Taking a road trip with the kids can be a lot of fun. It’s an affordable way to travel and you can see so much more when you take a trip on the road instead of flying. It’s not something you necessarily want to do when you have an infant, but taking school aged kids on a long road trip is a viable travel option. All it takes is a little planning. Here are some of my tips for taking a long road trip with children.
- Make the planning a family affair. Everyone can choose a restaurant or sight to see along the way.
- Pack healthy snacks in serving size zipper bags or containers for each child. Avoid sugar filled snacks or you will have hyper kids on your hands.
- Play fun car games like travel bingo, road sign alphabet and I spy.
- Give each child a journal to write or draw their experiences on the trip.Make pit stops to take care of the drivers too. When you’re fueling up, stop in at Shell’s Java Café – convenient, fresh and quality coffee that’s perfect for parents on a long road trip. With a variety of flavours and condiments available, Java Café can be customized to meet every customer’s unique preferences. In addition, September 15 through to November 9, you can earn five bonus AIR MILES reward miles with every Shell Java Café purchase.
- Pick up some magnetic board games for the trip.
- Crayons and pencil crayons are always appreciated. Pack some blank paper and colouring books too!
- Reading is a great way to pass time. Make sure you pack books that are appropriate for all age groups.
- Take advantage of electronics! There’s a place for everything, and at the eleventh hour you may need a little peace and quiet. Break out the headphones and let them have some screen time.
- Give the kids their own maps to follow along on the trip.
- Let the kids work on their photography skills by giving them cameras to use. It’s fun to see what they decide to photograph.
- Don’t forget to collect air miles when you stop at Shell. Your road trip can end up earning you rewards.
You can also save yourself some gas money by winning another amazing Shell giveaway! One of my lucky readers will win some high-quality coffee and fuel with the Fuel up with Shell Java prize pack:
- 24 Shell Java coupons (good for 12oz coffees)
- $150 Shell gift card
We usually play travelling games, or who can spot what first, the kids sometimes like to just watch movies.
Last time we got a trivia CD and the kids loved it…plus lots of random stops along the road. 24 hrs in a car is a long time.
I do lots of resesrch ahead of time and plan for lots of stops and mini adventures along the way 🙂
We play games and listen to music and audiobooks.
Lots of stops and treats along the way.
I like to bring along lots of music and snacks
We sang, laugh, eat and sleep and do whatever keeps us happy and entertained!
We make a road trip fun by picking out an audiobook at the library together to listen to, we also play games, and listen to music we enjoy 🙂
We play games in the car and makes pit stops to try different diners we pass by.
We bring CDs, DVDS, lots of snacks and drinks, books and games to make the road trip go by more pleasantly!
we make road trips fun with amazing play lists, killer snacks and my family.
I like to take lots of good music so we can sing and if there is fun places to stop along the way I like to do that too,and you always have to have good snacks
We bring lots of good music and food! And so far we have always been able to choose where we are road-tripping, and who with, so of course that helps – we love to pick an adventure and make it happen! And if we see something fun along the way we stop and enjoy it too, even if it wasn’t in the original plan.
We stop frequently to take in the sights and take pictures!
I bring snacks and movies. We stop for breaks along the way to let the kids get out and run around. I plan lots of fun and creative stuff to see and do.
we play I spy, and listen to party music!
We make it fun by going with the kids and just enjoying it all. Stopping to enjoy views. 🙂
listening to music we like
Playing games, listen to music, playground pit stops. …we love road trips!
Music, games, snacks and some fun stops along the way.
Lots of games,books and snacks
I like playing silly games and singing on road trips to pass time and have fun
We check the license plates from cars going by to see where they are from.
Play I spy, sing songs
Good music , snacks , movies and games 🙂
We make road trips fun by geocaching along the way! Breaks up the drive & we get to check out some nice spots
We make a road trip fun with geo caching along the way.
We pack lots of games and snacks!
special snacks and toys
Taking kids pillows, having good snacks, letting them get out a few times for air & stopping for lunch at a place they look forward to.
Lots of singalongs!
Great tunes and snacks
I research the things to do which we may pass on our trip. Stop in rest stops for tips as well! And pack patience. Happy mom = happy kids 🙂
We make it fun by stopping for lunch and bringing things to read and color.
By singing songs, playing games and lots of rest stops
bring good music, tasty snacks, and a positive attitude!
Car bingo
Music and pit stops to stretch, get gas, eat lunch.
Cheers.
We like to sing along to music and we would play I Spy alot!
by playing games along the way, kids love I spy
We always make sure to stop quite often and let the kids run around a bit. Also sing alongs and a DVD players are really helpful.
We play games and snack .it work for us
we sing songs, play word games, take lots pillows crafts and snacks
Have take snacks along, frequent stops to stretch your legs and games or screens to play
Games and songs help to pass the time.
we stop at any odd place we come across
playing lots of games in the car to keep the kids busy!
We make a road trip fun by having lots to do. Music, games, snacks, tv, spending time together and stopping at attractions.
Bring games & snacks of coarse!
Love this good luck everyone!
With good music and lots of snacks.
To make a road trip fun, there must be frequent food and entertainment stops.
we always use to sing crazy songs on the road
We play games, tell stories, sing songs and stop often to walk around a bit.
Play loads of eye spy games
plan and play lots of games, play lots of music
Fun I Spy games!
I make a road trip fun by bring my children. They crack me up.
The 3 Ss: Songs, Snacks, and Stops 🙂
Putting on the kids music cd’s makes it fun for the kids.
snacks and an ipad for my daughter. I usually fall asleep.
Take games and movies to watch !
food and music
Fav driving tunes, great snacks, guessing how long until the next bathroom break….
We would sing along with BSB cds when the girls and I would do road trips!
Music and food are essential to a fun road trip.
I don’t – that’s why I need your help.
A fun playlist and some yummy treats to snack on 🙂
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If I’m not driving books, video games, and a tablet PC make the trip fun !
When my kids were little, I’d pack each one a bag with surprises…crayons, paper, small games, snacks. They were thrilled to have their own little travel bag to keep them busy.
we have healthy and fun snacks, play I spy games,use tablet for music/games/videos. Bring paper and pencils/pencil crayons for doodling or games. We also stop alot to stretch the legs and see the sights along the way!
For a road trip to be fun you need to make frequent stop, have lots of good snack and good music.
We bring lots of music, games and an ipad. It keeps us all occupied
I bring my ipad along
I make a road trip fun with yummy snacks and an iPod full of awesome music.
ensure that there are planned stops along the way to run around or look at something interesting
sing along to great music
Singing and telling stories 🙂
Snacks and colouring books.
I love bringing a portable dvd player and playing a children’s classic that we all enjoy 🙂
I will prepare lots of DVD and lots of snacks in the car to keep my kids busy
We let the kids watch movies on the tablet. We also play games like I Spy and have family sing alongs. Its a lot of fun.
Lots of fun music!
I bring along games and plenty of snacks!
On road trips it’s fun to sing songs and play games.
Talk about fun times, play the license plate game or just listen to music
Definitely bring upbeat music, and also make sure to plan ahead so you can’t point out fun or unique scenery/places on the way!
I give my son a snack box with different treats in it and let him pick 1 from Shell when we fill up. We love to stop and see the sights and hubby and I sing.
I know it’s a cliche – but we play the license plate game.
Music snacks and patience 🙂
Bring food, toys, puzzles, games & movies to keep little ones entertained!
WE play games and always makes pit stops at a really cool diner spot along the way.
We just listen and sing to music and tell jokes
We bring along trivia games that every one can enjoy and have lots of snacks ready.
eye spy
We make road trips fun by playing car games and following our journey on an old fashioned map-not GPS! We also have snacks and listen to audio books
I make a road trip fun with good music, snacks/drinks, games and pit stops!
Play the license plate game
We love to sing , have snacks and play games like finding objects while we drive.
thanks
lots of stops with lots of snacks!
Lots of planned stops, good books and snacks.
a rest every so often to get out and stretch
play games such as spot the different licence plates
I bring along some new toys that we get in the dollar store. Keeps the kids busy!
We have several homemade games that we put together in a bag of fun and keep it in the car for those boring drives long distance.
We like to stop and have picnics when we go on long road trips.
leaving extra time for those impromptu stops and taking pics and taking in the sights
I play a kid’s music cd and we sing along.
We bring a CD player and movies, books, play games,and nintendo ds
We take lots of snacks and activities to keep the kids entertained.
I play lots of music!
We have things to keep the kids occupied, and also play games and sing.
The easiest way is with food! hahaa.
I try to google cool things to look for on the way !
We make sure to leave time to stop if we some place interesting, and we like to stop at a local restaurant for lunch instead of some chain by the highway.
We bring audiobooks to listen to and stop lots to stretch and walk around.
good music
I make a road trip fun by making sure there is good music playing and lots of snacks!
Portable DVD players, lots of movies, lots of rest stops, stop on the way to see and do cool things we’ve never seen or done before
Lots of upbeat music, pictures taken for memories, and lots of snacks.
We Sing along to the radio, or play games
I keep roadtrips fun by keeping lots of good snacks available and lots of DVDs for the kids to watch.
Bring snacks, toys and entertainment for kids.
We play songs and play games
Bringing snacks and games.
When my kids were young they traveled with their cousins.The adults took turns with each others’ kids because they kept each other entertained.
We make sure we stop a lot. Take in some sights. Stretch our legs.
Bring good reading material or my iPad and Skype or face time with my friends
Road trips are more fun when you sing along to CDs.
Nowadays it seems that the car has to be full of technological devices
I always bring along my iPad and lots of magazines.
We used to take along books on tapes (before cd’s became popular) and play games such as finding certain cars, trucks or signs.
Magazines are a must. it’s like I catch up on all gossip in the world while on vacay.
I BRING MAGAZINES, STOP ALOT SO WE COULD STRETCH OUR LEGS AND BE REFRESHED TO CONTINUE ON OUR TRIP.
Having some fun tunes is the way to go…
Site see as you go. Frequent stops.
bring different trivia books and info books
We make road trips fun with lots of activity pages.
music games and lots of snacks
I make it fun by taking my best friends with me – the rest is all minor details …
Music makes a road trip fun.
we make road trips fun by playing some games in the car so time goes by faster
Listening to music
play spotto bingo!
******We play games along the way ie:”I SPY” etc..******
We stop at parks, stop for treats and play games and listen to music in the car.
find some green space to play in
We pack up the bbq and stop whenever we want and cook up some lunch.
i make road trips fun by spoting different states license plates it is fun as it always keeps us going wow there from new york or mississippi
we make roadtrips fun by doing research before we go, bringing along games that everyone can play and taking turns leading them
We try to find places to stop to either sight-see or have a kind of food that we may not be able to get in our area. It is tough, since our son likes to “just get there” so he would rather not make any stops, even pee stops.
By enjoying if we take a wrong turn or get lost – it’s more adventurous that way!!
I bring my ipad and snacks!
A lot of music ready to be played, snacks, water and juice, and a good night sleep before!
Lots of road trip games! And music. Lots and lots of music!
Tons of great music! Snacks, beverages, phone chargers, blankets & comfy things!
Music! Music can make or break a roadtrip 🙂
Music and lots and lots of snacks
We make road trips fun by taking the time to make rest or snack and scenic stops along the way…
sing songs, bring lots of activities for the kids and make lots of stops to see the sights along the way
My husband is not a talker when he is driving unless it is in farm country. Then i can point out certain features of farms, etc. If not, I amuse myself by looking for certain landmarks.
If I am with my daughters, we usually chat and laugh all the way.
We like to sing in the car.
Music and games is how we have always passed the time.
Bring lots for the kids to do in the car and lots of snacks.
Lots of loud, upbeat music! And the alphabet game!
fun music and singing games, snacks, and pillows thanks
I ensure the kids have mp3 players and their 3DS / DSlite with them. Occupied kids = a peaceful ride.
Plan ahead
Play travel games & have a great road trip playlist.
We make road trips fun by playing games, telling stories and singing music.
We make road trips fun by making lots of stops along the way. We also play card games and listen to radio shows (on CD).
snacks and music
we sing songs bring food talk about old times
Start off with good music followed by great company.
Guessing the artist or bands of songs on the radio~
I load up the ipod with great music and try to plan some interesting stops along the way!
lots of snacks,good music on the radio and electronics for the teens,makes for a fun road trip
we include listening to some good ole tunes, stopping for breaks to take pics and to grab some snacks and java, we also enjoy a great conversation.
great music, having the car clean and organized in advance, and not stressing about traffic. also having lots of non-messy and healthy snacks handy.
Snacks and good music
I try to make a road trip fun by listening to music and singing along.I take pictures when we stop to eat and get drinks.I like to also pay attention to interesting things I see and point them out to the family.
Lots of conversation! Looking out the windows talking about what we see etc
This card would come real handy when we travel from Nova Scotia to Quebec at Christmas time
Snacks and games.
Keep a special travel bag with items the kids have never seen before to keep them busy.
A DVD player does wonders for long trips!
We like to sing to music, read books and play road trip games.
We have a portable dvd player in the car to watch movies.
I make a great sound track.
Sing along cd’s, portable DVD player and DVD’s
I make a road trip fun by lots of great music! I sing along and have a great time– other people might not, when I sing haha
We play a lot of games. Looking for different license plates, trying to guess what type of car is passing us.
I try to come up with fun games and silly songs.
preparing a lot of new games, and bringing new and different snacks.
We play fun games in the car like ispy or name that tune
We make time to stop when we want, so that it’s fun for everyone.
With great music, taboo and lots of yummy snacks!!!
I pack a lot of snacks, books, travel-sized board games, and a LOT of patience.
Snacks, drinks and plenty of stops for leg stretches along the way.
I always pack juices, granola bars, gum, chips and sannies for those growling tummies. The most imp. thing is always ‘joe’ for the driver so that they stay alert and awake. Cheers.
good music and yummy snacks. i like to do fun stops too.
We play games like I spy and madlibs while we’re roadtrippin!
Sing songs!
Kids love to learn new songs!
Our national Anthym is one that kids love to learn
Make some cd’s
Lots of music and snacks
Stop at different locations and make new discoveries.
I read my trashy magazines!! It’s my fun… 😉
Lots of road style games, guessing times to places. Giving the kids each a steering wheel.
I have some road trip games I bring along, and we sometimes have the kids watch a few movies.
Lots of games and songs. And loads of stops!
By keeping the kids engaged and entertained (DVDs, I-SPY, etc.)
We always played games when we were on road trips when the kids were young. We played I spy, Bingo looking for things along the road, and I got lots of little prizes for them to play with. My daughters do the same thing with their children now but they also have the convenience of letting the kids watch movies on the trip.
To make a road trip fun we play travel games and a game counting how many cars color are red that are on the highway!
good luck
would be great to win
We like to incorporate some fun while travelling – we particularly like word puzzles. I would say to my son – okay how many words can you make out of “Treat” – always fun to mention a word that is forgotten.
Fun tunes, snacks and stops along the way!
We bring a variety of things to entertain our toddler. We will sing songs, and make up games as we go. That brings back so many fond memories from when I was a child on family road trips.
we make our road trips fun my singing along to the “oldies music” it keeps our kids laughing
singing, candy, and travel games
We try to stop at fun attractions along the way. Thank you!