Guest Post: 5 Tips for Keeping your Kids Entertained (and Safe) on Roadtrips

In light of my recent Disney posts, I thought this guest post by Janelle was perfect.  Enjoy!

*********************************************************************

5 Tips for Keeping Your Kids Entertained (and Safe) on Roadtrips

Outside of simply shopping around for cheap car shipping rates and hiring an auto transport company, there are still some families out there who prefer to pack the family up for a fun road trip. If you find yourself in this situation, the following are some simple tips to help you keep the kiddies entertained and safe while braving the roads this summer.

5Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe While Traveling by Car

1.    Have your vehicle inspected. Even if you think that your vehicle is in excellent condition, it never hurts to double check- especially when you are transporting your children. Make sure that you inspect things such as: radiator hoses, fan belts, your car battery and  your tires. Not sure what you’re doing? Take the car in to your local mechanic so that he or she can give you the green light. It’s the little, preventive things such as these that could save you hundreds of dollars (if not more) somewhere down the road.

2.    Pack healthy snacks. Road trips are often create the perfect conditions to chow down on junky food. Set a good example for the kids by packing healthy snacks that they will eat. Studies show that children behave better when their blood sugar levels aren’t all over the place. Great snacks to pack include: fruits, veggies, nuts and dry crackers. Before you leave, get your kids involved in making their own trail mixes for the road.

3.    Involve your kids in the planning process. Depending on the age of your children,  including your kids in the planning process is a great way to make them feel more apart of the experience. Buy an extra paper map and plot out the roadtrip so that they can follow along as you travel. Thinking of sightseeing along the way? Let them have a say in where you will stop and what you will see!

4.    Bring toys and games. If you have a DVD player in your vehicle, bringing a couple of movies is one option. However, if you want to engage the whole family, why not play “20 questions” or sing a song that everyone knows. Trivia and other educational games also give children an option to exercise their minds and engages them more than simply popping a DVD into the DVD player and hitting “play”. You could even ring Scrapbooking materials so that kids can work on a scrapbook of their family trip.

5.    Know where you are going! Nothing ruins a fun family roadtrip quicker than getting lost. Don’t simply rely on GPS devices to get you where you need to go either. Because technology can fail, make sure that you also have your trip mapped out on a good old-fashioned paper map. It also doesn’t hurt to know the names and numbers of landmarks along the way such as popular hotels, restaurants or even loved ones...just in case!

**Written by Janelle Vadnais.  You can visit National Transport's Facebook Fan page here. **