Going on a long trip with kids is an excellent way of getting parents away from their busy lives and
allowing the whole family to spend time together. However, kids get anxious and impatient on long
trips, especially if the family is going on a road trip. Parents want some quiet time to relax and settle
into the trips, whether driving or flying. For this to happen, they should find ways to keep their kids
calm during the trip.
Play Road Trip Games
If you are going on a long road trip, playing games is a great way to keep the kids calm while
including the entire family in a single activity. There is an endless selection of road trip games you
can play, and the ones you choose depend on what the kids are interested in and their ages. Games
like Twenty Questions, Name The State License Plate, and Name that Tune are favorites, but you can
pick other games everyone will enjoy. Alternatively, have the kids ask about the different places,
states, and geographic features you see and let the parents test their knowledge about them.
Road Trip Activities
Road trip games will only get you so far because you will likely run out of games to play, or the kids
will be bored of the games they have been playing for hours. When you get to this point, road trip
activities will help. For younger kids, coloring books and encouraging them to create art and craft
using paper can help keep them calm and burn for a few hours.
For older kids, engaging games like Scrabble on their devices can help them remain calm while also
helping them improve their vocabulary. Using tools like Unscramble to help them come up with
creating words helps pass the time while teaching them something new. Audiobooks, boards for
playing Pictionary, and letting the kids sing along to the songs that come on the radio are additional
ways to keep kids calm and happy on long trips.
Bring Something That Comforts Them
Kids are more likely to get antsy on long trips if they do not have something to comfort them. Bringing something they love and that comforts them is excellent for helping them deal with the emotions that come with going on a long trip, whether on the road or a plane. It is also best to bring something they already own and are familiar with instead of buying a new one. This could be a book, a stuffed animal, or even their favorite toy.
Let Them Burn the Energy Off
Kids are less likely to remain calm if they have a lot of energy to burn. While it may seem like they have endless energy, there are some ways to help them burn some of it. One of them is letting them run, play and bounce before and during the trip if you are on the road. Once they are done, they will have less energy to distract you while you drive or on the plane, where everyone is expected to remain calm and still.
Bring Some Entertainment
Ideally, you want to find things the family can do together on the road trip. However, this is not always possible, so plan on bringing some entertainment. Letting the kids catch up on their shows or play games on their devices can be incredibly useful, especially if you are on a multi-hour flight. Kids can and do get restless on long trips. It is up to the parent to find ways to keep them calm for its duration. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to do this, and parents are allowed to be as creative as they want to keep their kids calm on long trips.