Road Trip Tips and Activities 4 Kids

Road Trip Tips and Activities 4 Kids

We will be packing up the family roadster and heading out on a week long road trip later this month.  We will be covering four states and about 2900 miles! Yes, we’re CRAZZZY! So… I’ve been looking for activities and games to keep the kiddos busy and engaged while the miles are whizzing by and I thought I would share what I came up with. Here’s your list of family road trip must-haves to keep you and your young travelers entertained on your next family road trip.

Road Trip Tips and Activities 4 Kids - dsm4kids.com

Road Trip Binders

Road Trip Binders are a great way to keep the kiddos entertained and informed on a long car trip. I created a binder for each of my kiddos who are almost 8 and 11.  Links to the FREE printables are below. Here’s what I included in the binders:

  • Spot that License Plate Game – We will play this game throughout the trip.
  • Maps of our daily routes. – The kids will get highlighters, so they can mark where we’ve been and hopefully, keep the “Are we there yets?” to a minimum.
  • Daily itinerary and a checklist of sights to spot along the way.
  • “Game of the Day” –
    • Travel Mad Libs
    • Road Trip Bingo
    • Car Search Game
    • Road Trip Scavenger Hunt
    • The Alphabet Game
    • The Geography Game
    • I’m Going on a Trip and I’m Packing Game
    • Blanks sheets for playing tic-tac-toe, hangman or other games.
  • Daily journaling pages.

I also included a large manila envelope in the binder, so the kids can keep postcards, pictures and other mementos all in one place.

FREE Road Trip Binder Printable

Download Here: 07.13.16 Road Trip Travel Binder Packet

Travel Games

Games are a great way to keep kiddos (and parents) occupied in the car. And these days, game manufacturers have designed miniature versions of some of your favs that are perfect to take along on a road trip.

Books and Audio Books

Being on the road is no excuse for kids to stop reading. In fact, it’s a perfect time to catch up, if they haven’t picked up a book in a while. No matter how many hours of windshield time you’ll be putting in, there’s a great book, e-book or audiobook to get you there.  If you’re looking for some great audio book titles you may like to read our article Book Nook: Audio Books 4 Family Road Trips.

Activity Books

Raid that stack of workbooks, coloring books, puzzles, mazes, drawing pads and sticker books sitting in the cabinet.  They will come in handy about mile 500, when your kids are bored and you’re in no mood to play another game of Eye Spy.  You’ll also want to make sure to throw in some markers and a lap desk or clipboard, so the kids have something to write on.

Music

What’s a road trip without music?  Cranking up the tunes and singing along with fun music is a great way to prevent drowsiness and shake off the mid-day doldrums.  Have the kids put together a play list, make sure you’ve renewed your satellite radio subscription and get ready to Caraoke!!!  Take the vocals up a notch and print out the lyrics to some of your favorite songs or download a Karaoke app on your smart phone.

Electronics

How did we ever survive without technology?!?  Especially on a long road trip?  Pack up the tablet, laptop, DVD player…..they’re all wonderful devices! However, our main goal for going on a family road trip is to experience new things and get the kids interested in the places we’re visiting on our trip. So.you might want to decide in advance just how much electronic time the kids will get each day.

Snacks

It’s no secret–boredom equals hunger! So, be prepared with lots of kid-friendly snacks. Some of our favorite traveling snacks are beef jerky, licorice, trail mix, popcorn, and string cheese.

Contain Everything

“A place for everything and everything in its place!”  These words by Benjamin Franklin ring true for keeping your car from becoming the “Bermuda Triangle”.  Depending on the type of activities you decide to take along, you’ll want to think through how you will store them.  If your kids are anything like mine, everything will be strewn out all over the car by mile 10 and lost by mile 50. If you have a specific spot for each kid to store some things, the higher the chances that items may find their way back to it.

 

 

What are your tips and tricks for keeping kids busy during family road trips?