Travel Time! ~ Childrens Therapy TEAM

Dear Melissa:

Help! I am about to take my children (4 and 7 years old) on a road trip to the beach! Any ideas to keep us all sane for a 12 hour drive?

So you and your family have spoken to friends, consulted the internet ( possibly even Facebook) and have planned the perfect family vacation. The hotel is booked, the travel route planned, the car is packed. Then it hits you like a rock in the pit of your stomach…you and the kiddos are about to be “trapped” in the car for 5, 10, 15 hours. What to do? It may be tempting to just use the ipad and DVD player for entertainment, but you can do better than that! Never fear! The following are tips for keeping the whole family sane on those long road trips. While these ideas were created for children with Sensory Processing Disorders in mind, they are great ideas for all kiddos stuck in the back seat of your car:

Books on CD. Some favorites in my house are The Magic Tree House series, Junie B. Jonesand Harry Potter. These can be checked out (for free!) at most local libraries.
Silly putty/play-doh in a zip top bag. This allows the child to squeeze and squeeze til his hearts content without the putty getting stuck in your floor mats.
“Drinking games.”This idea helps to keep your kiddos from chugging down those juice boxes too fast. Make it a game so that they can only take a sip when they see a certain item. For example, the letter “T” or a yellow car. An added bonus is that a slower sipping time will also lead to fewer bathroom stops.
Origami. Check out an origami book at the library, get a folder of paper and go to town. Voila! Mess free art!
Aluminum foil animals. The origami too complicated? Give each child a sheet of aluminum foil, have them create an animal and see if the rest of the car can guess what it is. More mess free art!
Color wonder books. I know these things are a bit pricey, but they are fantastic mess free fun and a great treat for long trips.
Sing along. Yes, you could sing along to the soundtrack from Frozen for the hundredth time (today), but what about the songs YOU like? Download/make a CD of great sing along pop songs from your youth. Some favorites in my house include “Sweet Caroline,” “Brown Eyed Girl,” “I Love Rock and Roll,” and “Funky Town.” There are also a lot of great rock/pop songs from the Shrek series and other current kids’ movies that will appeal to both the kids and the adults.
Pencil pouch eye spy. Fill a clear-sided pencil pouch with dried beans/rice. Then add a few colored buttons or other small trinkets and have contests as to who can find a given item the most quickly.
Gross motor at the gas station. When you DO stop to eat/potty/refuel, take 5-10 minutes for gross motor time. If a small strip of safe area is available, have the children “race” from one adult to the next, standing at each end of the safe area. If this is not possible, have the children do frog jumps, jumping jacks or simply just dance next to the car for a few minutes.
Unwrap a mystery. Take old scraps of tissue, wrapping paper or newspaper and wrap up any of the new toys, sticker pages, trinkets or games I have mentioned. Getting to choose and unwrap the mystery item will create double the fun! These “presents” can also be held back as rewards for good behaviors at certain check points if needed as well.
Sleep? Scheduling travel time during nap/bed time can be tricky. If your child always sleeps well in the car, then this can give you an hour or two of blissful silence. However, if you loose this gamble, you may well end up with an extremely cranky pre-schooler for hours on end.
Pack a survival kit. Must-haves include wet-wipes, napkins, snacks/drinks, sport bottles, empty cups (for snacks) and lots of slide-top plastic bags. Also include the standard first aid kit with Tylenol, bandaids, antibiotic ointment, Dramamine, Benedryl, etc. as your doctor approves.
Stay buckled! Last, but most important, keep each child in his/her recommended car seat/seat belt at all times. Compromising safety is NOT an option!