These Time Tested Activities Can Keep Kids Busy on Road Trips

One of the biggest obstacles parents can face in their travels is keeping the children busy. We all know that if you don't give them something to do they will find something and, unfortunately, it's not always good for the other people in the car. It doesn't take much thought or money to keep your youngest passengers happy and occupied on long road trips and any cost incurred can be well worth it in the long run. The key to success in this area is planning ahead.

The best things in life are free and two of the most fun things to do in the car are the road sign game and the license plate game. Both are simple to play, educational and can get a little friendly competition going amongst the passengers. In the first game you go from A to Z using the first letter in names and words on billboards and road signs. The rules are simple: no abbreviations or acronyms are allowed and the first person to call it gets that letter. Whoever reaches Z first is the winner. It usually makes it easier if you stipulate that X and Z can be found anywhere in the word. Otherwise, your game can go on forever and ever. The license plate game is played similar to this. Any digit in the plate's number can be used. You have to go from A to Z and the first person to reach Z wins the game. Kids enjoy both of these games, because even though they may not feel as smart and Mom and Dad sometimes, they catch many of the letters that their parents miss. Parents have to keep their eyes on the road while driving so some of the signs pass them by before the letters are spotted.

A portable DVD purchase might be a good investment for the car. They are relatively inexpensive these days and can be purchased for as low as $70 to $80. The average movie can run for 1.5 to 2 hours so this can give Mom and Dad a nice break on shorter trips. Don't forget to let them choose several of their favorite movies prior to departing for your destination. Of course, watching television can get boring on longer day trips, but it's always nice to have the option of a movie when all else fails.

For children who like to be creative a bag can be packed with crayons, markers, colored pencils, coloring books and drawing paper. Young artists get much of their inspiration on road trips. Here is a word of caution, though - don't leave crayons in a hot car. They tend to melt together and onto whatever surface they are touching. This is bad news for cloth car seats. Kids also enjoy doing puzzle books, such as word searches and crosswords.

Another favorite is handheld games. Many of their favorite board games are now available in the smaller electronic version. Little travel versions of the larger games are nice and convenient to carry along as well. I've seen the smaller versions of checkers, chess and backgammon, to name a few.

Parents are sure to advocate packing a bag of books to keep their little travelers busy. Make a trip to the public library and get books to interest everyone who will be traveling. You might consider checking out books about some of the places and things that the children will be experiencing on the trip. This is especially useful if they will be introduced to new cultures and customs in their travels.

Kids can also document their travels in a journal and take pictures for a scrapbook. This makes a wonderful and creative way to remember all of the fun. Sometimes when the younger travelers are busy in an activity it can make them car sick so it might be a good idea to pack some meds for motion sickness. You can pick and choose from these busy time ideas. Kids might have time for only one on most of their trips, but on longer trips you can give them all a try. At least it will give you a break from hearing "Would you tell him to stop touching me?" and you won't have to play referee the entire time you're on the road.