When you are on a long road trip with preschoolers, things can get a little noisy. After hearing "are we there yet?" thirteen times in two miles, you might begin to wish you and your kids had just stayed home.
But, weary traveling parent, relax. There is hope. A little bit of planning is all it takes to make your next road trip a more enjoyable one.
It can be as simple as providing some entertainment. A bored child is a cranky, difficult child. Ask each child to choose three to five toys to bring with them. If you make the children a part of the planning process then they are more likely to choose something that they will enjoy.
Don't just let the kids choose everything, pack in a few surprises that you know the kids will love to mix things up a bit. The element of surprise will always help to break the monotony of a long road trip. One great idea is window markers that lets the children draw on the windows and is easily washed off. Coloring books, crayons and pocket games will also help.
When the toys and games from home lose their ability to entertain, turn to fun and interesting road games. Road games such as counting the number of blue cars or finding out of state travelers by their license plates. Older kids will have fun counting how many license plates have the letter "C" or the number 4. Try the round robin style of telling stories. The story starts with one sentence from one person who passes it on. The next person continues the story, and then passes to the next.
It's inevitable, one hundred miles from nowhere your child will pipe out with, "Mommy, I'm hungry." And, we all know, a hungry preschooler is a whiny, unhappy preschooler. Be prepared for middle of nowhere snack requests with fun, easy to eat snacks prepared and waiting in a cooler. Keep it healthy with fruit, peanut butter, sticks of vegetables such as carrots and celery. Cut some sandwiches into fun shapes. Soft drinks and other sugary beverages should be avoided as these will just make the children hyper and restless. Sitting in a car gives them no way to burn all that excess energy off. If you supply fruit juice make sure you don't do it in a juice box or pouch. One squeeze and the enjoyment of the rest of your trip will be jeopardized when that juice sprays all over the car.
Road trips with your preschooler can be a fun chance to learn about and with each other.
If you'd like more information on traveling with kids and camping in general check out the author's website at pop up travel cot.
If you're traveling in Colorado and prefer to stay indoors then visit Grand Junction Hotels for a great alternative to outdoor camping.
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