If you’re like a great many Americans, you are planning on a family road trip to visit your relatives, friends, and in-laws. Since most people stayed home in 2021 due to Covid, and airlines have made flying SO unfriendly, is it any wonder that the majority of people plan on using their car to travel?
The main problem with long road trips is that, unless your family is less than 2 hours away, everyone but the driver is going to get bored rather quickly.
This is especially true if you have children under the age of 10. Kids this age can spend about 1 hour sitting and another hour doing something (like watching a movie) but after that, they’ve got the proverbial ants in their pants, and they need something to do.
Even teens and adults can get bored on a long trip. After all, there are only so many movies you can watch!
Whether you’ve got teens, adults, or kids in your car and whether you are looking at a 3-, 6-, or 8-hour drive (or more!) you need some games and distractions.
Check out the following list of fun things to do to keep everyone engaged and entertained.
Top Tips for a Fun Road Trip
Keep in mind that everyone is different and what makes one person happy is NOT going to make everyone in the car happy.
Keep the ages of your traveling companions in mind if you should decide to try some of the following tips:
1. Make Playlists
Hopefully, everyone in your car is old enough to have their own source of music and a set of headphones.
Making up several playlists and perhaps making one for sharing (Christmas songs, for example) is one good way to keep everyone entertained with their own music. If you have a shared playlist, you can play it on the car speakers and have a sing-a-long.
2. Stop to See the Unexpected
The longer your road trip the better your chances will be of finding something wild, cool, or even a bit whacky.
Check online and search for “cool things to see near X”. You can try several different cities that you will be passing through.
Whether you get to see a small and little-known ice cave, the world’s largest whatever, a dinosaur footprint, or just a cool Route 66 restaurant devoted to Elvis or the Doors, spending a few hours walking around will help alleviate the boredom, as well as put an end to the old ants in the pants syndrome.
3. Old Fashioned Games
Some of the most memorable stories come from playing traditional car trip games, including:
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Counting the number of times, you see the word “Blue” (or chicken or whatever word you pick) on a sign or billboard
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Play the license plate game where someone picks a color or number or out of state plate and the first person to find that plate wins
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Describe a movie you’ve seen without using the actor or actresses name or the movie title and see if anyone can guess it
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20 questions if you have little ones but if you have teens, limit it to 10 or even 7 questions
If you have several kids in the back (more than two) you might also play hot potato. Anything can be the potato, including a sock or a stuffed toy. Someone in front says go and the “potato” gets tossed from person to person. When the person in front says stop, the person holding the potato is the loser.
4. Follow That Sign
Especially when it comes to eating, picking out one of those infamous road signs (“Biggest Pastrami Sandwich in the World Served Here”) can be fun, especially for teens and adults.
Let’s face it, Denny’s and Mickey D’s gets old pretty fast. Try some of the local restaurants or other treats. If you see a sign that says Grandma’s Best Homemade Fudge- Free Samples, who can resist that?
5. Document the Trip
If you can have or if you can find one of those old Polaroid cameras, you know, the kind that would instantly spit out a photo, that will make this part extra fun but if not, take pics on your phone to print out later.
Kids 5-13 will love documenting their excursions. Get a large paper map (maybe several if you have lots of competitive kids) and let them trace the route they are taking. At every stop, let them take photos, maybe pick up an interesting rock or have them write a 100- word story, or let them draw a picture of something interesting that other people should know about where they were.
For example, if you stop near 6 Flags Great America, even if you don’t go inside the park, let your kids take photos and talk about which ride they would want to get on first and when they think they might be able to visit. Let them glue the photos to the map or you can let them make up a notebook (for those who love to write) to document their trip.
Other Tips for a Happy Trip
Of course, it goes without saying that you should keep a good supply of movies, snacks, blankets, and pillows on hand so that kids can choose that option if they need to.
Be sure that everyone has headphones that are in good working order so no one else is disturbed.
A super fun trip can be ruined in an instant if your car should break down. Avoid this possibility by having your vehicle serviced and inspected at least two weeks before you plan to leave.
The experts at My Mechanic will be happy to provide your vehicle with the best possible service and inspect every part of your car to ensure that your next road trip goes off without a hitch. If you need help winterizing your vehicle or if it’s simply time for your car, truck, or SUV to be serviced, you can trust the ASE-certified professionals at My Mechanic to keep your vehicle in tip-top shape for the upcoming winter weather.
Call us today for an appointment and happy holiday driving!
The Benefits of a Local Mechanic
Having a local mechanic that you can trust is worth your car’s weight in gold! The ASE-certified repair pros at My Mechanic will have more affordable prices than the dealership and chances are that our hours are much more flexible than the dealer.
For even more convenience, My Mechanic has two locations to serve you, Elmhurst, and Clarendon Hills.
Last, but not least, having a local mechanic that you trust means convenience you can count on.
