Are We There Yet?

A successful gathering starts with keeping children busy in the car on the way there. That adds to their enjoyment ... and saves your nerves.

Planning more than just the route can lead to an enjoyable trip.

Travel Games
Here are some games to keep the kids (and adults!) occupied:

Alphabet Frenzy
This game can be played with two or more players. The goal is to spot words on road signs, billboards, buildings, trucks, cars, etc., that start with different letters of the alphabet. The letters must be identified sequentially from A to Z.

Each player is allowed one minute to spot words before it is the next player's turn. Play continues until all 26 letters have been spotted. (Good luck finding words that begin with Z!)

Traveling between towns where there are few buildings, signs and other vehicles? Change the rules to include letters within words.

Aluminum Foil Art
Give each passenger a square of aluminum foil. Give them time to create a piece of art by folding, tearing and shaping the foil, then have each passenger tell the group about what they’ve made. This also can be done with colored pipe cleaners.

Counting to 50
Players must find numbers on license plates - starting with one and ending with 50. The numbers spotted can occur within larger numbers. For example: A license plate that reads 44592B could be used for 44, 45, 59 and 92.

Scavenger King
Prepare separate lists of frequently seen objects along highways. Examples: a cow, a pair of sunglasses, a bicycle, a screen door and a chimney. Give a list to each player. The players mark off the items as they spot them. The first player to see all the items wins.

License Plate Funny Phrases
Take turns thinking of funny phrases using the letters of a license plate. For example, if you see the license plate ELC 428, you could say “Elephants love cheese” or “Every lion cries.” See how many different combinations you can think of before moving on to the next license plate.

Cows and Cemeteries
Split the group into two teams. Each time you pass a group of cows, the first team to correctly call out the number of cows “wins” those cows. If you pass a cemetery, the first team to call out “your cows are buried,” causes the other team to “lose” their cows. When you reach your destination the team with the most cows wins.

Counting ANYTHING
Give your group something to look for and count along the way, such as blue trucks or white houses or apple trees. You can even have them try to guess how many of each they will see along the way. Change the search object whenever the group needs something new.

Singing
Always a favorite, singing along with a group can pass time quickly. Kids can even bring along their favorite tape or CD and take turns teaching their favorite songs.

Play Favorites
Have everyone think of different "favorite" questions for the group. What's your favorite movie, flavor of ice cream, song, game, toy, place to visit, restaurant, book, animal, fish, etc. Be creative and don't forget to ask the driver too!

The Big IF
Take turns filling in the phrase “If I were a ________, I would want to be a _________ because ___________.” Such as, “If I were an animal I would want to be a duck because I would be a really good swimmer and know how to fly.” Try this with animals, cars, foods, famous people and more.

Group Storytelling
Have one person begin a story, leaving room for each passenger to add onto the story. Keep adding on until the story reaches a stopping point; you can go through the group as many times as your story allows. For example, “The other day I was walking down the street with my brother, and on the way to the library we saw … .”

Telephone
An old favorite, have one person whisper a short sentence into the ear of the closest passenger, who then whispers what they heard to the next passenger and so on until the last person receives the phrase and speaks it out loud. Everyone will have a laugh when words get switched and meanings change!

The Quiet Game
The passenger who can go the longest time without speaking, wins! You can also try challenges, such as “I bet all of you can’t stay quiet for two minutes, five minutes, etc.” Also try the statue game; whoever stays still the longest wins.

50 States License Plates Game
Keep track of each state license plate you see along the way. You can continue the same game each time you’re in the car, just keep adding to your list until you’ve seen all 50 (don’t forget Alaska  and Hawaii).

I Spy
Pick out an object that everyone can see. Then give them a clue by saying, "I spy something ..." (say its shape, color or size). The other players ask questions about what you see and you only answer with "yes" or "no." The first player who guesses right becomes the new spy.

20 Questions
Have one person think of a person, place, or object and keep it a secret. Have others take turns asking yes/no questions (up to 20) until someone is able to guess what the secret person, place or object is.

Simple Travel Tips

• Find areas to take breaks along the way - every one and a half to two hours is recommended if your kids are under 7 years old.
• A few weeks before leaving, put away some of the kids' favorite toys and bring them out for the trip. It's like they just got new ones!
• Purchase a new toy or game to be enjoyed just for the trip.
• If the children are old enough to read a map, give them one of their own. Have them track your progress or act as navigator.
• Schedule a quiet time for everyone in the car to enjoy. Enforce the rules so adults are included and must also obey this rule.
• Buy or borrow from the library some interesting audio books for story time while on the trip.
• Take advantage of the time together and really talk to your kids.
• Travel late at night or very early in the morning while the kids are still sleeping.
• If possible, sit beside your child in the vehicle at times.
• If you have a child in diapers take extra garbage bags in case there is no place to put them. Bring a jug of water in case you need some extra water for cleanups. Change diapers often, because sitting on a wet diaper for long periods increases the chance of diaper rash.
• Before you leave, spread a large towel over the entire back seat to catch thrown cookies/crackers/bottles.
• Bring along plenty of water and munchies in the car. It will be much cheaper to buy these at the grocery store than to pay convenience store prices. It might also save you some extra stops.
• Sticking to water will be much easier on your body than drinking lots of cola. If the driver needs large amounts of caffeine to stay awake, it’s time to pull over for the night.
• Control munchies so mealtimes aren’t ruined.
• Eat a healthy meal or bring along some healthy snacks, like fruit and vegetables, to balance out the treats and avoid illness.

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