Tricks for Traveling by Car

For some, the thought of a family car trip is enough to cue the ‘something scary is about to happen’ soundtrack.  If you read my traveler’s meltdown yesterday, you know that I have been thinking some pretty scary thoughts about our upcoming road trip.  Normally, though, I look forward to long car trips as a opportunity for family fun and togetherness that the busyness of home does not afford.    To turn up the fun, I have a few new tricks up my sleeve to turn our road trip time into great family time.

This Eddie Bauer Travel Tray may well be the greatest invention in baby car trips.  Obviously, it is great for eating and playing in the car, but it is also extremely versatile.  It makes a nice, clean place for baby to eat in restaurants.  It is also a great makeshift table if you stop at a picnic area and don’t have a highchair.  My bigger kids have one of their own, which they use for building Lego creations that can transport easily from car to hotel.  The best feature is the seatbelt clips that allow you to anchor the tray to the baby’s car seat.  This is very important if you have a baby who could win an Olympic medal in flinging things across the car.

The internet is full of printable car trip games to take on the road.  For this trip, we will be playing Flags of the World Bingo. Shhh, don’t tell them they’ll be learning.  I have been collecting fun clearance items to offer as prizes to the winners of each game.  For prizes, I have chosen other games and toys that make great car fun, effectively doubling the game playing time.  Once the new wears off of the game, we’ll play another round of bingo and whip out another new game, as the trip hours melt away.  Sneaky, huh?

One of the biggest time and money grabbers on long road trips is fast food stops.   The kids are always clambering for a stop at McDonalds, where they swear they just love the food, but the real draw is the brightly colored box and cheap toy.  Enter Mom Meals.  I purchased messenger bags at the dollar store and customized them for each child with their name and interests.  Inside, I will pack a great sack lunch that includes a super fun toy.  This gives us much more in terms of nutrition and variety and is easy on the budget which is a win for mom.   Not having to maneuver the giant camper through a drive thru line makes the Mister happy.  Usually, we will find a nice rest stop and enjoy our meal and then hop back in the car with full bellies to play with our new toys.  Talk about a happy meal.

Warning: If bribery in parenting offends you, please turn away now.   At home, we like to keep it pretty simple when it comes to discipline.  On the road, it’s fun to shake it up a little bit.  For this trip, each child has a money jar with ten dollars in ones and ten quarters.  During the trip, fines will be assessed for whining, complaining, fighting, and generally annoying the parents.   Dollars and cents will be added when extra good behavior is exhibited.  This trick works like a charm on my little capitalists.  These kids will do anything for a buck, including be nice to their brother.   All the money they earn can be used for souvenirs once we arrive.

Happy Travels.

Vote for me at Mom Circle as one of the top 25 Travel Blogs for Families