Making The Most Of Your Next Family Road Trip

Family road trips are always great fun and remain the most popular type of family vacation in the USA.  As many as  79% of Americans who participated in a 2017 AAA survey stated that they were planning to partake in at least one road trip with their family during the course of the year. Blockbuster movies such as the Robin Williams classic “RV” and the comedy-drama “Little Miss Sunshine” have been the motivation (and possible deterrent) behind many family road trips with countless ‘real-life’ trips boasting as many antics as any fictional movie you can possibly imagine.

Fueled by a sense of adventure and the desire to spend quality time filled with laughter and memory-making moments with loved ones, road trips require little more than a reliable, roadworthy family car and a willing family. The biggest obstacle when it comes to planning a family road trip is how to keep younger children occupied while driving. Distracted or bored children and teenagers have the ability to turn any mood sour and can even result in precious time being wasted.  By following a few handy tips you can keep your kids engaged and make the most of the time you have with your family.

Play games

It has become very easy to hand a child a cell phone or gaming device to keep him occupied for hours on end.  A long road trip, however, can provide the family with ample opportunity for valuable bonding, especially when the entire family can engage in the fun-filled activities, without distracting the driver of course.

Animal spotting

Regardless of where you are traveling in the USA, you are likely to come across animals along the way.  Fun can be had by all in seeing who can spot the most animals during the trip. Any animal, bird or insect is fair game and you can choose whether to include road kill or not (depending on the ages and gore-tolerance of your children). The game can be as laid-back or competitive as you like with a small prize for the winner generally being a good motivation for the children to behave and participate without fighting amongst each other.

License plate lingo

License plate lingo is a simple and fun game that can help boost a child’s imagination through play.  In this game, the players take turns to explain what the letters on certain number plates stand for.  ‘ALR’ may stand for ‘Alien-loving Rhino’ or ‘Arithmetic-learning robot’. A prize can be awarded for the player who can come up with the most creative answers although the laughter resulting from the weird and wonderful answers is often reward enough for everyone playing.

Stop to exercise

Both kids and adults are known to get cranky when confined to small spaces, making it essential to stop for exercise at regular intervals. Where possible, stop near a park or playground and allow the children to run around for a couple of minutes, getting rid of any extra energy. If you are unable to stop somewhere that the kids can play unhindered,  walking briskly around the car while stopping at a gas station will also suffice. A good rule to follow is to stop for 15 minutes after every 2 hours of driving, with longer breaks being taken at meal times.

Check if your Car is Safe Before the Trip 

The responsible thing to do before going on a long trip (whether you go alone or not) is to check if the car is in good condition. Check the brakes, fluids and make sure everything is at the optimum level. Don’t ignore the pressure in your tires, especially if you’re driving during winter. You should also check your insurance and number plate to make sure everything is in order. This is a useful website for private reg plates where you can make sure it’s is in line with the relevant regulations.

Pack some snacks

Having to stop for food and drinks every time someone in the car is hungry or thirsty can be both time consuming as well as irritating. To eliminate countless unplanned stops pack a range of healthy yet interesting snacks for everyone to enjoy. Boiled eggs, roasted nuts, fruit slices, grilled chicken wings and sandwiches with a variety of fillings are popular road trip snacks which will help you save time and money while on vacation. Small treats can be included for children but avoid giving them too much sugar as a child on a sugar rush, especially one that is confined to a car, can be problematic to say the least.

Great memories can be made on a family road trip and, if planned correctly, it can even turn out to be the best vacation you have ever had. Involve the whole family in the planning process – you may end up being surprised at the brilliant ideas even the youngest members of your family can come up with.