Oct 19 2010
Just What You Should Know Concerning Road Trips With Pre-Schoolers
When you are on a long road trip with preschoolers, things can get a little noisy. A lot of parents, myself included, often wish that we had just stayed home.
But, weary traveling parent, relax. There is hope. A little bit of planning is all it takes to make your next road trip a more enjoyable one.
When children get bored they get cranky and hard to deal with. The night before the trip ask each child to choose three to five of their favorite toys to take in the car with them. If you make the children a part of the planning process then they are more likely to choose something that they will enjoy.
Parents should also choose something for the kids and bring it out as a surprise when the time is right. Unexpected toys will help break the monotony of road travel. Coloring books and crayons, books, pocket games, window markers and play clay will help keep your child occupied.
Eventually the toys and games will lose their ability to entertain. This is when you turn to fun and interesting road games. You could try counting games such as counting the number of blue cars or see who can spot the most number of out of state travelers by their license plates. Older kids will have fun counting how many license plates have the letter C or the number 4. For something the whole family can get in on try the round robin style of story telling. Even the driver will be able to have fun with this. One person starts, telling the beginning of the story and then passes it on to someone else. The next person has to continue the story and then pass it on.
You always know that when you’re in the middle of nowhere a child will complain that they are hungry. Everyone knows that kids who are hungry are the ones most difficult to deal with. Be prepared for middle of nowhere snack requests with fun, easy to eat snacks prepared and waiting in a cooler. Keep it healthy with fruit, peanut butter, sticks of vegetables such as carrots and celery. Cut some sandwiches into fun shapes. Soft drinks and other sugary beverages should be avoided as these will just make the children hyper and restless. Sitting in a car gives them no way to burn all that excess energy off. Juice boxes or pouches are not good choices in the car. Children can’t help themselves with these things and will always experiment with a good squeeze just to see what happens. If everyone is covered in sticky juice the trip can become a sour journey indeed.
If you think of a road trip as having the whole family together it can be a great chance to learn more about each other. Make your next trip one that you will enjoy remembering with fun activities and healthy food.
If you’d like more information on traveling with kids and camping in general check out the author’s website at pop up travel cot.
If you’re traveling in Colorado and prefer to stay indoors then visit Grand Junction Hotels for a great alternative to outdoor camping.
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