Tips to Prepare for the Family Road Trip

One of the great things about summer vacation is the road trip in the family car. Are you ready for a family road trip? Road trips can be fun for adults and kids. Most think about the drawbacks of being cooped up in the car for long periods of time. But, there is an upside to this scenario. The trip can be fun and hazard free.

With that said, here are some tips to prepare for your adventure.

* Get the car serviced – No one wants to end up sweating in the heat in a car that has a flat tire or an engine that has run out of anti-freeze. Have your car checked out to be sure that all parts and pieces are working properly.

* Carry a car care kit – Just in case something untoward happens, be ready. Stock your trunk with jumper cables, a gallon of water, flags, flares, a jack and a flashlight. Don’t forget to renew your AAA membership to handle any roadside emergency.

* Keep the kids entertained – For the road trip, try to think outside the box. If you bring the same toys and games that kids play in the house, they will get bored really quickly. Try something that will peak their interest and provide hours of fun.
Don’t forget the music CDs and DVDs that they haven’t watched before. Create a survival pack for smaller kids. Display it in a hanging pocket that can be suspended from the front seats so they can grab what they want without you having to constantly turn around.

* Bring supplies – When people eat in the car, it can get messy. Don’t forget plastic trash bags, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, paper towels, tissues and toilet paper. You never know when you might need it. For drinks, have sippy cups for toddlers. Plastic cups and straws can get messy for someone learning to drink from a cup.

* Extra sleeping gear – Sleeping in a car can get uncomfortable. Make it more pleasant with travel pillows, neck pillows for kids in car seats, blankets and comfortable shoes when you want to take your hard shoes off.

* Odds and ends – Thee are the essentials that we often don’t think of until we need them. This includes cell phone and DVD chargers, video camera and extra batteries, navigation system, first aid kit, sunglasses, cooler with ice and snacks, bags for dirty clothing and window shades to keep out the sun.

Ask kids to choose one special toy to bring. You don’t want extra space to be taken up with a ton of stuffed animals.

Road trips can be fun as long as you prepare well. Give kids a lot to do so that they don’t get bored.