by M.A. Dal Cero

Created on: July 02, 2010

Keeping the kids entertained and happy during a long road trip can be a challenge, and as the majority of parents can attest, you'll undoubtedly go to great lengths simply to avoid being asked, “Are we there yet?”, “How long will it take to get there?”, and countless other variations of the same question. If you're planning a road trip with your kids, it's important to keep in mind that although DVD players, hand-held video games, and books or magazines will keep them occupied for quite a while, road trip games and activities can also provide the kids with hours of relief from the boredom of a long car ride. Whether you're looking for games, craft projects, song lyrics, or printable activity pages, be sure to include the following websites in your pre-road trip planning:

Mom's Minivan

Boasting over 101 ideas for kid-friendly road trip fun, Mom's Minivan is organized by age group and provides parents with activities for babies, toddlers, and school-age kids. From printable games and scavenger hunts to pipe cleaner crafts, travel journals, and more, you're sure to find something that will appeal to your children, regardless of age. In addition, Mom's Minivan offers parents helpful information and travel tips on topics such as car sickness prevention, saving money on the road, and traveling with special needs children.

Disney Family Fun

Disney's Family Fun website's “Getaways” section is filled with boredom-busting road trip games and activities that are not only fun, but educational as well. Simply print out the site's wide variety of matching games, word searches and scrambles, memory games, and mazes, and sit back and enjoy the ride as your kids keep themselves busy. As an added bonus, some of the mazes double as coloring pages, and you can choose themes based on your children's individual interests. You'll also find creative ideas for travel games that both children and adults can play together to pass the time.

Family Education

Finally, Family Education's website features an impressive number of games and activities that your children can enjoy both before and during your road trip. For example, pre-trip art activities such as the Before-You-Go Puppets to Go, the Before-You-Go Swiss Army Notebook, and the Before-You-Go Traveling Mail Kit are ideal ways to keep your kids occupied while you are packing or taking care of last-minute details. The site's travel games are arranged by category and include reading and writing games, trivia and strategy games, and search and word games, as well as on-the-road art activities that require only a few, mess-free supplies.

Sources:

Mom's Minivan

Disney Family Fun

Family Education

Learn more about this author, M.A. Dal Cero.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.