Are We There Yet? Keep Your Kids Entertained on the Road

With the current economy being what it is, many families are bypassing the airport for their next vacation and instead, packing up the minivan and hitting the road.  However, while a plane may be able to get you there faster, and provide a greater level of entertainment for your kids than a long, boring ride on the interstate, there are ways to stave off boredom while you travel and ultimately bypass the tedious question, “Are we there yet?”

There are many activities that can be played in the car that not only will entertain your kids, but will also allow them to learn about the world around them.

One great activity is to do a “road trip scavenger hunt.”  Before you leave, create a list of items for each of your children to look for while you are on the road.  This could be certain landmarks, signs, changes in landscape or scenery, or any other item that you believe will be found on the road while traveling.  In order to keep your kids interest, have a series of prizes to award as the game progresses.

Next, encourage your kids to keep a travel journal and make the most of your road trip by stopping at the “oddities” that happen to pop up as you drive.  Think National Lampoon’s Summer Vacation and stop when you see the roadside advertisement for the World’s Largest Ball of Tinfoil.  When’s the next time any of you will get to see that?

Then, of course, there is always the old standby, the license plate game.  Depending on how far you are traveling, there is always the opportunity to see a variety of license plates from a variety of locations.  Consider incorporating this into your scavenger hunt and encourage your children to keep their eyes peeled!