Relationships

Mom Exchange: How We Keep Kids Entertained During Trips

Readers share their best advice

By Parenting
 
See Also
5 rules for a saner slumber party - Parenting.com
What hundreds of you love about taking trips -- and what you'd rather leave behind - Parenting.com
Parenting - April 2006 - Parenting.com
Say goodbye to road rage in your backseat with these easy secrets for a successful driving vacation - Parenting.com
"Making up goofy new lyrics to familiar tunes always gets a laugh from our two-year-old daughter. Her favorite song is 'Frosty the Snowman,' so we always use it (I hear 'Frosty' in my sleep!). She enjoys correcting the lyrics my husband and I come up with -- it makes her feel so important!" --Maria Parra, Wyoming, PA

"Our four-year-old son loves the 'Can you guess what it is?' game. We make him close his eyes and then hand him random stuff from inside the car (like CDs and pens), and he has to figure out what it is just by feeling -- no peeking!" --Stephanie Jedlicka, Manassas, VA

"Car trips mean home movies for my family. We play old home flicks on a portable DVD player. This lets the kids reminisce and ask questions about when they were babies." --Carrie Turlington, Austin, TX

"I squirrel away small, travel-friendly toys I find during the year and put them in a large tote. That way, they're already packed when we're ready to go somewhere, and the items are new and interesting for the kids." --Rana Post, Republic, MO

"With four kids ages seven to twelve, I've learned a few travel lessons -- bring zip-lock bags of cereal and pretzels with each child's name on them, and at every pit stop, refill individual water bottles and add sugar-free flavor shots (like the Crystal Light ones) for a sweet treat." --Tiffany Smith, Murray, UT

"Always answer 'Yes' to 'Are we there yet?' even if you're nowhere close. This makes our three kids giggle and get interested in their surroundings. During one trip, I did run out of patience and answered the dreaded question by yelling out the window, 'Are we there yet?! Grammy and Pop, where are you?!' It's now a family legend." --Julie Lombardi, Litchfield, CT

Talk to us!  Share your thoughts  by sending an e-mail to momexchange@parenting.com.


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