I have fond memories of family road trips as a kid. My mom would pack great snacks, my dad would let my brother and I contribute to mixed tapes that always ended up being entertainingly eclectic (Dad: Neil Young, Me: Duran Duran, Brother: Alvin & the Chipmunks). I loved to read, so I would have a fresh stack of library books for the trip, and we would play games and actually look out the window at the scenery. We didn’t have DVD players or personal electronic devices…but what we did have was FUN.
So, I am a bit of a stickler about low-tech road trips with my children. No DVD players or personal electronic devices for them, either…lots of books, games, music and imagination. Believe it or not, it works. We have completed many road trips (some over 10+ hour stretches) in the past few years, and we not only managed to survive...we actually have had a blast, too!
11 Ideas for a Successful LOW TECH Road Trip with Kids!
- Notebook and pen: I hand each of my daughters a fresh notebook and pen and let them go to town. A 4-year old might draw pictures while a 7-year-old may surprise you by writing song lyrics or poems. There is endless potential!
- Something non-messy to draw on: Dry erase boards, Magnadoodles, Etch-a-Sketch. Anything that promotes creativity, is relatively easy to erase, and doesn’t involve crayons (which as you know, are road trip NO-NOs).
- Children’s magazines: My Children have a subscription to Highlights High Five Magazine, but we don’t always have a chance to read them. I stock up, and break them out on road trips. My older daughter can read the stories, and my younger loves to look for hidden pictures and “find what’s silly” pictures.
- Library books (or any “new to you” books): There’s nothing like a fresh stack of books on a trip. We pack some for each child to flip through, but also a few “read-aloud” books for the non-driving adult to read during the trip.
- Wipe-off activity cards: Here's an unsponsored plug: Usborne Travel Doodles cards saved our lives during a 2-hour delay on I-17 one summer. The kids were endlessly entertained by the mazes, games, and pictures on the cards. When we added Monster Doodles to the wipe off collection they were also a huge hit, requested over and over by our kids during our long trip. One tip-bring along extra dry-erase markers in case lids get lost and the originals dry out!
- Classic road trip games: Eye-Spy, the license plate game, the alphabet game, road-trip Bingo...the list goes on. There are printables and books available to help remind you of the rules to these tried-and-true games, but most are “no materials needed” activities that encourage everyone to look out the window and take in the scenery without Mom actually having to say, "Why don't you look at the scenery?"
- Music: Although not technically “low tech," road trip music is old-school, regardless of how you create your play list. Keep in mind, road trip music with kids doesn’t have to be all Disney soundtracks. A great playlist has a mix of children’s music that even adults like (our family loves the Sandra Boyton albums, and Sesame Street Old School makes everyone happy…”Ma Na Ma Nah”) AND grown-up music that kids like (our girls love rocking out to the White Stripes and chair-dancing to Prince).
- Audio Books: When night falls and the kids can’t see to read their own books, audio books are a great way to entertain everyone and allow the children’s imaginations to wander while they close their eyes and relax. One caveat: Some audio book narrators have soothing, mellow voices. If the driver starts to get a little sleepy, it’s time to turn the White Stripes back on!
- Snacks: What’s a road trip without snacks? Because it’s likely we’ll be eating less-than-healthy food on our vacation, I try to pack fun but healthful snacks for the trip. Fruit, nuts, individual baggies of popcorn (yes, your car will get messy) and string cheese are all good choices for my family. Everyone has a water bottle, but I also pack juice boxes for a special treat.
- Napping: Pack favorite snuggly toys, pillows and blankets so kids can get comfy-cozy and nod off during those really long stretches.
- Conversation: Sometimes there is no better situation than immobile children buckled into car seats to have some wonderful conversations with the kids. They are fascinating little people with lots of questions and ideas. In our hectic day-to-day lives we miss out on some of that, and if we fill the hours of a road-trip with electronics, we might miss out on that, too.
