Make sure you have any and all equipment to play the music in your car, so all can hear. You might need an iPod cable for Apple lovers ($19.00 US) , and AUX cable ($1-$35 US) for Android users like me, or even a portal speaker that runs on rechargeable batteries ($39-$125 US). For flyers, make sure you have noisecancelling headphones to hear over the airplane noise. Happy driver tip? No ballads! Unfortunately, ballads will not cut it for the drive. Save those for the romantic moments when the kids are asleep on the trip, right? *wink* Favorite app? Pandora hogs your data plan a bit, but you can’t beat it for variety. Plus, everyone gets their own channel.
Entertainment This is one of those key things that you just can’t leave home without. Some of my tips here might involve a bit of an investment, but I can guarantee they’ll be worth it.
Go heavy on the books. Whether they come in the form of a tote bag of kid’s books and paperbacks or a loaded e-reader, have them. Kids reading=a quiet car, plan, train, etc. Invest in tablets. My husband and I each have a Google Nexus 7 tablet ($199$250 US), but Kindles($159-$199 US), Nooks ($199 US), and iPads ($329-$499 US) have also become equally affordable. Load them up with games and activities. Put movies that the kids pick on the tablets. Ripping a DVD and putting it on a tablet is much less daunting than it used to be. Apple, in particular, makes this pretty easy. Load up the tables with movies and let them watch with headphones. This also works for long waits at restaurants for tables or food. For older kids, purchase a cheap headphone splitter ($3-$25 US), which will allow more than one child to share a tablet. Bring a small cookie sheet with edges, crayons, and a sketch book/coloring book for younger kids. The edges on the cookie sheet keep the crayons from rolling on the floor. Happy driver tip? Make sure tablets and books are not in sight of the driver, so they won’t be tempted to watch or read along. Favorite app? For little kids I love Hungry Guppy. For older kids? Angry Birds or Words With Friends are classics.
Here are just a few of the things that worked for us when traveling. However, I think the most important thing is to make sure you set realistic expectations for the trip. If you feel like you’re pushing your family, you probably are. Sometimes it can’t be helped, for example, with airline travel. Just do your best to be prepared for the trip and you’ll be fine. When all else fails, remember to pack your own headphones! Travel safe! Brought to you by: Stephanie Keyes Website/blog: http://www.stephaniekeyes.com Twitter: @StephanieKeyes FB: Stephanie Keyes