Road Trips With Kids: 101
It’s no surprise that road trips are quickly becoming the most popular activity of the summer. With so many borders remaining closed and air travel a major source of stress, road trips are the best way to swap scenery in times of Covid. However, this pandemic-preferred way of travel can definitely get rough on longer stretches, especially when kids are involved. Below are some of our favorite ways to make your road trip fun for everyone - kids and adults alike.
Plan Stops Along The Way
The beauty of a road trip is that you can stop whenever you like and find interesting places to see along the way. When planning your route, allow extra time for plenty of stops along the way. Not only does this break the journey up and make things more interesting for your passengers, it also gives the driver a break. Look out for recreation areas, state parks, local lakes or reservoirs, but even a rest area can become an awesome spot for a pop up picnic and some frisbee tossing to release a little energy for the kiddos.
Download Some Movies
Watching a movie is the easiest way to kill a few hours and keep everybody quiet. This up to date list of torrent sites has plenty of places where you can download movies and TV shows for free. Just make sure to download a few different types to suit whatever the current car mood may be. Bonus tip: pack headphones for everyone in the car and download yourself an audiobook for some close-proximity alone time while driving…
Car Games FTW
Make your road trip fun for everyone. If everybody is getting a bit bored and tired and you are struggling with driving, playing some car games is a simple way to keep everybody entertained. It will also help you focus on driving. Things like the license plate game or 20 questions can easily be played while driving, and even though they might seem a bit boring, your passengers will soon get into it and it’s a great way to kill an hour or two.
The Ultimate Playlist Plan
We suggest at least three road trip playlists that include something for everyone in the car. That way, everyone gets a chance to rock out to their favorite tunes without you losing your mind listening to the Frozen soundtrack a billion times….
Swap Seats
While kids might prevent major seat swaps due to safety restrictions and car seats, swapping seats with whomever can swap is a great way to switch up the scenery and switch up the dynamic in the car. Even if it’s just switching which adult is driving to change who is available to interact with kids the most, a location rotation is a surprisingly effective way to refresh your collective energy.
Go Old School
Remember when you were a kid on a road trip and there was no such thing as a smart device? You still had fun, right? Bring back some of that old school fun with your favorite old school activities. If you save them for only road trips, they’ll even possess a little extra specialness for the littles. Some great in-car entertainment includes battleship, crosswords, and yep, even books.
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