Making a long trip in the car with children can be a challenge. However, if you grab a bag and pack a drawing tablet, crayons, an Etch-a-Sketch, and Play Dough and one old sheet cake pan for each child to use as a makeshift desk will work well to stimulate their imagination. Encourage them to draw or build something that caught their attention along your journey to spark their creativity.
Try to play a game with your small children with "what if" questions to develop a continuing story. For example, "what if" you were famous what would you want to do? The next child has to jump in, "I would be a dancer. Another in the car would ask, "What if the dancer broke her leg and couldn't dance, what would she do? The plot line of the story can change in any direction.
Map out the trip with your children can be fun for them. Show them the distance and keep estimates along the route can help improve their mathematics as well.
Guidebooks are wonderful to read together with your children. Plan ahead of what you will pass on the road or once you arrive to your destination of what you want to see.
Pack some food for your trip to keep handy. Fruits, cooked chicken, sandwiches, cookies, drinks are important if you need to make time. Sometimes, you need to travel far and finding places to stop to eat or even rest stops can be hard to find.
Take care and have a wonderful Memorial Day. Please drive safely!
