How to Keep Your Children Entertained on a Road Trip

The summer: a perfect opportunity to plan a road trip with the family, enjoy the great outdoors and cultivate an ever-lasting bond with your loved ones.  It’s also a time of no school, longer days and the constant attention of your little ones.  Yup, it’s about time to take a road trip!  In today’s blog, we’re here to help.  We’re providing a comprehensive list of how to keep your kids busy during the long road ahead.  We’re providing some cool tools, tips and tricks to keep them occupied on your way around the United States.

1.     Depending on if you have 2,3 or even four little ones, let them all bring one or two items in a backpack or small bag.  Let them fill it with their favorite toys or games to keep occupied.

2.     Your smartphone is your friend.  Download some cool, FREE iphone app games to occupy your kiddies for an allotted time.  Also, make sure to bring your car charger so you’re not killing your battery while they’re playing with Angry Little Birds.

3.     A DVD Player is a parent’s best friend.  Allow your kiddies to watch ONE movie on the trip.  You’ll be able to take this quiet time to regain your “Chi.”

4.     Well-timed treats.  If the kiddies play well for an hour, reward them with a healthy snack!

5.     Your digital camera is great for looking at shots of the trip so far (kids never seem to tire of this) and adding their own strangely-angled photos of the open road.

6.     Books on CD (or on your iPhone) make great entertainment, and you can pick them up at the local library. Try something a step more complex than you would normally read at home, and you might be surprised at how well your kids quiet down and focus.

7.     If those fail, you can also check out this list of travel toys my own kids (age 3 and 5) have enjoyed.

Do you have any to add?