When you are traveling by car, interstate rest stops are a great place to take a bit of break. I know it’s tempting to send everyone in for a quick trip to the bathroom and then herd them quickly back into the car. And there are times when we’ve done just that. But taking a ten minute break, or even five minutes, can help everyone’s mood. And don’t just stand around the car, the idea is to get everyone moving.
The first activity is trash tossing. I learned this travel hint on a three day field trip. The teacher stood at the door of the bus, and wouldn’t let any children or parents off unless we were carrying at least three pieces of trash. It’s a good rule for family travel too!
For little kids, just letting them wander around the area for a few minutes is all they need. Maybe they will see a flower, or watch a bird, or pick up a pinecone. A small bottle of bubble solution is a good thing to pack.
We have a small backpacking Frisbee that used to live in our car. It’s soft to catch, and it fold up to basically nothing. If your car isn’t already full of stuff, Nerf footballs or jump ropes could be fun. And even if you’ve left all the toys at home, a simple game of tag or just chase will get everyone running. A few stretches and a jumping jack or two makes everyone feel better. When you are traveling by car, interstate rest stops are a great place to take a bit of break. I know it’s tempting to send everyone in for a quick trip to the bathroom and then herd them quickly back into the car. And there are times when we’ve done just that. But taking a ten minute break, or even five minutes, can help everyone’s mood. And don’t just stand around the car, the idea is to get everyone moving.
The first activity is trash tossing. I learned this travel hint on a three day field trip. The teacher stood at the door of the bus, and wouldn’t let any children or parents off unless we were carrying at least three pieces of trash. It’s a good rule for family travel too!
For little kids, just letting them wander around the area for a few minutes is all they need. Maybe they will see a flower, or watch a bird, or pick up a pinecone. A small bottle of bubble solution is a good thing to pack.
We have a small backpacking Frisbee that used to live in our car. It’s soft to catch, and it fold up to basically nothing. If your car isn’t already full of stuff, Nerf footballs or jump ropes could be fun. And even if you’ve left all the toys at home, a simple game of tag or just chase will get everyone running. A few stretches and a jumping jack or two makes everyone feel better.
Rest stops are a great time for regrouping too – for putting the markers back in the box, for changing out the movie in the DVD player, or for finding the coloring book that got lost behind the seat. Taking that minute or two to get everyone comfortable and ready with a new activity makes for a much more pleasant drive.
As tempting as it is to rush everyone, those few minutes of running and regrouping really do make for a better day.
Also See:
Hotel Room Fun for Family Travel
Car Travel Fun – the Distance Game and the Silent Game
Keeping the Kids Busy in the Car and on the Plane