I am a veteran of many long car trips, the majority of which were taken before I turned eighteen. In fact, the only time I have flown anywhere with my family was shortly before my twenty-first birthday, and was the last trip my family took as a family. Growing up, whenever we went on vacation, my parents piled myself and my three siblings into the van, and off we went. Looking back on this, I'm surprised we ever went on a vacation-making a trip with any number of kids is a difficult prospect. However, I can recommend a few tips to make a car trip with kids easier and more enjoyable for both them and you.

The first complaint most kids will have about a long car trip is that they are bored. You can prepare for this inevitability by bringing things for the kids to do. If your kids have favored small toys that can be played with in the car, bring some of those along. If your kids aren't prone to being car-sick, they may be able to read, draw, or color while you drive. In addition to things you already have on hand, you can purchase a wide array of games that can be played in the car, including travel versions of board games. Of course, you don't necessarily need to buy games for the car. There are also quite a few kid-friendly road trip games that can be played without buying anything, and some of these games might even teach your kids a few things.

Most families that are making a trip with kids will have their budget in mind, and that includes not paying gas station and fast food prices for snacks when the kids get hungry between meals. Plan ahead for your kids' preferences, and bring along some snacks that can be prepared and eaten in the car without too much difficulty. You can buy pre-packaged snacks, or package them on your own in appropriately sized portions. Having a small cooler that fits nicely in your car is a great investment if you plan on making a car trip with kids, so that you can bring along drinks or snacks that need to be refrigerated. Ice is readily available at gas stations, so you can keep the contents of your cooler at an appropriate temperature as you go.

Finally, making a car trip tends to make everyone a little sleepy. Bringing along favorite pillows, small blankets, and stuffed animals may help to encourage your kids to take a nap when they start getting tired on a long car trip. If you are lucky enough to get all of your children to take naps at the same time, you may even enjoy some peace and quiet that would normally be missing when making a car trip with kids.

Learn more about this author, Dawn A. Vogel.
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