Summer vacation is here and for many families that means a long trip with lots of ”Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” Here are some ideas (other than music, movies and video games) to pass the time before you get “there”.
| 1. Turn your vehicle into a pirate ship and become the Pirates of the Caravan. This is such a great idea, especially if you make yourself the Captain whose orders must be followed! |  |
| 2. Help your kids anticipate the journey by planning a scavenger hunt of things they will see on the way. |  |
| 3. Let you kids follow their imagination and use their creativity by making finger puppets and putting on plays. You can use the templates found here or design your own. |  |
| 4. I absolutely love this idea. Have your kids write postcards or letters to friends, family or even themselves during a long trip. When you finally do get home, your kids will have great souvenirs waiting in the mail. |  |
| 5. Playdough is a lot of fun, but not during trips where it can be smeared on all sorts of surfaces. I think aluminum foil is a great alternative. Kids can mold and sculpt to their heart’s content without needing to wash up afterwards. |  |
| 6. Another great, no mess, creative material is colourful paper clips. Your kids can try making this bracelet or just play around and see where their creativity takes them. |  |
| 7. Kids love to unwrap presents! Keep your kids entertained by occasionally offering them an inexpensive toy or snack to unwrap. It doesn’t really matter what you give them, just that you are giving them them a surprise gift. Check out these inexpensive ways to wrap presents. Just a reminder, if you are traveling by plane, you will need to wrap the presents after you have boarded. |  |
| 8. Spend some family time together by playing some of these classic road trip games. |  |
| 9. When you need some quiet time let your children try these printable activities like cryptograms, mazes and sudoku. Cryptograms, especially, are a lot of fun and once your kids understand how they work, they can create their own. |  |
| 10. This a great craft activity that helps your child remember the trip. Make a personalized suitcase to keep souvenirs. |  |
| 11. In my family, no trip is complete without someone getting car sick. Here are some tips to help prevent and treat car sickness. |  |
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