount of time, they will get to play on their technological devices if they are making good choices.  After an hour or two of allowing them to play on the technology, plan a stop.  This creates a natural reason for everyone to surrender their devices without it leading to meltdowns.  Once back in the car, play a couple rounds of travel bingo or color.  Then, as the day winds down, put on a movie for the kids.  With all of these activities, 12 hours passes relatively quickly in the car and the kids don’t have much time to get antsy.  The key is to switch activities when the kids seem to be getting bored, restless, excessively silly, or start to argue and whine.

3.  Have Special Activities that are Only Reserved for Road Trips

It is important to make sure that you have special activities that are only reserved for road trips.  If you let the kids play travel bingo every time they get in the car, it is less likely to hold their interest on a road trip.  We keep special stickers in the car that can be colored with colored pencils.  When the kids start to get bored, I pull them out and say, “Look what I found; who wants to color some stickers?”  Because we don’t have any coloring stickers at home, these are intriguing to the kids.  Having a few unique activities for the kids to do in the car helps hold their interest.  Just make sure any special activities are car-friendly. 

Also, technology is great on road trips, but if your kids watch TV or play on devices constantly while they are at home, those things will not hold their interest long on a road trip.  To combat this, you may need to buy or rent a newly released movie or download a new game, or consider limiting the amount of technology usage prior to a trip so that the kids will be excited to have technology back and it will hold their attention for several hours.

4. Plan Stops around Meals and Gas

Ever been on a road trip and had to stop every hour because someone else has to use the bathroom?  This can make a 12-hour road trip last an extra 2-3 hours.  As with any activity on a road trip, it is important to be strategic.  Plan to stop every 3-4 hours, keeping in mind that things will not always go as planned.  However, it is a good idea to “top off the tank” every three to four hours and this also coordinates well with meal times.  While driving, we give out beverages strategically (i.e. small “sips” along the way and more about thirty minutes before planning to stop). When we stop, we always have all of the kids use the restroom before departing. Additionally, we tell the kids the next time we plan to stop; for the older kids, they understand that they cannot drink two entire soft drinks when we don’t plan to stop for another 3 hours.  Younger children may need help with this idea. 

If you communicate your planned stops and time frame with the kids, after a little teaching, it is amazing how well they buy into the plan, especially if they understand that less stops means they will get to their destination sooner!

5.  Try to Find a Stop that has Gas and a Restaurant at the Same Exit

Find an exit that has the gas you need, a restaurant where you want to eat, and the coffee you want to drink.  This strategy saves you time getting on and off at different exits.  More stops at more exits equals more time.  Part of structuring a road trip includes wasting less time and making smarter stops.  Time wasted in the car means longer time and more chances for the kids to get bored.  Boredom is the enemy of a good road trip with kids!

6. Find little ways to Reward your Children Along the Way

Rewards keep things exciting for children, as children love rewards and surprises.  Rewards do not need to be expensive or elaborate.  They can be little things such as: after you read for 30 minutes, we will then watch a favorite movie or once nap time is done, we will have a special snack.  These little rewards, if done correctly, cause your children to look forward to little things along the way.  Again, it does not have to be big or elaborate, just something for the kids to anticipate.  This also can help the road trip pass more quickly in their minds.

7.  Keep a Positive Attitude

If you, as a parent, begin to make comments about the road trip taking forever or being sick of riding in the car, I can almost guarantee that the kids will also begin to complain.  It is important to keep a positive attitude, even if you don’t feel very positive.  Kids model adult behavior.  If you can make the road trip seem fun and do little activities along the way, the kids will believe it is fun.  However, if you complain about how terrible the trip is, you are sure to begin hearing complaints from your kids.  Keep the complaints to yourself and choose to set a positive tone for the trip; it will make the trip more enjoyable for everyone!

Above all else, happy travels!