It’s August – time to squeeze in that end-of-summer trip to Glen Rose or San Antonio before school starts. After all, summer road trips are part of the folklore of America, and there are plenty of places to explore within driving distance of DFW. And with all the electronic devices available today, it’s somewhat easier to keep kids occupied during those long hours of driving. But if you want them to actually notice the countryside out the window, here are a few great websites to check out:
momsminivan.com. A fantastic resource filled with games like roadside bingo, travel scavenger hunt, Battleship, song lyrics and much more.
magicalchildhood.com Download U.S. maps to play the license plate game and see how many states your kids can color in from the license plates passing by. A map with unmarked states can also double as a geography lesson. Or challenge them to name the capital of each state you find.
familycrafts.about.com. If your child loves cars, check this site out for a great car search game where you mark off the names of cars as you find them.
And as tempting as it may be to get in the car and just drive without stopping – don’t. Kids build up energy, resulting in the dreaded wiggle worm effect when they just can’t sit still any longer. “Redirecting kids’ energy is a lot easier than trying to contain it, and parents will reap big benefits if they plan on a few high-energy pit stops during long trips,” explains Missy Chase Lapine, author of Sneaky Fitness: Fun, Foolproof Ways to Slip Fitness into Your Child’s Everyday Life. Before leaving, toss a small ball in the car for a quick game of catch. Jump ropes, Frisbees, footballs, hacky sacks, and Skip-Its can all be tucked in easily. When the natives get restless, find a roadside oasis or a patch of grass and let them run around. Even a quick stop at a rest area gets everyone’s blood moving again and keeps sibling flare-ups at bay.
If you can’t pull over or if you get stuck in traffic, tell everyone to squeeze each muscle group from their toes to their nose – hold for 5 seconds, then release. This exercise gets the blood circulating and prevents restlessness. Keep everyone interested and occupied – physically and mentally – and maybe you won’t hear the “Are we there yet?” refrain more than twenty times.
Published August 2012
