1. Preparation
Part of the fun of any trip is anticipation. We put our trips on the calendar and tell them months in advance what we'll we doing. As we have more info, we'll share it. By the time we load our Honda Odyssey and back out of the driveway, our kids will have memorized what we're doing every single day of the trip. This helps make the driving worthwhile AND helps us manage expectations. As our kids have gotten older, we listen for input on where they'd like to go and what they'd like to do. On this trip, my kids were DYING to go to 4 Four Corners. Even though it was waaaaay out of our way, we headed to 4 Corners first, then to a little city an hour drive from the Grand Canyon.
2. Something fun to do
Because we have several kids who are prone to carsickness, we discourage things like books and games which require a lot of looking down in the car while it's driving. Instead we opt for fun music, audio presentations, and audio books. Having fallen in love with Barenaked Ladies Snack Time album on a road trip, we listen to it almost every vacation.
If your kids don't get carsick, Lindsey Redfern has great advice on carseat kits that are amazing.
3. Snacks
If your road trip is like ours, you may go significant distances between towns and services. It's important to have great age appropriate snacks. In a Baby Center road trip article, they pointed out food the traveled well and food that didn't. "Favorite treats that travel well: string cheese, rice cakes, pretzels, bagels, sandwiches, apple slices, bananas, granola bars, cookies, raisins, cereal-Os, and puffed corn snacks. What doesn't work: most fruit (too messy for younger kids), yogurt (ditto), and juice boxes (one squeeze and they spill all over the car seat."
4. Be relaxed about the schedule
On our trip we started almost 2 hours later than we meant to because of minor medical emergency. Everything was running behind. But a slow start isn't the only problem you'll face on a road trip. Traffic or road construction and can mean you're running behind, too. (Or taking the wrong turn. In days before GPS my family was traveling to see Mt Rushmore. Thinking we were almost there we suddenly saw a Welcome to Wyoming sign. It's life. Stuff happens.)
Your schedule should be flexible enough that you can stop for lunch for cities sooner than planned.
And maybe even take a fun detour that is story worthy for years.
4. Be relaxed about the schedule
On our trip we started almost 2 hours later than we meant to because of minor medical emergency. Everything was running behind. But a slow start isn't the only problem you'll face on a road trip. Traffic or road construction and can mean you're running behind, too. (Or taking the wrong turn. In days before GPS my family was traveling to see Mt Rushmore. Thinking we were almost there we suddenly saw a Welcome to Wyoming sign. It's life. Stuff happens.)
Your schedule should be flexible enough that you can stop for lunch for cities sooner than planned.
And maybe even take a fun detour that is story worthy for years.
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