7 Innovative Ways To Keep Your Kids From Driving You Nuts On A Road-Trip

As a mom of two fast growing up kids, I am always looking for new and innovative ideas to make travelling with kids more laid-back. For one, I hate them being on gadgets all the time. And kids being fruitfully engaged also means we aren’t constantly looking ONLY at the rear view mirror.

So these 7easy activities may be your savoir if you are planning a road trip on your holiday.

# Housie of number plates

My kids will spend some time preparing these housie sheets at home. Neatly writing down any 10 letters from A-Z in vibrant colours, some decorations etc. We will be making many copies of these as we have multiple kids on board. We plan to laminate these sheets so that they can be reused on our next holiday too!

Now once we are on the road, the kids will get a sheet each and when they spot a letter on the number plate of a car passing by, they can strike that letter off. Whoever finishes first wins the game. The sheets can be wiped clean with wet wipes and reused if they want to have a go again!

#Family pics, blowups and laminate

I plan to take a few close-up pictures, like just the face part from growing up years of my kids. Some of my husband’s and none of me, coz I don’t want to make a fool of myself 😉 Laminate them and take them out when kids are completely out of their wits. Give them a black marker and let them make funny faces out of these! What fun to see them transform into wizard to rabbit, cat and snowman!

# Slime

Slime slime slime, I seriously don’t know what’s so special about this gooey, slimy ugly substance that has taken the entire kid-town’s fancy. But it sure is one HUGE distraction and it is going to be my big savoir on this road trip. And I plan to throw in this entertainment when I am badly in need for a nap or some me-time. I know for sure that this is a fool-proof entertainment and will keep them super glued on to this distraction. The ones made with a little bit of white glue, ordinary shaving cream and contact lens solution are the easiest to make. Carry them in a zip lock so that they don’t dry off!

# Audiobooks

My kids love listening to stories, well who doesn’t frankly! So I am packing a set of audio book CDs like The Lion King, Grandma Stories and Winnie the Pooh! I am in fact exchanging a few with a friend so that we each have a new set of stories for our kids.

# License plate games

This one is fun. The game goes like this – Spot the letters on the number plate and come up with a wacky phrase like MH may mean Mad Hatter, LC may be Love Chocolates, DY may be dumb you! This is good for the start of the trip when everyone including me is fresh and energetic and bubbling with ideas!

# DIY whiteboard

I plan to pack a few old CDs and use them as white board for tic-tac-toe or doodling or hangman. They will also need a few sketch pens and duster or rag alongside to wipe the board clean and start again. Though I will make sure to stick some tape along the inner and outer sharp edges so that the kid’s fingers stay safe.

Related read: 10 Tips to have a enjoyable vacation with kids

I am also very wary of sneezing, cough, cold and sore throat during winter road trips as 1 amongst us 4 invariably comes under it and then it’s all downhill from there on. One person sick not only slows everyone down, but also eventually spreads the infection to the whole bunch and drives us all nuts. So I am packing a few essentials which will be my kit for immunity boosting plus SOS against flue germs.

# Amla drops: There are many varieties available at the local grocer during winter months. I have picked ones with ginger and sugar coating. They are sweet and tangy and fun to chew while you are in the car. Amla is a super food when it comes to boosting your immunity.

# Hot water + ginger: As hot water is available everywhere, I plan to drop a slice of ginger in warm water and sip first thing in the morning.  It flushes the toxins and gives body warmth.

# Hand sanitizers: That’s my smallest, smartest and most handy item in the toolkit. After washroom visits, before meals, after petting the animals or those times when running tap water is way too cold to wash my little kid’s hands, the hand sanitizer comes handy to keep the germs at bay.

#Eucalyptus oil : This protects against mosquito bites which are in such plenty during winter months. It also helps clear nasal congestion. So I am packing a small new bottle of eucalyptus oil.

#Multi-vitamins or Vitamin C chewable: That is in case the kids throw a fit and don’t want to chew the amla drops or if they aren’t eating well. We will be taking some vitamin supplements to keep the body immunity levels high.

# A packet of salt for gargling: And if west ill happen to trace some soreness in the throat, a handy packet of salt will help us take quick action.

And we will make it a point to stop and smell the roses, the daisies and the pansies because no matter how much entertainment you provide, it’s always good to stop, stretch your body a bit, have a snack and enjoy the little things in life!

Bon Voyage and Seasons Greetings!

This article was first posted here