Road trips are a fantastic way to spend quality time with the ones nearest and dearest to you. Nonetheless, when considering a road trip, you shouldn’t only ensure your vehicle is in good running condition but also that you are prepared for the long hours you’ll be “cooped up” in your car, especially if you have little ones! In order to make your road trips pleasant and with as few nerve-racking incidents as possible, you need to PLAN & ORGANIZE activities.
Limit the Use of Electronic Devices
If you are like most parents, you probably design your road trips to be a little educational and as a way to get closer to your children whom you normally see only a few hours a day. Unfortunately, the easiest way to keep children entertained is handing them electronic devices like tablets, smartphones or handheld video games. However, you need to minimize their use if you want to get the most out of your time with your children.
Organize Classic Car Games
Road Trip Bingo is an easy and fun way to keep children aware of what is happening around them. You can download free bingo cards and turn common objects like road signs, types of vehicles, buildings or animals into an interactive and competitive game.
Car Counting, in which the first person to spot a specific number of a certain type of vehicle wins – with the little ones this can help them practise their colours and counting skills. Also, with older children, you can play License Plate games, such as identifying the most provinces or states or making up words with the letters on license plates. These games can be educational as well as fun since you can share information with your children about different places in Canada and the US and of course, they can practise their spelling and Scrabble skills.
The classic Two Truths and a Lie game is also great fun, creative and can be educational as well. All you need to do is make three statements, one of which is a lie. Then, the other players must identify the lie. This game can cover many educational topics as well as fun facts about you and your family!
Make Frequent and Brief Stops
Long car trips can be exhausting for both the driver and passengers. So planning your pit stops before you start your road trip can not only help you stretch your legs but can also be entertaining and educational. But that’s not to say, you shouldn’t make spontaneous or unplanned stops since you will likely encounter interesting sights or places along the way that could be worthwhile visiting.
These are just some tips to help you enjoy your road trips and get the most out of your time with your loved ones. Don’t forget to pack some healthy (and not so healthy) snacks and drinks to satisfy those road trip munchies! Please, keep in mind that road trips are meant to be fun but drive safely and have your car inspected and serviced by experts, like Norlang Auto, at regular intervals to avoid any unfortunate break downs.