by Samantha Giving

Created on: November 08, 2008   Last Updated: November 25, 2008

Your vacation is booked, the bags are packed and everyone is in the car. You are 10 minutes from home and already the dreaded words have been spoken "Are we almost there yet?" Groan. You have several hours ahead of you; and yet you already feel like turning back.

Do not despair. You can travel with your children, however it does take a little planning and strategy on your part. "Traveling successfully by car with children under the age of 10 means doing it at a kid's pace and from a kid's point of view. Enjoyable travel yes, it can be enjoyable means accommodating your kids." Marie Hartwell-Walker, ED.D

There are three main areas of importance for traveling with children which you can customize for individual interests. The three main areas are:

1. Comfort

2. Entertainment

3. Adult accessibility

Comfort

Your little energy balls will be strapped into a snug car seat for several hours, so comfort is the key. Loose fitting clothing made of soft materials are the best choices. If you need to arrive at your destination in your Sunday best, find a washroom five minutes from your destination for a quick change.

Along with comfort comes food. Hungry children are grumpy children. A little time in the kitchen and some Ziploc baggies can help solve this problem. Prepare snacks that are nutritious, but special enough to hold their attention. For each child, have a baggie of snacks such as:

- Microwave popcorn with dried cranberries and chocolates mixed in;

- Frozen yogurt tubes;

- Cheerios with raisins; or

- Mini-pitas stuffed with ham and cheese.

Pack water in spill-proof containers and you should be able to keep the tummies from grumbling for awhile!

Entertainment

Now that the kids are in their seats and are comfortable, what are they going to do?

Craft items are simple to pack and will keep your child busy in the car and at your destination. Think of items such as:

- Colouring Pages, pens and markers in a variety of colours;

- Aluminum foil for shaping;

- Tape and straws or toothpicks for building; and

- Lots of stickers!

Some other ideas to pass the time are:

A map to follow your route;Audio books and music from the library; Magnetic games; or put on the DVD for a movie.

Adult Accessibility

Pulling over every time someone wants a new game, a different snack, or to retrieve a soother will eat up your precious travel time. If you are able to seat an adult or teenager in the back to respond to such requests, you will arrive at your destination much sooner. Make the most of it! Brush up on some traditional songs and be the ring leader of fun while seated in the "fun zone'!

Be flexible and allow yourself a lot of time. Expect that there will be washroom breaks along the way; that they will eat all the snacks and still be hungry; and that they will need to run off some of that pent up energy.

When you hear those dreaded words "Are we almost there yet?" remind yourself that this is what memories are made of and enjoy your vacation.

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