Great Tips for Planning Your Family Road Trip!
Posted by Scott Simonsen
It's that time of year where the kids are finally out of school and the words, "Road Trip" enter your head. Yes, everyone is scared at first, but soon the entire family is on board and excited to hit the road! Here are some great tips when planning for the event that will test the strength of your entire family!
1. Include the kids from the start.
When children help choose the destination, they’re more likely to be excited and helpful because they’re invested in the process. One way to get what you want is, instead of opening the floor for suggestions, offer the kids a few choices that already have parent approval.
Sometimes your destination is a foregone conclusion. Maybe you’re going north to visit family. In those cases, enlist your kids’ help in the rest of the plans, including stops on the way. In either case, a special family meeting can help get this trip off on the right foot.
2. Start a savings account.
If you try to anticipate your expenses and have a pot of money ready for your trip, you’ll be less likely to stress out about money and more likely to enjoy the time with your family.
3. Start planning.
Part of the fun of the trip is planning what you’ll do when you get there. Take the kids to the library and check out books on your destination. Make a list of sites you want to see and activities you want to do. Some will require advance reservations. Discounts are often available when purchasing tickets in advance.
4. Get a paper map.
Trace your route with a highlighter and mark desired stops. Get the kids involved in doing this. The kids will learn some geography, and you’ll have a backup if GPS goes out.
5. Pack smart.
Bring too much stuff, and you’ll be miserably cluttered. Don’t bring enough, and you may suffer the wrath of bored children. Limit in-vehicle entertainment to what can fit into a backpack for each child. Some good mobile entertainment: magnetic travel games, books, small dolls or cars, notebook and colored pencils (can be used for games like seeing who can spot the most states on license plates). Just make sure everything is age-appropriate (no magnets for a child still chewing on everything under the sun). Hide away a small toy that you can break out when the kids hit that wall of boredom. Save movies and electronic entertainment for last resort. Download movies and digital books before the trip in case the device's Internet connection is lost.
6. Point out interesting sites as you drive.
Sometimes the simplest are the most effective, like fields of cows and horses. On our first road trip, my Southwest Florida children marveled at the rolling hills north of Tampa, a fascination that amplified as we drove into the Appalachian Mountains. They also oohed and aahed over big trucks and strange vehicles that we’d pass on the highway.
7. Make time to run.
Rest stops often have big grassy lawns. You can also find parks near some interstate exits. Make a couple of stops at these to let the kids run around for 15 minutes. A Frisbee or ball stashed in the car can be helpful. We usually pack our first road trip meal and have a picnic at a rest area so the kids can let off some steam.
8. Snacks.
Stock a small cooler with water and snacks that won’t make a mess. Goldfish crackers and Cheerios are great road trip foods for little ones. Whole apples and baby carrots can be great for the whole family. Bring napkins or paper towels.
9. Bring a blanket and stuffed animals and/or pillowfor when the kids start to nod off.
Stuffed animals and pillows can help prop little heads and help them deal with head nodding. Some families find those u-shaped travel pillows helpful.
10. If you’re going to visit distant relatives up north, make a little photo album for the kids.
Page through it with them and name the different people in the photos. Distant relatives will feel less like strangers to the kids. Conversely, if you’re going for fun, a “scrapbook” of articles and photos that you found in the planning process might help entertain the kids on the way.
11. Lodging.
Plan where you will stop for overnight stays and your final destination. News and magazine photographer Amanda Inscore likes to stay at Embassy Suites and Residence Inn because there her kids have a separate sleeping space. For the final destination, Amanda likes to use a vacation rental site like vrbo.com. Also, the AAA Auto Club can help you plan stops and the organization has an app that can help you find lodging en route.