Taking Your Family on a Long Road Trip: Boredom Busters to Bring Along for Happy Kids

I can't wait to take my baby along on some exciting road trips (20 days until my due date- exciting times!). I am, however, well aware that taking kids along with you on a road trip can be a great effort: once they start getting bored, they will start to act up and make the drive more frustrating than it needs to be.

I've been told by fellow mummy and daddy travellers that the best solution for rowdy kids in a car is to keep them occupied enough to stay calm. While this may seem easier said than done, there are actually a lot of ways to keeps your kids busy in the car. Here are a few ideas that I will be using and that you too can think about the next time you're getting ready to take a family road trip! This will keep the “are we there yets?” to a minimum so you can enjoy driving in peace and quiet.

Source: www.moneycrashers.com

The License Plate Game

If you took a lot of road trips yourself as a kid, then you’re sure to remember this classic car game.

The object of the game is to see who can spots the most different license plates on the cars along the road. You can set a limit to win, or you can see how many different ones your kids can find for the entire trip. Not only will this keep them occupied, it can also be a great geography lesson, especially if your children are curious. You can even have them find the states on an atlas so they can learn more.

Coloring

Coloring? In a car? That may sound like a recipe for disaster to you: with all of the bumps along the way, there’s no way your kids will be able to stay in the lines.

But with this coloring book app (you've got to love a good app!), you don’t have to worry. Just download it your Android smartphone or tablet and they can color until their heart’s content without the mess. The app let’s them use their fingers to color in a variety of different designs, from people to plants and wildlife. The can even color in geometric designs.

The app has over 200 different colors broken up into coordinated palettes so they can easily find the colors they are looking for. Then, when their masterpiece is complete, they can share it with family and friends by email or social media.

Reading

Never underestimate the power of a good book to keep your children occupied during a long road trip. If you can get them to enjoy reading, and you may not even be able to get them to make a sound

There are tons of books that are written specifically for children of all ages, so finding one that’s age-appropriate shouldn’t be a problem. You can find both fiction and nonfiction as well, so make sure to find a book that is about something your children enjoy and they will learn to love reading. Not only is reading good for them, your trips will be a lot less painful with their faces buried in a book.

I am fully aware that travelling with children is a new challenge that I am yet to experience, but boredom certainly won't be something that I will allow to ruin my trips! I am a strong believer that if you find the right stimulation and activities for your children, your trips will be awesome!