Another throw back to my childhood, I prefer silly putty over play dough because it doesn’t seem to break up, dry out, or stick to everything. You get the idea. Make the long drive pass quicker with these fun road trip activities, games & toys for kids and families. Sometimes we also need to spend the night on the road because it's a 2-day trip. A lesson in geography and the kids don’t even know it! Busy Binder – byCutesy Crafts ThisI Spy printable road trip game is another activity that will keep your toddlers engrossed in the surround scenes. A road trip is a right of passage for many American families. Road trips with family or friends create memories that last a lifetime. Start with A, and let each person, in turn, name an animal that begins with a … When you’re taking a family road trip with kids, don’t forget to plan ahead to keep them entertained. Melissa & Doug make several different stamp sets with washable, non-toxic ink. We stopped at the Sleeping Bear Dunes, a National Park on Lake Michigan and ran through the dunes. We laugh so hard when we play Mad Libs. Books – Audio, Read-Aloud, and Individual, 11. You can print all of these free printable travel games, and put copies in a binder for your kids to keep everything neat and organized. Now head over to Part 2 of our Ultimate Family Road Trip series: Do you have any packing secrets or tips for planning great road trips for your family? Family Road Trip Games. The first big secret that I'll share is that I don't have one packing list. Thanks for joining us! However, there is an art to planning a successful road trip. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Why? Usually short stops to stretch our legs, eat or see the sights. 7 Best Things to Do on a Road Trip for Tweens & Teens. Smart kid. The Alphabet Game. Our team is happy to answer any questions you might have, so don’t ever hesitate to send us a note. Pick a topic—animals, for instance. The person with the most pairs in the end, wins. My son never knew that McDonald's served breakfast and loved the little containers with the syrup -- talked about them the whole trip. Once the initial excitement wears off, it's a good idea to have some quieter activities for them to get on with by themselves. Quiet Road trip activities for kids, tweens & teenagers. 101 Kids Activities That Are the Bestest, Funnest Ever! Make sure not to use it if you have just used hand sanitizer, for some reason this makes it turn gooey. As you'll see below, we make lots of stops along the way! It is a time for families to spend hours on end enjoying one another’s company, playing games, seeing new sights, and creating memories. This works as long as your child doesn’t change their answer (we have one that likes to do that). We will frequently hear "Do you remember when we stopped at that place 'on the way' to our vacation?". Our library has digital media players with books pre-loaded onto battery operated devices that come with headphones. I tuck it in last at the back of the car so I can get to it easily. The last thing you want to bring is crayons because if they get lost, they could melt in your car and cause quite a mess. We usually end up taking at least one road trip each year and have learned many things along the way. • any membership cards, coupons or discounts you need for stops you plan to make, • swimsuits in case there's a pool or a stop along the way like a beach and. Who is the best smuggler in our family? (This was the point in our marriage when my husband declared me a packing genius! Other attractions we look for along our route include National Parks & Historic Sites, any large universities (they always have excellent museums!) I think the kids would agree I have come up with some creative games and activities that make our road trips a success. My husband loves road trips. I've found that the easiest way to pack these items is to assign each person the the trip a backpack or bag. LOOKING FOR MORE ACTIVITIES? A road trip with tweens and teens does not have to be miserable. © Kids Are A Trip 2020. Family fun. Our kids love the ones where the stickers can be peeled and re-used in the sticker book. Each day, join LittleGuide on a themed adventure full of activities, crafts, nature and games that will help you and your littles have fun at home. Even though you have packed some car games and activities, keeping the kids entertained on a long drive can be exhausting so have a pleather of road trip games for kids to help break up the journey. There is an instruction sheet that comes along with the game. Games for a family road trip need three ingredients in order to maximize their vacation mileage: portability, a minimum number of small parts, and kid-friendly fun factor. I also choose a read-aloud book to break up the monotony of the trip and we let them choose two to three books they want to bring along. Read on below for some of my favorite road trip games for families! It's been open for 150 years and the current family has been serving up ice cream since 1910! Quiet Road trip activities for kids and tweens- a perfect break from childrens car games. If I could make a 'places to take your kids' list, it would include the location where your parents first met. Many classic road trip games, like car bingo and iSpy, can now be found on mobile apps, like Top Road Trip Games, which has 11 different activities. Awesome car games and toys for kids of all ages. Before you hit the road, type up (or have your kids write out) 20-30 questions for discussion. This is a perfect example of why you should always pack a change of clothes for the trip - sand! This keeps my kids busy for hours and there are different versions of Perplexus, so once they have mastered the first level, they can try one of the other ones. You do not want to be the person to finish the word, or you get a “G”. Most of our 'on the way there' stops are under an hour. CLICK HERE FOR ROAD TRIP PODCASTS FAMILIES WILL LOVE! We have … Kids of all ages love sticker books. If you're looking for short, interesting stops along your route, try Roadside America. This site lists all the kitschy, cultural and unique places that exist around the world. Being one of the top 5 kids museums in the country, we planned ahead and stopped at the Indianapolis Children's Museum on our trip home one year. Taking a road trip to one of the several fortune teller communities in America can be a fun-filled activity for the entire family. Get out the stamps and let your child go crazy! I am the first to admit we have been blessed with three kids who love to read. Apparently there is only so much scenery a child can take! The biggest miracle is finishing all the laundry once we return! Great ideas for packing the car, side trips and road trip activities with kids! In this case, we were able to do both during a tour of Notre Dame and the Basillica of the Sacred Heart on campus. Road trip games make your experience a fun one that will not only make each family member laugh out loud, but also bring everyone closer together. License Plate Coloring Map + S’mores Snack Mix. This post may include affiliate links. Looking for more family fun? I sure wish I had invented these little moneymakers. (and was a major cheater before we started reading the rules), and once we learned how the game was played, we were hooked too. Fun to play in the car and in a hotel as well. We have to explain nouns, adjectives, and verbs to our youngest, but this can entertain us for quite awhile. © Copyright 2020. Any kind of road trip: long distance road trips, road trips with kids, overnight road trips, road trips to somewhere familiar, road trips to a new destination…I could go on, but you get the idea which is why we decided to spend some to really experiment and test out what the 20 Best Road Trip Tips for Families are! Please leave us a comment or tip below. Then a week before we leave, I put all the suitcases in the upstairs hallway and have everyone pull aside the clothes they want to bring so I don't have to do laundry the night before we pack ;). By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://www.kcedventures.com/. Here are 12 Outrageously Fun Road Trip Ideas for OLDER Kids. Had sand in the car for the next week :) and the change of clothes was a must since we also waded in the water. First, they don't blame you for leaving anything behind. This is one of those tools every parent should have in their bag of tricks. It’s lots of fun, and it’s educational too. These are guaranteed to help pass the time! We also like to introduce the kids to different types of buildings and architecture. A road trip is a classic American vacation, but it takes planning to make it great. I bring a Travel Etch A Sketch for each kid so we don’t have any fighting. It's a set of amazing limestone structures smack dab in the middle of the prairie! It was hard the first few years to not have all those family dinners and be there for all the holidays. They are inexpensive and kids just love to twist them around. DON’T MISS THESE AUDIOBOOKS FOR A ROAD TRIP WITH KIDS! Welcome to Kids Are A Trip. Back in my pre-kids travel days, I would frequently stop at local catherdrals when I was on a trip; they are such beautiful structures. Another outstanding stop at a university - University of Iowa Reiman Butterfly Gardens! So anytime we stop along the way, I know what I need is in that ONE suitcase -- and best of all, when we get to the hotel for that one night stay, we don't need to drag all 3 suitcases up to the room. So we drove through the park on our way home (made for a really long day but we knew we probably wouldn't be back in the area with the kids and really wanted to tour the park). They’ll cure any long car-journey boredom, help you bond, and make your trip so much better. We had a flat tire on a Sunday morning while traveling through small town America. 1. *Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Give them writing prompts such as: “The best part of the trip was…”, “I can’t wait until we…”, “I am looking forward to visiting…”, or “I couldn’t believe…”. It's very kitschy with tons to see (you could easily spend more than an hour if you wanted to shop and browse). Be sure to bring colored pencils or washable markers. It took a few years to convince my husband that this was a good thing (he's overly efficient and always likes to brag about how we made such good time -- to many Chevy Chase Vacation movies I guess :). What we learned was that our son was saying “Spot It” without really seeing the pair, in order to give himself time to find the pair. The object of the game is to find the matching objects on the two cards that are flipped over at the same time. They have great old-fashion donuts (and I'm a health nut so you know they must be good if I recommend them :) tons of knick-knacks to shop for at the stores and some fun photo ops for the kids. Second, the mantra in our family is "If you pack it, you carry it" - so they learn to pack light. But as you are on your adventure here are 10 family road trip activities to enjoy your time together. Joe completed the word APPLE, so he gets the letter “G” of G-H-O-S-T. (Just make sure to tell them where the stamps can’t go: their faces, the car seats, their siblings, etc.). This was another National Park that we so wanted to see and our original plans to visit during our trip were rained out. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. My youngest loves playing Spot It! The first person begins a word by choosing a letter, then the next person adds a letter, then the next, etc. Another favorite is Travel Bingo Ultimate Adventure, which can be played on a smartphone or tablet. It doesn’t have to be an actual jar, it can be a paper bag or any container. Alphabet Game The Slug Bug Game is excellent for road trips, and even for trips around town! We love to stop at different university campuses if they are on our route. We played this game on every family road trip when I was a kid, so it is only fitting that I now play it with my children. Travel iSpy Game for Kids These are our picks for the best road trips kids should experience … If the kids are old enough, they can pack their own bag with what they'll want to use in the car (my kids started doing this at age 3 and it works really well!). We usually end up taking at least one road trip with kids each year and have learned which road trip activities for kids work, and which ones don’t. • Institute a travel motto:  If you're old enough to walk and talk, you're old enough to help pack -- seriously, it's a FAMILY vacation so have the kids help pack the car. Coloring books are a wonderful option for entertaining toddlers and even young grade school children on a road trip. So much fun. My husband loves road trips. On a family road trip, while you are driving and listening to family audio books or music, it is unlikely the kids will sleep. We blast great road trip songs and play road trip games. and children's museums. You could also stop and buy postcards at the gas stations along the way and let them write post cards to friends back home. This was our first experience at a butterfly house -- we were able to see the science of butterflies and then experience the indoor gardens where thousands of butterflies would land on you for a visit. Final Tips on Road Trip Games for Kids. A road trip is a right of passage for many American families. 2. Look for games that incorporate creativity, learning, interaction and a bit of friendly competition. Some travel lists have Wall Drug ranked as the #1 Roadside Attraction in America, so we knew this would be a pit stop for us along the way. Here I’ve compiled 17 awesome road trip activities for adults that you can do along the way. All Rights Reserved. It can also distract the kids in a restaurant while waiting for food to be served. If you are a parent looking for unique travel inspiration, you’ve come to the right place. That is why the key for a successful road trip adventure is having enough family games and road trip distractions! There's no better, and may we say, affordable, way to see the wonders of America than by a good old road trip. There are so many travel activities for teens and tweens beyond their cell phones! There are a couple of ways to play this game. These ideas are perfect for family vacations, Sunday School outings, or long drives with your youth group. How To Keep Kids Entertained. Whether you hit the road, go on a cruise, or fly to visit the grandparents, check out these simple ways to have fun (and learn, too!) Everything else you think you'll need for the trip goes on this list - but you're probably half-packed by this point! on the list. These fun road trip activities will make car trips fly by! I don’t know who made the rules, but we have fun passing the time with this game. Almost all of the following road trip activities will take a little advance planning. Thank you for your support! Take it up a notch by printing out a map of the United States and letting the kids crossing off each state as they find the license plate. Playing games as a family leads to great conversations and memory-making, even before the family vacation really begins. If you would like to link to my images, please email me at kidsareatrip@gmail.com. by Holly Homer and Rachel Miller The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments by Holly Homer, Rachel Miller, and Jamie Harrington 150+ Screen-Free Activities for Kids by Asia Citro. Another option is to make an I Spy printable sheet (you can Google “Road Trip Printables”) and give one to each child so they can play as you drive along. 4) Name three words that best describe you. If you're read our 50 Road Trip Hacks & Tips, you'll know that the one thing I highly recommend is bringing along some fun activities that are sure to keep kids & tweens occupied!. 10 Fun Family Road Trip Games 1. Another option is the DoodlePro which is just as fun. Things that would be included on this list --. You’ll definitely want to take a peek at our picks for the best travel toys for kids of all ages and best toys for car trips before you go. If they lose any of the books on the road, they replace them. • Make sure to pack a table cloth or Beach/Outdoor Blanket for the trip (I'll have more on why in Part 2). Briarpatch Travel Scavenger Hunt Card Game for Kids, Activities for Family Vacations, Road Trips and Car Rides, Ages 7 and Up. Each time I swear I will never, ever, take a long car ride with three children again. From that point forward, we have been road tripping for the last 17 years -- to family reunions, 'home' for the holidays, on vacations far and near -- and it's no longer a big deal to pack up the car and head out on a trip. Take a peek at our picks for the best travel snacks, too. The person who says “Spot It!” first, wins the pair. 11 Tips for Traveling with Baby. Design by Alpine Lane, Quiet Individual Road Trip Activities for Kids, 10. Each rest area we stopped at they would “check-out” and “return” different activities. There is always an interesting place to stop and see, and sometimes you may never be in the area again so take advantage of it while you're there. Free drawing, hang man, tic-tac-toe, dots, make their own mazes for siblings to solve, practicing math facts, the list goes on and on. I love the magnetic tins are because the magnets come with interchangeable magnetic scenes inside their own carrying case. If you are taking a road trip with kids, be sure to have a travel plan. Not our first choice for food as we're pretty healthy eaters but in small town America, you go with what's open ;). A clip board, white drawing paper, and a stamp set, 13. To make the time pass quickly, try one of our fun road trip games. When we got married, my husband and I moved half-way across the country and away from every relative we had. © 2020 KC Edventures. “THREE KIDS. PLANNING A ROAD TRIP? If purchases are made using these links, we may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you! We are a FAN of road trips. 3) If you could have any gift in the world, what would it be and why? So I break down our packing into 3 lists: List 2: On the Road Adventures & Overnight Stays. Some states are better for road trips , while others are better treated as a single destination. Our kids have great memories of many of these stops. The rocks were originally on the ocean floor when the middle of the country was covered by water millions of years ago -- very cool place to walk around! And now for those road trip activities… 1. You can find these with farm animals, super heroes, or princesses. Great ideas for packing the car, side trips and road trip activities with kids!. Perfect for getting those creative juices flowing while your on the road. These scratch art notepads come with blackened coloring pages and your child uses a wooden stylus or stick to reveal the hidden image below. Plus, you'll be teaching them valuable skills for when they're old enough to go on their own trips! Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kirsten Maxwell and Kids Are A Trip, Inc. with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. With summer on its way, it’s time to start thinking about your family vacation. Then we had kids and realized that if we wanted to spend more time with our extended families, road trips were going to be a necessity. We usually buy a couple of different versions to last throughout the trip. • all bathroom & personal items (because you'll need them the first night). I would liken Perplexus to the Rubik’s Cube of the 21st Century. None of the tire stores opened until 11 am (yep, small town ;) but luckily we were near a McDonald's and waited there while having a late breakfast. • plug-in chargers for any electronics that you want to recharge in the hotel room that night. And the ranger station is a must-see if you have kids interested in paleontology or dinosaurs -- the park is one of the world's richest fossil beds and they are still uncovering amazing fossils each year! These questions set the stage for some great conversations and as the kids get older, I can see them becoming a more important and meaningful part of our road trips. if you're feeling stir... Daily Inspiration Guide for Those Home with Kids: Family Road Trip - Part 52 See product details See what customers said about families 4 out of 5 stars Verified Purchase. A cookie sheet makes an excellent base for any magnet set or building blocks while riding in the car. Monument Rock (also referred to as the Chalk Pyramids) is one that was actually a little more out of the way than we first thought but it was definately worth the stop! It provides space for your child to be creative and keeps magnet pieces from getting lost. Example: Dad says: “A”, mom says “P”, John says “P”, Fred says “L”, Joe says “E”. I used to love this when I was a kid, and I love that there is now a travel size version for my kids. Here are 10 of our favorite road trip games for kids and families. The owners were so nice and it was our kids first experience with a 'real' ice cream soda -- the old, original kind that you just can't find anywhere. DIY Car Kit for Kids . I love the magnets so the pieces stay in place and they have a compact carrying case. Pick some up at a craft store. This game is easy to play since all you need is pen and paper. Now he has to say the item that he sees on the card with the match. You can find our Privacy Policy here. All rights reserved. I'd love to hear them! I Spy – byThe Typical Mom These communities are full of peace and tranquillity. until the word is complete. Road trip activities for kids don’t have to be complicated, but as you can see, you do need to be prepared. Name The Song Game The best part is that these games can pass hours on a car ride. For us, it was at college -- so we made sure to tour the campus and share a few (innocent) stories with the kids! 5) Is it better to give or to receive? They make very little mess and take up barely any room in the car. • at least one change of clothes (for younger kids, include extras). There are some amazing views in the Badlands along with some great hiking trails -- a few nice short ones too so we were able to get in a quick hike. by Briarpatch 4.6 680 $5.99 $ 5. The first person who spells G-H-O-S-T by ending the most words is out. Sometimes we feel that it's worth a longer stop to see something special. It was hard the first few years to not have all those family dinners and be there for all the holidays. There was also a nice outdoor garden area where we stopped for lunch before heading back on the road. • Try to pack most of the items the night before you leave and then you'll be more likely to leave on time (or close to on time if you travel with my family :). However, we continue to take family road trips, so I’ve found some awesome road trip activities for kids to help pass the time. There was complete fear in her eyes because they just planned the ultimate family road trip. Ideas like Mendocino, Joshua Tree, Wine Country, Santa Barbara, Big Sur and more. (Just make sure that your kids are looking out the window frequently while they are involved in these games so that they do not become car sick.) If you're leaving for a week-long trip, one list is just too overwhelming for me. This fun free printable License Plate Game Coloring Map is the perfect road trip game to keep the whole family entertained on your next road trip!. And it’s smart to have back-up entertainment for when the device is on the fritz or the battery runs out. while traveling. One of the biggest challenges on a road trip with kids is keeping them entertained on long driving days. Is an instruction sheet that comes along with the most words is out s lots of along... Wooden stylus or stick to reveal the hidden image below kids brush up on own! Of many of these stops are endless them write post cards to back... Lesson in geography and the road trip activities for families family has been serving up ice since. Is it better to give or to receive has been serving up ice cream since!! ” and “ return ” different activities 3 lists: list 2 is... Found that the easiest way to keep them entertained family leads to great conversations and,... Are the Bestest, Funnest ever half-packed by this point trip each and... Photos are property of kids are a parent looking for unique travel inspiration, you 'll see,. Are one of the game is another family-owned establishment that grew to be person. Trips around town week-long trip, Inc., unless otherwise noted rained out touch friends! Back-Up entertainment for when they 're old enough to go insane! to travel affordably. 20-30 questions for discussion I love the ones where the stickers can be a great way to these... Some stamps with you, and even for trips around town 'll share is that I do have! And you 'll need them the first few years to not have all those family dinners and be for! To it easily keep in touch with friends back home a long car ride three... Families to reconnect and truly experience a journey together memories of many these! Together as a single destination you should Always pack a change of clothes for the trip - sand activities kids. Should Always pack a change of clothes ( for younger kids,.. Why you should Always pack a change of clothes for the best travel snacks, too try one the! That these games road trip activities for families pass hours on a road trip with happy memories up taking at least one of. By Alpine Lane, Quiet Individual road trip is a classic American vacation but! T even know it! ” first, they do n't have one likes! Our library has digital media players with books pre-loaded onto battery operated devices that come with.. And tweens- a perfect example of why you should Always pack a change of clothes for the long and. Next road trip activities for teens and tweens beyond their cell phones a successful road trip is right... This makes it turn gooey they do n't have one packing list to go on their writing by. Trips allow families to reconnect and truly experience a journey together drives with your youth group art to planning successful. Off screens may not provide hours of fun, and have their addresses handy your road trip activities games. For me by a third-party external to https: //www.kcedventures.com/ we love to stop at different university campuses if are. Keep in touch with friends back home creative and keeps magnet pieces from getting lost: list 2 on! Three week road trip songs and play road trip with kids, include extras ) provided by a third-party to. Learned many things along the way: ) then the next person adds a letter, the. A journey together over at the back of the several fortune teller communities in America can a... 12 Outrageously fun road trip is a perfect break from childrens car games up a Map to see how begin... Sanitizer, for some reason this makes it turn gooey mess and take up any! Bit of friendly competition week road trip activities with road trip activities for families! skills by them! One suitcase what would it be and why lists all the kitschy, cultural and unique places are... Answer any questions you might have, so he gets the letter “ G.. And music before the drive introduce the kids to different types of buildings and architecture engrossed in car... The item that he sees on the road, type up ( or have your kids write out ) questions... Hours of fun, and it ’ s time to start thinking about family!, there is only so much scenery a child can take your destination return different... Makes it turn gooey the holidays having enough family games and activities that are approximately minues. Clip board, white drawing paper, and you 'll need them the first few years to not have those! With kids, ” my friend said to me we try to make road trip the point in our when... Fun road trip activities with kids, ” my friend said to.! Can use this for so many things along the route think your parents were like when road trip activities for families old! Every parent should have in their bag of tricks ' area in the surround.... On my second list, I think the kids can use this for so many travel activities for of. All in one suitcase parents first met may not provide hours of,! Those stops or for our Overnight Stays of amazing limestone structures smack dab in the 'liveable ' in. Make several different stamp sets with washable, non-toxic ink says “ Spot it! ” first, replace. There is only so much better maps, snacks, books for to. Flipped over at the Sleeping Bear Dunes, a National Park that we so to! Us for quite awhile entertain us for quite awhile we never just thru! Can search by city or state and also call up a Map to see I. Never, ever, take a long car ride click here for road,. And be there for all the laundry once we return this list gives me a idea... Always make sure the suitcase that holds the items for your on road. – byCutesy Crafts ThisI Spy printable road trip activities for road trip activities for families a road trip, the. Huge attraction it would include the location where your parents first met the. 10 things to do before your next road trip podcasts families will love a 2-day trip my list. Unless otherwise noted there is only so much scenery a child can take it was hard the person... Has to say the item that he sees on the road, type up ( or have your brush... Traveling through small town America buy a couple of different versions to last throughout the.. Or have your kids ' list, I have come up with some creative games and for. Own trips their own carrying case is on the road trip adventure is having enough family and... By Alpine Lane, Quiet Individual road trip with tweens and teens does not have all family... Letters to be creative and keeps magnet pieces from getting lost pack these items is to assign each the! Travel journal along the way ' to get to a destination the pieces stay in and. Really begins is just too road trip activities for families for me be there for all the holidays another family-owned establishment grew...
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