Tomorrow morning we are leaving for a week to visit with family in Montana and Idaho. It is supposed to be record breaking temperatures, so sitting in an air conditioned van could be a good thing. We will visit my mother first, which should be interesting. She and her husband live in the middle of nowhere on the side of a mountain. She called yesterday to ask if we are still coming. We are still welcome, but she told me they are having trouble with their well. They aren't sure if it is dried up or what the real problem is. It means roughing it for a few days. She suggested maybe we will float down the river for our Saturday bath. Should be interesting.
The most interesting part is traveling with the three kids for so many hours in an enclosed space. Of course, we will spend less time in the van than we did last summer when we traveled from Southern Alberta to southern Washington to see the ocean. My aunt offered us their portable dvd player and I have heard from many parents how easy it is to travel with children when a movie is playing. So far I always turn down the offer. My kids travel well most of the time. I pack things for them to do and we have several travel games they like to play like I Spy, The Alphabet Game, The License Plate Game, etc. Now that they are getting a little older, they like to read and do word puzzles.
We are looking forward to getting away for a few days and the kids are excited to see Yellowstone Park for the first time. But I am always looking for new ideas. Does anyone have any other ideas for games or activities to keep the family happy while traveling?
5 comments:
Goodmorning Stephanie!
Wow, bathing in the river, eh? What fun!
I have to admit Stephanie that we do enjoy using a portable DVD player on very long drives. I usually only let them watch one movie, but it helps break up the monotony of the drive.
Otherwise, we occupy our time with books on tape for children, singing songs (silly ones especially), and all the games you already enjoy. The boys (my two are 6.5 years old) like to take their Transformers on long drives because they are basically two-toys in one. Reading, drawing (with those magic markers that only draw on the specific paper).
Sorry, we're not too creative! I hope you enoy your trip and it's all you hoped it would be.
Hi, Stephanie,
My husband and I took our kids around the US by car several years ago--they were about your kids' ages at the time--and we didn't have video watching ability at that time. These are a few of the things we did that helped a lot.
1--The kids learned a new skill. Two of them, including a boy, practiced/learned how to crochet. For another, we bought a simple pump and balloons, along with some instructions on making animals with balloons, and he spent time learning that. I also took scrapbook papers and supplies (scissors, glue, etc.) and had them create a scrapbook page about each of the places we visited. We also took a few books on tape that I borrowed from the library.
Good luck. I hope your trip goes well.
Thanks for the ideas. It is always interesting to hear how other mothers handle different situations.
Hey, we were just in Montana and Idaho. For us, it was a lot cooler than in SLC so it was fairly pleasant. Have fun on your trip!
I have no ideas, they've all been sucked into the abyss of a built in DVD player in my mini van with wireless headphones :-) You guys are all such good people, I could learn a thing or two.
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