Traveling with children is at the bottom of the list of fun activities for most grown folks. I know this is true for I have traveled as a child with adults and as an adult with children and the whole affair leaves much to be desired.
Mostly it is the children we could leave (and who probably could leave us) but then why would we travel to see Grandma or Aunt Sarah? Like it or not, taking children with us when we travel is here to stay. So how can we make this activity more fun for all? Thinking ahead and planning can help.
Before you are out of town, you will hear, “Are we there yet?” You will have been not much farther than 10 miles before you hear it again. Time means absolutely nothing to young children and long stretches of enforced (quiet} sitting seem endless. A variety of activities planned can help shorten this time, keep kids interested and prevent quarrels from breaking out.
Tape players with headphones are wonderful devices. However, what is playing can be more than music. There are wonderful stories on tape for all ages with books to read along with if desired. Organize players and tapes together in a bag or box to minimize mess.
Flat boxes normally used for refrigerator storage with Snap-On lids do double duty as storage places for crayons, markers, glue, scissors (blunt tips for safety), paper, pens, etc. and provide a flat area for the activity.
Trips have time built in for learning to make paper creations like folding cups and hats, paper chains, fold-and-cut paper dolls, star, bell or other borders, greeting cards with cut-outs, paper airplanes, paper weaving projects, etc. Check out books for pattern ideas.
Take rubber stamps for making stamp-ink designs, modeling clay, lots of paper, and help children choose and complete one part of a project before starting on another. Adults are the key to keeping materials in order and to directing children's interests as they assist in the activities.
Everyone has family photos, but few have time to organize them into books. Older children might enjoy putting pictures into albums while they ride along or learning family history by working on a family tree. We have used travel time to tape record family tales and memories.
Learning a new skill usually takes lots of time, which traveling provides. I learned to knit on long trips East to visit my grandparents. Teach children needlework skills and they can make gifts for relatives while they are learning.
Store each project in a separate bag (those that press closed are great) to keep supplies together and clean, A large bag for each child will keep individual belongings separate and teach responsibility for possessions.
Thinking about each child's interests and planning for those long hours of confinement will make travel much more enjoyable for children — and that definitely makes it more fun for all.
Darby Kethan has a master's degree in child development, and has experience as a social worker, educator of young children, educational consultant, and as a professional trainer for a national educational foundation providing professional development to teachers. Visit her website at darbykethan.com.
