5 Things To Do Before Taking A Family Road Trip With Kids



Taking a road trip with kids require lots of preparation and attitude adjustments for parents. Questions like, “Are we there yet?” may be common but did you know that it is possible to survive, relax and enjoy your road trip with kids if you have a game plan?

Before you hit the road this summer here are 5 things to do that will help you have the best family vacation ever:

One: Plan your itinerary
America has thousand of miles of coastlines, deserts, wetlands and urban journeys that will leave you feeling lost if you don’t have a planned itinerary. If you are planning a road trip from Dallas to New Orleans, find out the driving distance first. From Travelmath’s calculator, we found out you have 521 miles to drive or eight hours 6 minutes. If you have children below 12 years old, you probably need to take at least two stops before your destination.

Plan out your stopover locations. One of the advantages of going on a road trip with kids is the freedom to plan your trip around sleep, meals and playtime. Added to that there is no waste of time waiting at airports, security check ins and limited baggage weight.

Two: Types of games to play
Kids can be easily distracted and at the same time they get bored very quickly too. Preparing a variety of games is not only necessary; it will keep the kids occupied and preserve your sanity. Two games we find interesting for most age groups are the A to Z game and name the number plates and states game.

Kids can work through from A to Z as they read billboards and road signs. Once a child finds A, he or she will move to the next letter until they work through all the letters. The one who finds them all is the winner.

Find out how many states are represented and how many vehicles have number plates from the same state as you drive along. For example if you find Nevada, write it down and check how many Nevada plates you found on the road.

Three: iPad, iPod and other portable devices
Our app culture has made it easy for parents to download all types of games and reading materials for kids of all ages on smartphones, iPads or iPods. These devices can even serve as a music device or for watching movies.

Four: Pack healthy snacks and drinks
Snacks with too much sugar may leave kids being hyper and too much salt in your snack will make them thirsty and wanting more drinks to quench their thirst. More liquid means more bathroom stops and will eventually make the road trip longer than expected.

Write down a list of healthy snacks and drinks to bring, pack them and have them stored in your vehicle with easy access when you are on the road. Stock up some healthy snacks like almonds, raisins, fresh fruits and a minimal amount of cookies. Water is the best thirst quencher when you are on the road.

Kids appreciate beautifully packaged snacks and surprises in little containers or bags.

Five: Meal stops
You will need to stop somewhere for a big meal like lunch or dinner. Include meal or restaurant stops in your itinerary. Use Travelmath’s halfway point calculator to help you figure out your restaurant stops. For a trip from Dallas to New Orleans, the halfway point is Alexandria, Lousiana. Our Google map will show you the halfway point and other cities along the route.  You may want to stop at Shreveport and savor a gourmet Louisiana lunch instead of going to Alexandria, Louisiana.

Find out more by reading about the towns along your route.

Remember to bring your camera to capture all the happy memories of your road trip with your kids.




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