I am sharing our travel tips as part of a sponsored post with SocialStars and GOLDFISH® crackers. #GoldfishCrowd
The holidays are quickly creeping up on us, and for many families that means travel. We mostly keep our celebrations local, but we still end up making the rounds between families during the holiday season, and it’s something that can be a little stressful. My kids get antsy on long car rides, but over the years I have come up with a few tips and tricks to help make the drive easier on the whole family.
Take Breaks
Adults can sit for long car rides without having to stretch our legs or go to the bathroom much. But kids? That’s a lot to ask of them. It depends on how long your ride is, but for us, every two hours seems to be the magic number. It doesn’t have to be a long break, just enough to walk for a minute and use the facilities if need be.
Entertainment
I’m not one to suggest TV as an activity for children, but when they are stuck in the car for a couple of hours and there is nothing to do, then having a new movie or their favorite show loaded up on a tablet is a smart option. Each of my kids has their own tablet filled with educational apps, but they also have Netflix installed and ready to go for when we need it. We had a 9 hour drive to Disney World back in July, and before we went I downloaded a few movies on my big tablet so that when they got particularly fussy and tired of sitting still, I strapped it up between the front seats and it instantly diverted their attention. They got to watch a cute movie, and my husband and I got an hour of fuss free driving! As long as you use it sparingly you will be just fine.
Snacks!
Snacks are pretty much a necessity for our trips. I can’t tell you how many times we have been driving down the road, not a convenience store in sight, and one of the kids freaks out because they are hungry.
Snacks should be accessible, and packing them saves time and money. At home, snacks are usually fruit or yogurt, but in the car I need something that isn’t going to spoil or make a big mess, so I like to pack Goldfish® crackers because my kids absolutely love them. Plus the seasonal crackers look totally adorable! I like to pack them up in a “travel kit” that has a few items like a coloring book and a handheld game, and when the urge strikes I just pull it out. Smart, eh?
Games
So remember those Goldfish crackers I just talked about packing? Well, they are great for car games too! Our favorite travel game to play is BINGO, and all it takes is this free printable and some Goldfish crackers, because they aren’t just good to eat – they are great to play with too!
Print out onto cardstock, and laminate them with a sheet of self adhesive laminating paper (found at any office supply or craft store for less than $5 a pack). You will obviously need some sort of support so you can pack a sheet of cardboard or even a clipboard. Use the Goldfish crackers for Bingo pieces, and you’ve got a fun car ride! Once you reach your destination, the kids might not be so grumpy and that’s good enough for me!
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