Road trips may sound like a good idea, but being in the closed confines of a moving vehicle for hours on end can be a pretty challenging thing, especially when smaller kids are involved. With short attention spans, boundless energy, smaller bladder capacity, and the keen ability to piss each other off when they’re bored just for sport, any parent must come prepared to keep them occupied and their mind diverted. There’s no better way to do that than with food and games.
Snack Packs
There are many junk food varieties available in supermarkets. But why bother paying such a high price for carcinogens in a box? Instead, make your own. It will be cheaper this way and you can have the added piece of mind in knowing what’s in each snack pack. There’s a wide array of options to choose from:
• Pretzels, bagel chips, and the like
• Dried fruit like apricots, prunes, blueberries
• Dark chocolate coated berries
• Deli meat like jamon iberico, turkey ham, bologna and the like
• Nuts like cashews, almonds, macadamia, etc.
• Mushrooms, pickles, and olives
There are many possible items to add and an infinite number of combinations to do when you do your own snack packing. Aside from these bite sized munchies, you can also include whole wheat sandwiches with various fillings to what you can make. And of course, a good snack can never be complete without drinks to water it down. Fresh pressed juice or herbed brewed tea with honey drinks are popular choices.
Fun and Games
Bing stuck in the car doesn’t mean you only have your iPad or gadgets to turn to for entertainment. The best part about road trips is bonding with each other. There are many games that you can play to keep the conversation alive. The ever popular I Spy is one. “I spy with my little eye, something that is big, red and furry!” This may sound like a childish game but it one that’s quite entertaining as participants try to look for or guess what is being described. It is also challenging to come up with things that you’d want your companions to guess.
Another example is The ABC game, which is pretty simple. It’s a speed and memory game that let you come up with names of whatever category that has been decided. The ante is upped because of the time factor. For example, the category is singers. Sister will say: Adelle. Brother will respond: Britney Spears. Mom will then say: Cary Grant. WRONG! This is an older movie star and not a singer. Take note, the words go up from A, B, to C…and it can go as far back as letter Z. it can be really fun especially when someone gets stumped in a particular letter. One thing is certain about playing games, whatever it is that you choose, it definitely keeps the creative juices of the brain flowing. If the mind is occupied, “ain’t nobody gonna fight”! A peaceful and happy environment inside the car is essential because it has the capacity to set the tone of the entire vacation.
