Psyching Up for Summer

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

19 Mar 2006 09:34 PM

Summer time is rapidly approaching and for a lot of families that means road trips. Road trips are a time-honored tradition in my family. Every summer, my grandmother packed us into the car and we took off for parts known and unknown. Some of the best vacations were the ones that began with: "Where are we going?"

"Wherever the road takes us."

So if you're getting ready to head to the beach, to the mountains, to the National Forests or just to grandma's house - here's some road trip rules and tricks that worked when we were traveling. Make a list, mental or otherwise, and keep it for when you get ready to see some of those great outdoor areas you've wanted to take your kids to.

Passport on the Go

One of the greatest things about traveling is the place you go. Make a notebook for older kids to write down the things they notice about places they visit whether it's in different states or just different cities.

For younger kids, give them things to look for. For example, if you're driving through Texas - have them notice someone in a cowboy hat or a Don't Mess With Texas sign. Have them keep an eye out for horse trailers and other notables.

Add to their collections with small items from different stops. They can pick up post cards and write notes down on them about where they got them. You can even use the postcards to make a map on something tracking their vacation.

Pack Travel Goodies

Travel goodies saved my life on many a road trip. Handheld games are very popular now, but coloring books, puzzles and mentally stimulating material can help the hours speed by. My daughter keeps a clipboard and pencils in the pocket of the car to draw whenever she wants to when we're traveling. At the age of five, she'll draw pictures of our vacation and keep them stacked together so we can make our own storybook when we get home.

There's nothing worse to deal with on a trip than an unhappy child who is stuck in a car. Make the car trip as much fun as the destination - that way when you get to the Grand Canyon, Disney Land, Sea World or the beach - you get to arrive and not just escape the car.

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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