Rolemommy

tweeted http://twitter.com/annedoggett/status/15598649639

My tip was something that we did when my son was too young to really understand the concept of time, but still asked the most dreaded of all questions, "When will be be there?"! We used to answer him in
a measurement that he understood, his favorite TV shows. So, if we were and hour away from our destination, we would answer, that we will get there in 2 Barneys. We always packed snacks and drinks and listened to CDs and Books on tape. We also enjoyed making up stories based on what we were seeing out the window. Anything to make the time pass and keep little ones occupied!

Hi there!

I tweeted. :)

http://twitter.com/ghostamongyou/status/15625522602

And here's my road trip... Whatever you do, don't take your sister!! AHHH!!!!! Ok well maybe that only applies to me.

Take snacks!

tweet: http://twitter.com/stigay/status/15644068546

My top tips for road trips with kids:
Try to drive during naptimes or even at night when the children will be asleep.
Have all children go to the bathroom before beginning the trip (adults, too :)
Come prepared - bring videos, toys, books and lots of snacks to keep the kids busy and happy.
Play games - I Spy, license plate 50-state finder, letter, number, and color find (like license plate math, kids must find every letter, number, or color in the scenery) or make up your own games.
And for the sake of safety, designate the non-driving parent as being on kid duty to handle the million questions and requests, so that the driver may stay focused on the road.

We always pack a small cooler with healthy snacks and drinks. We buy new coloring books and magazines for the kids to read.

Tweeted.
http://twitter.com/DiamondStar728/status/15737616573
My tip is to bring plenty of snacks and drinks.
austma7@aol.com

I tweeted http://twitter.com/cstironkat/status/15759434684

We try to drive when the kids are sleeping. A great game we play is car bingo. I make up bingo cards with things like red sports car, McDonalds,
A car with an different license plate than the state we are in, etc. Both kids have to only watch their side of the road. When they win I have small prizes.

We also make up a story together about what we think we will do when we get to where we are going. I write everything down and then we compare it on the way back. The kids are not allowed to look at the story while we are there.

Tried to retweet - not sure if I did it right.

My tip is to bring lots of stuff to keep the kids busy - books, DVD's, audio tapes, etc. One of my sons loved looking at maps and tracking our progress.

would like to win this

My tips are bring plenty of snacks and water.

My tip is to have patience. Plan on stopping often for potty breaks and stretches. Plan an extra overnight stop if you have to. Don't try to cover as many miles as you would have in your pre-kid days, it's not a race!

Oops...here is my tweet

http://twitter.com/bucbratt/status/15914272797

Would love an I Pod

Growing up we always brought with us 101 things to do on trips! They were a set of cards with each card explaining an entertaining game to play while In the car! I've seen a few of these throughout the years at the local stores like Target.
Keep your eyes peeled at the Card ailse!

I tweeted at http://twitter.com/JCHARRIES/status/16039857955

My best tip is to make sure your vehicle is properly prepared. There is nothing worse than getting a flat tire and then you find out your spare is missing or flat! Or you hve low oils and try to drive across the country. Make sure you don't get broke down and ruin your trip!

My son really wants this :)

I retweeted you at 11:54 et on 6/14 from http://twitter.com/mom_fluence
Not sure how to get the full URL!

Games, snacks and coloring books are all musts. But when they've tired of that good stuff and start back in with "when are we getting there?" I involve them in the "getting there." I ask them for answers to the same questions I'm considering as I drive. Should I change lanes or stay in the slow lane? Should we get off at this rest stop or drive 15 more minutes to McDonalds? It gets their minds focused on other questions!

Popular car games include finding words in signs that start with every letter in the alphabet, or for older kids, "Movie matchups": Pick a question, like, "Who would be better at getting out of a traffic jam?" and offer two movie characters. They have to not only choose one, but defend their choice. (Note that the non-driver should act as MC for this.)

For quiet play, don't forget Invisible Ink books! There's a reason they're sold in most highway travel stops!

mkvegas tweeted
Stop the car and walk around at least every 90 minutes.

Bring books, games, coloring books, dolls, toys, a small DVD player to watch movies if possible, and point out the beautiful scenery as you go by! A cooler with food and drink is always necessary, and try not to bring along pets, no matter how endearing they may be!

I tweeted:

http://twitter.com/beth_w737/status/16662187304

My advice is similar to above, use books on tape and have kids think of alternate endings to their favorite books, or how their life might be if they were like their favorite character (ie, could do magic like Harry Potter).

For long trips, we leave in the middle of the night - 2:00-3:00AM, so that the kids will sleep most of the trip, and a re refreshed when we get to our destination. It also cuts down on the "are we there yet?" questions. It helps to bring pillows/blankets to make the kids more comfortable. We bring snacks & drinks, travel versions of our favorite games, and games made specifically for road trips. Movies that the kids pick out ahead of time (so there's no arguing that they don't want to see THAT movie). With all of the great apps available for kids now, if you have an iPad or iTouch, definitely bring it. And don't forget the car charging adapter! If traveling with a pet, bring a bowl & water.

http://twitter.com/My3Sons33/status/16684048601 tweeted

Driving at night is best with children, but always have snacks, sunglasses, books, games and movies if possible on long trips.

We play GHOST on the road a lot to pass the time. When my daughter was younger and couldn't handle losing, whenever the word ended on her we'd say, "Yay! You get to go first!" and she was happy that she got to pick the first letter for the next word... not realizing that she got to pick because she'd lost the previous round :-) As the kids got older, we started playing the advanced game, where you can put a letter on the front or the end of the word. My kids are great spellers now!

I tweeted http://twitter.com/bsw529/status/16937628964

Before leaving on a long trip I usually make a trip to the toy store or dollar store and pick out some great travel games. Like magnetic checkers, travel spirograph, a new my little pony, compact colorforms, etc, nothing expensive but a complete surprise to them. Then I make up a bag for each child. After we pull out of the driveway I hand them each a bag. This keeps them busy for a long time, opening and playing with their new toys. Of course there are snacks and drinks and stops at rest stops, but they usually go back to their goody bags. When that wears off, we do play I spy. But, if the ride is no more than 3 hours, they're usually content with their new toys.
I tweeted on Twitter here:
http://twitter.com/trishden/status/16992093395
Thanks for a great giveaway!

trishden948(at)yahoo(dot)com

Make sure that you have your kids lovies. Both of my kids always travel with their blankets and bears. I have 17 year old and a 7 year old. Imagine the 17 year old with her lovies.

Tweeted.
http://twitter.com/yonca1/status/17044138065
To bring lots of snacks and drink :-)

http://twitter.com/singermagic1/statuses/17069398677

my tip is simple, some crayons and coloring book ( I keep them in a plastic shoebox so they don't get lost) I love the word search books. Also bring along some water and simple snacks and break out new coloring books at intervals so there is something to look forward to. The 99 cent store is a great place to load up on simple treats and road trip toys
singermagic1(at)yahoo(dot)com

My kids are older so my tip for them is have their ipod full of music.

Thanks for the chance!
henglish(at)nb(dot)sympatico(dot)ca

My top tips for traveling with kids....Always figure it is going to take more time than Mapquest says. Add bathroom stops times two- I leave early in the morning at 3:00
AM, so I don't have to deal with traffic and my kids are slepping for a good part of the trip. This is also a great time to introduce new games, especially handheld ones. We also love approriate books on tape and sing along CDs (Sorry, I want to kill Barney or Ernie on the drive back home-after hearing the song 500 times!_ We pick up lots of little indidvual , easy to eat none messy snacks. This is not the time to worry about keeping a clean car. We also play, yes the license game, find a word starting with a, b, c.. and the kids must learn some new history item about each place we stop.

Pack activities, snacks, and videoss.

Tweet:http://twitter.com/nosogirl/status/17142198580

My road trip tip? Leave late at night or early in the morning so the kids will sleep through most of the drive. It certainly helps keep the peace and really cuts down on hearing "are we there yet?".

julie_reuter92 at yahoo dot com

ewalsh40(at)gmail(dot)com

Use your imagination, in order to encourage your kids to use their own. Especially when they're little.

It's not just a trip to the Grand Canyon. You have to go there so that you can yell into the canyon so that the rock king will release all the fairies that he has captured and is keeping in a cave to keep him company.

And is that just a cow standing by a fence? Or is it really one of the Rock Kings minions, waiting to report back to him that you're on your way?

Go to the thrift store and buy old funny clothes and hats, and to the dime store for fake glasses with the nose and mustache and make up a disguise bag so that everyone can travel incognito.

Use the keypad on the iPod touch to send secret messages or make phone calls to the Fairy Queen and let her know that the mission is on schedule.

Have binoculars for scoping out the territory for spys, special foods that make you temporarily invisible and books about fairies so that you'll recognize them if happen to catch a glimpse of any
that might be following you, to make sure that you make it safely to your destination.

Before you know it, you'll be there and they might even be disappointed that the trip is over.

I've subsribed.

I've retweeted.

jcpjfmdm Keeping Kids Busy on Summer Road Trips + a Giveaway! | Busy Moms Blog | Rolemommy http://bit.ly/amNMHp
less than a minute ago via web

My tip would be: give child(ren) some money for them to go into the dollar store and pick out what they'd like. Rule: it has to be something that will entertain themself(ves) in the car (eg. craft, book, toy)

Trips for me was terrible put me in a car and in 10 minutes I was car sick but I always had my walkman to listen to music and try to take my mind off the trip! advice (leave older sister at home !!!)LOL

I tweeted at http://twitter.com/GMERRELL/status/17189852838

Family road trips are great times to share stories with your kids. Write down a list to remember but take the opportunityt to share your family stories and your own childhood vacation experiences!

Sorry, I forgot to say that I retweeted.

http://twitter.com/ewalsh1/status/17143522656

http://twitter.com/kellyblackwell/status/17194469395

Tweet @kellyblackwell

We love road trips and one of our ways to make time fly is by bringing along various trivia cards. We pick up old Trivial Pursuit games, Disney Trivia, and any other trivia games we can find at the thrift store and randomly ask questions on the cards and have a lot of fun just learning some new things. We take the cards everywhere so we even use them to kill time in long lines.

Thanks!

kalea_kane(at)yahoo(dot)com

when on a road trip with kids always have a 1st aid kit

http://twitter.com/dddiva/status/17242891568

We love our road trips, would be on an endless adventure if it were only possible.

Some of the things I've learned over the years- and remember, these were mostly before we had personal electronic devices:

Let each child pack a lunch/snack bag of relatively healthy but fun snacks they can eat at will and a boredom buster bag- some of the faves over the years have been etch-a-sketch (no mess, yay!), sketch pad / journal with mechanical pencils, books on cd (well, now download to musical device) that everyone can enjoy, rubik's cube and other manipulative puzzles without tons of pieces, and of course a fabulous playlist that you can all enjoy.

If you are traveling through many states everyone finds out an age appropriate number of things to share with the family about each one- state bird, flower, points of interest, etc.

Make up stories- one person starts then chooses another family member to continue- this can get super silly and is tons of fun.

I tweeted http://twitter.com/Aerated/status/17252468185
I like to bring with "special" snacks that I normally wouldn't serve for long road trips. Starbursts are a favorite because the wax wrapper is a lot easier to clean up than crumbs. :) To make time go by faster, I also like to break up the trip into smaller sections. Instead of saying we'll be at our final desitnation in 2 hours, I say we'll be passing a memorable landmark, like a barn near us that's painted funky, in 20 minutes.

My advice is to never count on sleeping as an activity. Plan 24 hours worth of things to do per day you're vacating with your kiddo... the stuff that you don't end up doing/using will be a substitute for the days that you run out of things... and there will be those days, even with 24 hours planned.

http://twitter.com/kanderspina/statuses/17261478249

my tip...if you have more than one kid, let them swap seats once in awhile, change of scene works wonders. we always have music everyone likes and always bring travel games.

retweeted!

always supply multiple options as the kids will most likely argue about whao has what. splitters are a need and everyone gets their own pillow and a BOOK for quiet time!!!

We bring lots of snacks! And my boys love books and their VTech Mobigo and VReader! If they are eating or playing, they are good!

The iPod Touch is the key to keeping the 3-year old from getting upset with the 8 mo old!

There are so many wonderful , educational yet fun titles for it (more so than something like the DS) plus they are inexpensive enough for you to keep up with a Toddler's short attention span. :)

The iPod Touch is the key to keeping the 3-year old from getting upset with the 8 mo old!

There are so many wonderful , educational yet fun titles for it (more so than something like the DS) plus they are inexpensive enough for you to keep up with a Toddler's short attention span. :)

Tweeted: http://twitter.com/dewer421/status/17279518362

Also, we try to drive at night when the kids are asleep (figure the drive taking twice as long if they're awake), and we bring a dvd player with a new dvd or two that they haven't seen yet for when they're awake!

A great way to keep kids busy is to take the time to talk with them. Sure games would be fun but I find that being in a situation where they can't walk away or I can't shut out the noise is the best time to get to know who they are and who they're becoming. Ask them questions about what music they're into and their role models, they'll brighten up so quickly it'll be hard to get them to keep quiet.

I recently drove my goddaughters down to Miami(3 hours trip), they're 4, 6 and 8 years old. I allowed them to teach me about Justin Beiber and Hannah Montana, we then listened and sang along to to songs THEY liked on the radio and I got to hear their plans for the future, to be a princess, pilot and soccer player. Car rides with children is the greatest opportunity to converse with them as if they were adults and to build that strong bond, not to keep them busy with games, that would be a opportunity wasted.

The only thing that helps me survive is the license plate game. I play with my 3 year old, and we look for an A in a license plate, then a B, etc etc. Whoever finds them first gets a point.
Also I-Spy, but that get's a bit hard with the car moving. LOL.
shanna.elizabeth@hotmail.com

OOPS. I did retweet as well!
http://twitter.com/ShannaEAnderson/status/17281935486

retweeted: https://twitter.com/magicsam3
(Not sure how to get the direct link)

And now...my tip would be to collect some fun travel games and place them in one bag. For example, maybe a coloring books or travel board games, perhaps even just paper and pencils. That way, once it's time for a road trip, all you have to do is take the bag with you and your kids will be occupied. Or, better yet, you could leave it in the car so that it's even easier! That way, you can concentrate on more important things, such as what to wear!

Tweeted
https://twitter.com/86_angel/status/17282561570
My tip is to take a cooler packed with drinks and take snacks also pack a first aid kit and make my kids a surprise pack for the trip containing new colouring books /crayons and a couple of new toys
to keep them busy and i bring along their leapsters

tweeted: http://twitter.com/Jammie79/status/17284487164

My tip for traveling is to make sure and pack snacks. Also, we take a portable dvd player to keep our daughter entertained. We also like to play ispy is makes the travel time seem less and it is educational for our daughter.

Our favorite road trip game is to have a scavenger hunt where the kids rack up points for spotting certain things. We make a list of things that are each worth certain points-they may be anything from a bulldog to a woman wearing a hat to a certain kind of car. Then we give out treats when they reach a certain number. Even the adults get into it!

tweet
http://twitter.com/Jessilyn82/status/17286716206

jessibear19(at)aol(dot)com

Re-Tweeted post
http://twitter.com/alas3lads/status/17287503870

My travel tip: Always remember to bring a barf bag in case someone gets car sick!

Retweet: http://twitter.com/jatnnae/status/17288203278

My favorite tip... SNACKS! But try not to have salty snacks, or they will want drinks, which means constant potty breaks/diaper changes. I have all (8) crayons tied to an octopus-like soft plush so they can color without having the crayons fall to the bottom of the seats. Think the BIG crayola crayons. Also, a lot of familiar songs that everyone can sing along. You can also get (for the older ones) sunglasses to help them fall into nap time if you travel by day. Just have them look "cool" with their shades, which will tone down the light they get exposed to and, boom! They fall asleep. Works with mine every time. You can also do audio books of fairy tales. They LOVE that.

idahomom7 retweeted
My tip is to play a game where the kids get money for spotting certain items. We like
penny - American Flag
nickle - yellow car
dime - airplane
quarter - train
We also give a quarter for each state license plate seen. The kids then use the money for extras once we reach the location

Here's the link to my tweet:

http://twitter.com/pennypinchingp/status/17293175112

My little one is three and has a very active personality so I enjoy the challenge of keeping her busy on road trips.

My favorite thing to do it pack "theme" baggies of small activities that will occupy her for an while, but can easily or quickly be packed away during pit stops and potty breaks.

I take various size zipper storage bags and make each little 'theme' a week or so ahead of time, so I don't feel rushed and so it's a surprise when we get in the car. I pack all those in a big tote bag and we sorta grab bag it (or we can look for a particular type of activity).

These little 'theme bags' will include everything from a Barbie doll with maybe one or two outfits to a coloring book and some washable markers or crayons. We even do a small magnetic board and numbers or letters, card games, lots of books.

It's really great to do a 'theme bag' with a book about a topic...maybe the beach if you are going there, some paper & crayons, some stickers to match the theme and a couple of coloring pages to match the theme- the possibilities are really endless and this can be so budget friendly and easy to do.

For us, it's a great way to sneak in learning activities while entertaining our tot! We try to sneak in counting, letter & word recognition & all those basic preschooler skills.

You know when your kiddo is running to get back into the car to see what's coming-up next after a potty break, it was so worth the little bit of time and effort!

Tweet: http://twitter.com/hillfam2005/status/17296523163

My travel tips are to try to make it fun with games/songs and take many a potty breaks.

I tweeted for my first time. I hope I did it right. I love taking trips with my kids, but when are we going to get there gets to be boring. So, I always made sure they each had a bag of games, coloring books and books to read. We also played games like trying to see how many different license plates we could find and looking for different things that started with different letters of the alphabet.

tweet:
http://twitter.com/paz247/status/17237479291

http://twitter.com/Auriette/status/17300576482

We used to travel a lot when I was growing up. We sang traditional children's songs and collected license plates (no fancy books; we just wrote down the states we saw on a notepad). My mom would make me a list of 10 or 12 things to look for, which I could check off (a church with a steeple, a hotel with a swimming pool, a red truck), and as I got older, I'd make a list for her. We still laugh about the time I put "blue Toyota" on her list. After many miles, everything else was checked off on both lists, except for that blue Toyota. The whole family studied carefully every blue vehicle that we passed until finally we found one! That was probably 30 years ago!

My tip is if you have more than one kid, let them swap seats once in awhile and we always have music everyone likes.

covertpeace(at)gmail(dot)com

Hi. I tweeted about this giveaway.
http://goo.gl/E6Rc
My favorite road trip tip for my children is to have them pick an item they want to count or if they are not of age to count high then to just shout out! My daughter recent choose Tiger Lily's which grow on the side of the road in NY. Every time she passed one she would shout out Tiger Lily! It was fun for her and it made the time go by really fast! Thanks for this giveaway.

I tweeted! http://twitter.com/xbeautifulcoma/status/17304553704

My tip would be to always bring lots of activities! Snacks will be a for sure thing, but remember salty and sweet ones. Tastes always change in a matter of seconds!
Coloring books, magazines, books, travel games, and if you have one, a itouch, or laptop! I'd bring a few DVD's and watched them on the laptop!
A great way to keep them powered, which my dad did when i was younger, is a USB car charger! My ipod was always charged, so I would never be left bored.
And of course, a nice fluffy pillow and blanket, as taking a nap always kills some time :)

my hubby's family lives a state away. It's close, but not THAT close.. Typically 8-10 hours in the car, with a 2 year old. Yeah, it's fun..

We are huge on the portable DVD player.

And I get dollar deal toys wrap them up in paper. Isabelle gets to open a "present" when her patience runs thins (or mine..lol)

tweet!
http://twitter.com/ladyt64/status/17313823741

Make sure to bring snacks and travel games for long trips. An inexpensive portable DVD player is also a good thing for when the kids get cranky and need something to do as they get ready to take a nap.

I tweeted: http://twitter.com/ShesAnAngel417/status/17317005207

My road trip tip would be to not forget the Redbox movies! Honestly, this is one of the most awesome parent helpers of all time....Right before or when you are leaving for your trip have your kids go to Redbox and pick out a few movies they want to watch...and they're only $1 a piece! If you don't have a portable DVD player then maybe a laptop? You can keep them the entire trip or return them to a different Redbox at your destination and get more for the trip back! You can also reserve these online for easier pickup and if you don't want to spend any money then go online to your library a few weeks ahead of time and request some kids DVDs..awesome! Seriously, try it and don't forget the headphones :D

justine417@comcast.net

i tweeted: http://twitter.com/fdp4life/status/17320225474

my best road trip tip is to stop frequently to let the kids play and run around. it's hard to sit in a car by the hour.

I tweeted http://twitter.com/eyzofblu63/status/17321152477

My tip is bring along a box of denture cleanser tablets. They are great for cleaning pacifiers, baby spoons, sippy cups, and small toys on the road. Fill a glass (or denture cup) with warm water ( I carry a few bottles of water with us and use it a "room temp")use half the bottle,and a tablet and then the item. All set in five minutes, just take it out and rinse it off with the remainder of the water in the bottle. Great for a quick sanitizing without having to stop.

coloring books for little kids are a life saver on road trips!

jdmimi at gmail dot com

Pack a small bag of toys and snacks for each child for in the car. Include things like crayons and coloring books, books, video game systems, anything that will keep your child entertained while in the car. Stop regularly to let the children out of the car to stretch their legs and burn off some energy. If possible, start your trip at night so that the children will sleep most of the trip.

We were on vacation last week. We went to Panama City. My son's PSP was stolen (it was in our truck and someone stole it while it was being worked on at a automotive shop)from us a few weeks ago and I was not able to replace it before the trip. We have three children. One of our daughters had a nintendo ds and the other has a ipod so they were entertained. We have the dual portable dvd's so this help for some of the way. However, we came up with a new game (well new to us). When we hit Alabama, we decided to start looking for license plates from othe states. I scrambled to write all of the states down quickly and as a family we marked off as many as we could before we made it to Florida. We were amazed at some of the states we found, Michigan, Colorado, Ohio, etc... We made a joke and said that the one that found a Hawaii one would win queen or king for a day! Funny thing the entire time we were in Florida, we were still marking off states. It was a fun game and it was not about winning but working together.

Thank you for the entry! This is a fabulous giveaway.

Nikki

nikkidavissells(at)gmail(dot)com

tweet: http://twitter.com/js22222222/status/17336017275
Best to be over-prepared for kids on road trips - bring lots of snacks, and a small cooler with juice or water to drink. Go to somewhere like Barnes & Noble where they have tons of small games/toys for travelling and pick out a few that your kids have never seen and surprise them throughout the trip with a new toy or game to keep them busy during the drive.

Thanks for the giveaway!

js22 [at] yahoo [dot] com

This tip should be common sense, but many people do not utilize it. Invest in a portable DVD player. They can be found for under $100 these days. It is the best babysitter in the car that a parent could ask for. It will keep a child occupied and quiet for hours. You can borrow movies/tv shows from your local library before the trip and then enjoy and nice and quiet ride.

I tweeted.

When I was young we traveled across country and my neighbor gave me a bag of wrapped goodies. The "rule" was I could open one present every time we entered a new State. It kept the ride interesting because I had something new to play with for each state we visited.

I retweeted. @caseybecher

We keep the kids entertained by playing car games using what we see out the windows. For example, we play the alphabet game by trying to find all the letters of the alphabet, in order, on signs and license plates. We play math games using the mile markers and exit signs (add up all the digits if they are smaller. calculate the miles until a certain exit if they are bigger.) We each choose a color of car and see who can find 100 of their cars the fastest. If you are a little creative and use your imagination, you can think of tons of games that don't cost a thing and don't require any supplies. Plus, you teach your kids to use their imaginations, too.

My tweet is athttp://twitter.com/mommyad

And my traveling tip is lots of music that your kids like. You can have them sing along for at least an hour. Then they I let me pick a random word and my husband and I try to come up with a song that has that word in it. They LOVE trying to stump us with some silly words.

missywins at yahoo dot com

Books are always great, but puzzle books can keep the little ones focused on fun things too. Education + fun + walnuts and a cooler of H20 help!

I retweeted this post, also.

Love the gift bag

http://twitter.com/clueless_mama/status/17475920573

We love to take road trips in our family. We are actually purchasing a travel trailer this year. When we head out on the road we pack lots of fun games to play with the kids. We also pack lots of healthy snacks so the kids won't want all the junk when we stop for fill-ups.

Singing at the top of our lungs is one of the best things about road trips. We bring the television themes from the 80's CD and guess what show it was from. You can't do this stuff on a plane:) Thanks for the chance to win.

http://twitter.com/clueless_mama/status/17475920573

We love to take road trips in our family. We are actually purchasing a travel trailer this year. When we head out on the road we pack lots of fun games to play with the kids. We also pack lots of healthy snacks so the kids won't want all the junk when we stop for fill-ups.

Singing at the top of our lungs is one of the best things about road trips. We bring the television themes from the 80's CD and guess what show it was from. You can't do this stuff on a plane:) Thanks for the chance to win.

http://twitter.com/clueless_mama/status/17475920573

We love to take road trips in our family. We are actually purchasing a travel trailer this year. When we head out on the road we pack lots of fun games to play with the kids. We also pack lots of healthy snacks so the kids won't want all the junk when we stop for fill-ups.

Singing at the top of our lungs is one of the best things about road trips. We bring the television themes from the 80's CD and guess what show it was from. You can't do this stuff on a plane:) Thanks for the chance to win.

I Retweeted!!

We pack a small bag for each child giving each of them there own space even in our car. In the bottom of the bag is a cooler for keeping snacks and small bottles or water. Inside their bags they each have a change of clothes, their portable games (Nintendo ds and Vtech vsmile)with games and chargers, some books they have choosen and coloring books (Crayola wonder). I keep some movies they have not seen in a while, a trash bag, and one small present for each (travel game,itunes card) or something small but will help keep them busy. We also keep a small map and a timer so the older ones can help see where we are and when we will be there.

tweet:http://twitter.com/pyang264

Okay. So my tip is always most definitely be prepared and organized. I do agree with bringing some gadgets along because it will most definitely help. To also make things easier you sing songs together, play guessing games, etc. Always remember to be active in the car. Let the children get some fresh air, stop at a rest stop for a while. If you have a portable dvdplayer, bring it along to watch movies. Also, bring comfortable pillows or sheets when the kids fall asleep. Open the windows for fresh air and remember to take turns driving. Getting a GPS system may make things easier...or worse..

Diane - you're a runner up in the Road Trips giveaway! Please email me back at beyondpr@gmail.com so that we can send you an iTunes gift card!

This is great advice but I would also make sure to have video system of somekind, even better if you can hook up a game system to it. This has saved our sanity many times :)

Long road trips for young children can be challenging but if you plan it right you can create some great summer memories. And with new tools like the smart phones and ipads you can really save yourself a lot of valuable room in the car. Instead of lugging around puzzles and games to play with little pieces to loose or eat depending on the child. Now you just have to have some great apps loaded and ready to go. Only you know your child's likes and dislikes and might test out some games before you head out on your journey.

My 5 year old daughter loves legos and ninjago is one of her favorite, so I ended up getting a fun tap game also known as a bubble popping game. The game she really liked was Evil Sushi Squish It was a life saver and a great way for her to get her bottled up energy out. She goes to town tapping my phone and loves to get to new ninja levels. This was a really great game for our trip, and I'm sure there are many others out there.

Another thing I did to prepare for our 6 hour drive was to go to the Evil Sushi Squish web site and download the color sheets and activities. So when we got to the hotel she spent the evening coloring the charters of the game and played her Dad Evil Sushi Squish tic tac toe.

So one thing I see is that the app games are becoming broader based and lots of them have web pages with extended activities. Evil Sushi Squish was so popular with my daughter she never even asked for a different game. But this goes back to repetition and how children can hear the same story over and over and never tire of it. You just have to find the right story or game.

Hope this helps other parents about to take that summer car trip.