| You are packed and your RV is on the launch-pad | | | | So now let's look at keeping the kids occupied: |
| and ready to roll. You've booked the reservation and | | | | 1. First the obvious. Have an on-board DVD player for |
| you're excited to experience the new travel | | | | the kids to watch movies. Most vehicles have them |
| destination you read so much about in the travel | | | | built-in these days but if you don't have one, buy a |
| directory. Your ready for the open road. Hold on a | | | | portable DVD player with a cigarette lighter adaptor. |
| minute - what about the kids. Unless you raised an | | | | And have a selection of movies on hand so each kid |
| robot you know they can't sit still for hours on end. | | | | has his/her favorite available. |
| So what do you do to keep the kids occupied while | | | | 2. If you are open to this, let them use video games. |
| you tool down the road. What follows are some | | | | You can possibly buy one of the educational systems |
| hard-learned, and not so hard-learned, rules of the | | | | like LeapFrog |
| road on traveling with kids. | | | | 3.Organize craft projects for the kids to do on the |
| First some basic travel planning will go a very long | | | | road. This can be done safely by having a small |
| way in making the drive time much less stressful: | | | | portable table for each kid (there are a number of |
| 1. Learn about your travel route as much as possible. | | | | them available. Do a Google search for "kids travel |
| Look through the route in a road atlas if you have | | | | table."). |
| one. A GPS is also a great travel companion. Program | | | | 4.Other ideas are to read to your children to pass |
| the destination address in prior to departure. Make | | | | time in the car. The adult passenger (usually mom) |
| sure you have the right address. The GPS is only | | | | can read a favorite book to the children. |
| good enough as the information you provide it. | | | | 5. Organize road games with the kids. "I spy" is a |
| 2. Plug-in your trip destination in Google Maps or | | | | favorite one of ours. Another one is "who can spot |
| another online mapping service. Print it out and have | | | | the most out of state license plates." |
| it with you. It is useful as a last resort. | | | | 6. Potty breaks are an important part of travel. |
| 3.Buy the book the next exit. It gives you exit | | | | Beside potty breaks kids need to get up and move |
| services info for every exit on the major US | | | | around during long trips. We usually try to stop every |
| Interstates. | | | | two-to-four hours for a potty and stretch break. |