Fun Road Trips With Children Take Preparation

Believe it or not, going on a road trip with kids can be fun if you properly prepare. Getting ready for a trip may seem exhausting, and you might wonder if it is worth all the work it takes just to leave the house for a short vacation. Once you see the excitement of your children as they experience new sights, sounds, and smells you will find you will be amply rewarded for your efforts.

To make your road trip a smooth one, follow these tips:

Prepare your children for an exciting journey. About a couple weeks up to a month before going, start talking with your kids about where you will be going and all the fun things you will be doing.

Go to the library and borrow books that have maps, and photographs about your route and destination. Read stories to young ones about going on trips and what fun it is to travel. Have older children pick out books that are centered on your destination. Make your communication age appropriate, what you would tell a three year old would be somewhat different than an eight year old.

Packing only the clothes your children like. Let your children help pack for the trip. Even a three year old can help if you lay our five outfits and let them choose two to take. This will vary depending on the length of your trip. Of course you need to double check that they are not taking too much or too little. Take just what you need and no more.

To determine the amount of clothing to pack, take the length of the trip, adjust for the dirt factor and you should be on target for the right amount of clothing. If you run out of clean clothes, you may need to find a laundromat to get you through.

Bring Toys your children like. Let your children help pick these out. Explain to the little ones that they are only to take a few favorites, and that their other toys will be waiting for them when you return. Older kids will understand, but toddlers, may not.

To limit the number of items they can bring, give them a backpack to place their items in. Make a rule that whatever they can fit into the backpack is what they can bring along.

Surprise them! If it's a long road trip it's a great idea to stash a couple new toys they don't know about. Be creative, you can put some puzzles, books, work games, or a few special snacks. Make sure you keep it a surprise.

Pull something out when you have noticed the kids have been exceptionally good for a long period of time. Use it as a reward for good behavior, not bad. By giving them a surprise for good behavior you are reinforcing their good behavior. I have seen some parents use it when their children get irritable and I think it just gives the children more reason to misbehave.

Pack a Cooler with refreshments for the road. Pack your favorite beverage, milk, fruit juice, snacks and fruit. This will help you avoid too many fast food stops. Whenever possible, find a park and have a little picnic. It's cheaper and children will love playing in parks they have never been to.

Stop frequently to alleviate fidgety children. It may slow you down a bit, but your trip will be more pleasant in the long run. By giving your children opportunities to get out of the car to walk, run, and skip around they will have less energy to spend arguing with one another.

Give the kids a map to look at. Even if you have a GPS it is fun for them to try and follow where you are going. Not only can they learn about the country you can teach them about how the highways and interstate systems work together. It's a great way to reinforce your child's math skills, by having them tell you how far it is to the next stop or town.

Bring a first aid kit. You never know when someone will fall down or get a cut. Make sure you have plenty of band aids, children's aspirin, antiseptic, digital thermometer, scissors, safety pins, tweezers, adhesive tape, gauze, and cotton balls. You may already keep a supply of handy wipes in the car, if you don't make sure you have some on hand for sticky hands, and cleaning up. You want to cover all bases. Make sure you have a blanket with you, even if you are traveling in a warm climate. A blanket comes in hand for many things.

Precaution measures need to be taken. In case someone gets lost you need to have a current picture of everyone traveling with you God willing you will not need to go through that ordeal, but it is best to be prepared with a current picture of your family. Other information you will want to have available for each family member is:

Everyone's current age, height, and weight
Any prescription names anyone is taking
Blood type of everyone
Any medical issues
Doctor's name and number
Emergency name and contact number

Road trips with kids can be a challenge, but with a little extra effort on your part, you can have a fun and exciting time. By preparing your children for vacation, your children will know what to expect and will have less anxiety trying to figure out what is going on.

Most importantly, don't forget the camera to capture those moments that you will treasure long after the trip is over. Some of the most memorable times as a family will come from traveling together. Make the most of those memories by being prepared, and have fun!