How to Survive Car Trips with Young Children

Worried about spending hours in the car with your kids this holiday season? Here is a fun way to survive a car trip without resorting to watching dvds or singing camp songs.

Things You'll Need

  • Goody bags with small gifts--plan on one per hour you plan to spend in the car
  • Map that traces your route
  • List of landmarks you will pass along the way
  • Patience and good humor

Instructions

    • 1

      Print out a map that traces the route to your destination. If possible, use pictures and make the map easy-to-read for kids.

    • 2

      Choose landmarks on the map that are evenly-spaced, approximately one per hour. Use Exit numbers and/or town names, junctions with major highways, or local attractions.

    • 3

      You will need a goody bag for each location. Remember to choose items that will occupy your child for a short time--crayons and flip notebooks, inexpensive video games, stickers, a compass, books, lollipops, a new cd. Remember, you do not want to choose anything that will drive you crazy on the trip. No whistles or instruments or games that require a lot of explanation.

    • 4

      Allow your child to open a goody bag each time you hit a landmark. It's a great way to pass the time, and just when he or she is getting bored, there's something new to play with.

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