| Road Trip! Plan Fun, Pack Games, Leave Room for Sense of Humor |
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How do you keep things pleasurable for kids in the car on long road trips? (SHNS illustration by Penny Wolfe/The Commercial Appeal.)
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By Christine Arpe Gang
Scripps Howard News Service Are we there yet? That question has been on the lips of children ever since the first family set out on a vacation by car and continues as millions of Americans take to the roads this summer. "We're bullish on the summer travel season," said Gregg Laskoski, managing director of public relations for AAA Auto Club of the South. With gasoline prices dropping and financial markets predicted to rebound, Americans are starting to think about vacations, he said. "More people are coming into our branch offices to plot their trips," said Laskoski. There's little parents can do to guarantee that time in the car will be pleasurable, but there are many tips they can use to keep it from being a nightmare. It all begins with the plan. Depending on their ages, it's crucial to let children have input into choosing the vacation destination, travel experts say. "They'll make your life miserable if you don't," said Bobbie Gamble, travel counselor with AAA South Travel in Memphis, Tennessee. She suggests that parents present three acceptable and financially affordable options to discuss and then decide on one as a family. Next comes the actual trip planning -- what to do along the way and when you get there and where to stay. Just be careful not to over-plan. Adults tend to want to cram in as much sightseeing as possible, but children need free time to play." You need to remember a vacation isn't Marine boot camp, where you march kids from attraction to attraction," said Candyce Stapen, author of "National Geographic Guide to Family Adventure Vacations" and "National Geographic Guide to Caribbean Family Vacations." "If they are happy with the hands-on exhibits at a science museum, stay there and forget about the art museum you planned to visit," she said. Switch gears entirely if kids aren't enjoying visits to fabulous museums but are having a ball at a water park. Always remember that a vacation is about fun, not how much culture the family absorbed. Planning is advised for the hours spent in the car before you reach the destination. Entertaining kids can be done in high-tech, low-tech or a balance of both ways. Many families rely on the portable video and DVD players that plug into the cigarette lighter or are built-in systems in minivans and SUVs. "The video player and a couple of new tapes go a long way in keeping our kids occupied," said Barbara Williams, a Germantown, Tennessee, resident and mother of a 10-year-old daughter and 6-year old son. On the family's annual trips to Pittsburgh and Florida to visit their extended families, the children watch a 13-inch TV/video player that faces backward between the two front seats of their minivan. "We also stop a lot at rest stops so the kids can run around," said Williams. Prices of portable entertainment devices have gone down while convenience and portability features have increased. Slightly more expensive than portables are systems that plug into the existing car stereo. Built-in systems, which can add a couple of thousand dollars to the cost of a van, are being constantly upgraded. Chevrolet offers a multi-entertainment package in its fully loaded Venture mini van. It features an in-dash DVD player and TV tuner and two 7-inch screens and five wireless headphones. Passengers in the second row may view a television show while those in the third row watch a DVD movie or play with a game system. "The only thing it doesn't have is a bathroom," said Lea Counts, a new-car sales manager. If you don't own a van with an entertainment system, see about renting one for the trip. As tempting as it is to keep the kids wired to DVDs and videos for the entire trip, experts advise spending time without the headsets. "Parents need to take advantage of having the kids in the car without distractions," said Stapen, who thinks a little video is OK. "It's the perfect opportunity to engage in conversations. I usually start by telling stories of my childhood. It's a great way to bond as a family." Books on audiotape are another entertainment option, although finding titles that interest the entire family is a challenge. Boomkids.com produces a series of taped magazines aimed at children but appreciated by all ages. The Harry Potter books are now available on audiotape. Gorp.com, another great family travel Web site, recommends tapes by Robert Munsch and Bill Harley, two Canadian storytellers who entertain kids and adults with their yarns. One of the best things about traveling by car or minivan is there's usually room for much more stuff than when traveling by plane. Sue Strong of Memphis said a couple of portable games have worked through the years in keeping her two kids occupied. One has a checkerboard on one side and tick-tack-toe on the other. The playing pieces are stored inside. Handheld electronic games such as "GameBoys" are great for school-aged children. Also consider travel-size editions of other board games such as Scrabble. And don't forget books. "At night our kids wrap those snake flashlights around their necks and aim the beam at their books," Strong said. Children prone to carsickness should not read or work puzzles in books while the car is moving. Also bring along game and puzzle books with connect-the-dots and other puzzles, playing cards, rubber stamps and simple craft items such as sweetened cereal rings and string licorice for making an edible necklace. Gorp.com suggests the "Highlights Which Way USA" series, which has a puzzle book, map and facts about each state, as well as the Amazing Game Board Book, published by KIDS, and the Amazing Back Seat Booka-Ma-Thing: Thousands of Miles Worth of Hands-On Games and Activities. Older kids can follow the trip by using a light-colored marker and map. Then they will know exactly how far it is to the destination without asking their parents. Some families designate a navigator for a morning, afternoon or whole day, depending on the number of children and length of the car trip. The absolute best thing to bring along? "A sense of humor," Stapen said. "Traffic gets backed up, cars break down and kids spit up. These things will happen and the best thing to do is make a joke out of it. Kids will take their cues from their parents." And remember, the best and worst things that happen on family vacations are the impetus for our most lasting memories. (E-mail Christine Gang at gant@gomemphis.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com.)
RESOURCES :
The Amazing Backseat Booka-Ma-Thing: Thousands of Miles Worth of Hands-On Games and Activities
Model: 1570541698
Author: Kevin Plottner, Editor and editors of Klutz
(June 1998)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Klutz Press/Nelvana Communications, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone: 323-549-4222
Fax: 323-549-4232
The Amazing Game Board Book
Model: 1584760206
Author: Shereen Gertel Rutman
(April 2002)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
innovative KIDS
Norwalk, CT 06854
Phone: 203-838-6400
Fax: 203-855-5582
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