Travel Tips for Teens and Their Families

With a little preparation, you can keep road trip tension at a minimum. Keep kids happy and occupied with these suggestions.

Play Travel Games

To break up the monotony of a long road trip, try some simple travel games. They’re easy, fun, and promote family interaction.

Stretch Your Legs

Kids need regular stops to get out, walk around, and get a change of scenery. Don't let your eagerness to arrive at your destination keep you from frequenting the rest stops as needed.

Stock up on Snack Selections

A small cooler filled with water or fruit juice, along with a selection of healthy snacks, can help prevent filling up on expensive junk food at the rest stops. Avoid soda, sweets and salty snacks; instead, lencourage kids to eat healthy by helping them choose an interesting variety of snacks such as fruit, crackers, cheese, and granola bars.

Let Kids Plan the Trip Itinerary

Armed with a map and a few travel books, kids can get to work mapping out routes, hotels, restaurants, attractions, and other points of interest. Give them the task of locating something specific, such as a place to stop for lunch or a rest stop. Show them how to calculate travel distances, arrival times, and miles to the gallon.

Provide Reading Materials

For avid readers immune to carsickness, a small stack of books can occupy for hours. Try a novel or two, some magazines, and maybe a book of crosswords or Sudoku to keep your teen’s mind active.

Start a Travel Journal

Kids might enjoy keeping a log of where you go, what you see, and their reactions. The act of writing it down might encourage them to notice more than they otherwise would. Later they can add in pictures and other souvenirs.

Try a Scavenger Hunt

Identify a slightly uncommon yet perfectly plausible item you might encounter on a road trip and try to be the first person to spot it. Some suggestions: a red truck, a dog riding in a car, a woman driving a car with a hat on, a billboard with blue letters. First person to identify the target item gets to choose the next one.

Games and Music

Electronic gadgets that are small, portable, and offer hours of entertainment are ideal for long road trips. Kids can tune out to their ipod or play a few games to pass the time. At the very least, let them choose the radio station for part of the ride, or have them bring along their favorite mx CD and teach you the words.

With some planning and creativity, a long road trip can be a fun and memorable part of your vacation for all the members of your family.

On the Road

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