As far as mothers go, I guess you could say I'm a road trip veteran. By January, my husband has our summer vacations planned, and since we live in rural Utah nothing is close by. I have five children, all of whom could climb kitchen cupboards by the time they were eighteen months old, and most of whom like to tease their siblings unmercifully (their father's DNA). Here are a few tips we use to keep from resembling the Griswalds in National Lampoon's Vacation.

When my children were little, we found that music calmed the savage beast. Some favorites were children's Sing-Along Songs, Peter, Paul & Mommy, and Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?

My family enjoys listening to good books even more than watching DVDs on a trip, especially Dad, who cannot see the movie while he is driving. Sometimes I'll read to the family, but we really enjoy listening to books on tape. The public library has plenty to choose from or you can download them from the internet. Some of our favorites have been Inkheart, Series of Unfortunate Events, and Junie B. Jones. Even Magic Treehouse books are out on CD now.

Talk and play games on the way. I Spy, looking for the ABCs on road signs and license plates, and Guess What Animal I'm Thinking Of are some family favorites.

Road trips are a great time to teach kids to tell time and read maps. My older kids like to look at our route on the map. We have them look for towns and landmarks on the way. We also point out mile markers and road signs, especially when they start asking the dreaded question-"Are we there yet?"

As far as snacking goes, we've had some bad experiences. Our oldest son must have an allergy to the artificial coloring in root beer, because after drinking it he'd lose all self-control, and believe me, it wasn't pretty in the car. I like to stick to non-sugary, non-messy snacks like pretzels, string cheese, and apples. I'm also a fan of water bottles-don't forget to put names on them. Warning-Use caution when filling water bottles if you have a child that needs frequent bathroom stops.

Don't forget to enjoy the journey! My husband's family still tells horror stories of how far Grandpa would drive without stopping. We like to stop for a meal and give the kids a chance to stretch their legs and use the restroom. Also, be spontaneous and check out something interesting along the way. Some of our best road trip memories were the unplanned stops like the time we visited an old pioneer fort or pulled over to see the kokanee salmon spawning. After all, memories are all that are left at the end of a road trip.

Learn more about this author, Carrie Wallace.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Long car trip activities for kids?
We want to hear your view. Write now!