We have all been there before. It’s time to hit the road, the family loads into the car and before you are out of the neighborhood you hear, “Mom, are we almost there? Dad, how much longer?” Taking a summer road trip with children can sometimes be a little nerve racking, especially if you have young children. However, according to Dr. Mary Zurn, vice president of education at Primrose Schools, a little pre-planning can help take the anxiety out of summer travel and also make “getting there” more fun…for everyone!
Start planning ahead. Begin your preparations at least one week before the departure day. You can easily build excitement and anticipation with a countdown calendar. Think of ways to involve your child in helping you get ready. From enlisting help with packing to tracing the travel route on a map and researching your destination on the internet – it’s important to familiarize your child with the details of the trip in advance. This gives your child a greater sense of control and will make her more comfortable. Having an idea of what to expect will increase her enjoyment of the whole experience.
Take a trip to the library. Take a family trip to the library and see what books you can find on CD. Traveling is the perfect time to build listening skills. It will give you all an opportunity to build pictures in your mind as you listen to a story. If you can’t find the following books on CD, you can still check them out and record them for the trip. If your child can look at a book without getting car sick, take the books along too.
Here are some suggestions:
Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe by Vera B. Williams
Judy Moody and the Not So Bummer Summer by Megan McDonald
Punctuation Takes a Vacation by Robin Pulver
Arthur’s Family Vacation by Marc Brown
Clifford Takes a Trip by Norman Bridwell
Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan
Corduroy Goes to the Beach by Don Freeman
Fun Dog, Sun Dog by Deborah Heligiman
Five Little Sharks Swimming in the Sea by Steve Metzger
Swimsuit by Kit Allen
Fill a small tote with travel surprises. Fill a tote with stickers, a deck of cards, a pack of crayons, coloring activity books and other travel friendly toys and games. If possible, include items that are new or perhaps your child has forgotten about. It will help make your bag of “tricks” a little more exciting!
Pace yourself. Don’t try to do too much in a day. Tired children are not happy or easily entertained. Remember, we all have our limits. If you are taking a long road trip, research family-friendly sites along the way.
Stop as frequently as possible. Take a break from the driving as often as you can at rest stops. Even though you want to get to your destination, stopping to stretch, move around and use the restroom will help you arrive in a better state. When you stop for lunch, consider choosing a restaurant with an outdoor space or playground so your children can burn off some energy.
Create a Trip Scrapbook: A creative way to capture this special time is to save items from the trip – ticket stubs, postcards, bumper stickers and brochures–and put them in a scrap book along the way. Your family will be able to relive the trip and shared memories for years to come. All you need for this project is a spiral notebook and a glue stick. Encourage everyone in the family to draw pictures of favorite activities. This is also a great opportunity to build storytelling skills!
Go on a Scavenger Hunt: Make a list of common sites you might see from your car—a yellow house, a cow, a purple car, etc. and go on a scavenger hunt. You can also have an alphabet scavenger hunt by looking for the letters in the alphabet from A – Z on billboards, signs and license tags. This is a great way to pass the time and keeps the children looking out the windows which can also counteract motion sickness.
Sing songs. Take your family’s favorite CDs or music on your iPad along with you. Include some of your own music along with children’s songs and/or travel songs. The variety of the songs and singing together as a family will make the miles fly by.
Rhonda Blades is the owner of Primrose School at Holly Springs and Primrose School at West Lake.
