If you have kids, it’s a given: You need to have things to do on a long road trip (for your own sanity and the sanity of your little ones). Sure, you could let them cycle through every game on their tablet or let them binge their favorite shows and stream their favorite movies, but you’ve realized that tablets only work for so long.
Now, if you’re traveling with teens, they’re capable of entertaining themselves for days on end with nothing but a phone. But is that what you want your vacation to look like?
At the beginning of your long journey, you’ll need to decide what you want your family to get out of this trip–setting the tone early.
And that brings us to the first — and most important — of many things to do on a long road trip…
#1: Decide to Have Fun Together while on Your Road Trip Route
Face it. It’s actually easy to entertain ourselves on a road trip. While you could break out the devices and let them have at it, those little screens don’t bring us closer together. They isolate us from each other.
So first, choose – as a family – to have fun together.
If your kids have large age gaps, or you’re dealing with a van full of moody teenagers, kicking off the family fun might feel a little awkward (at least at first). But as the trip goes on, they’ll come around if you keep the right tone.
This isn’t to say that you have to ditch the screens entirely. They can be sanity-saving–but set designated “screen” times.
Okay, so if you won’t be on your devices—and that rule applies to you, too—what do you do?
#2: Play “Finish this Loop…”
The number 1 rule with this game is: You don’t have to be a good writer to participate. In fact, it’s better if you’re not.
The goal is to write stories as a family (or road-tripping crew if you’re traveling with friends) that you can read out loud and laugh about together over dinner. Here’s how it works…
Start with a prompt like…
“A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” or “A giant, a genius, and a master swordsman had just stepped off their ship when a beautiful maiden swept up to meet them. She said…”
- One person writes a paragraph (or sentence depending on age and ability) based on that prompt and then passes it along to the next person in the car.
- The next person continues that story, again, writing a paragraph or sentence and passing it on to the next person.
- When it comes to the last person, they have to finish the story. And then put it away to read over dinner.
See what I did there…
Everyone is left with a cliffhanger to the story except for the last person in the car. This means instead of scrolling through TikTok during dinner, everyone will want to know how the story ends. And that’s when the last person reads the story to their captive audience.
The more random characters and sorted love triangles, the better!
The best part is that you can restart and write a new story the next day. Or, if you’re more of an epic journey kind of crowd, you can continue the same story for your entire trip, only finishing it on the last day of your journey. It’s a great thing to add to your travel journal.
#3: Get Moving Together
It’s perfectly natural to get cranky when crammed in the car on long road trips. So have a set time every day when you stop, get out of the car, and get your blood flowing.
Find something you and your kids can do together, like…
- Throw the football
- Pass a soccer ball
- Do a short yoga session (Gotta take care of those hips after sitting for so long.)
- Try a HIIT workout
- Play tag
All of these things are easy to do, and all they require is some green space. Rest stops have plenty of room for these activities.
Yes, doing this takes up travel time—I get it. But it also helps relieve tension, provides structure and a built-in rest stop, and makes memories—good ones.
So take a little extra time to take care of your body and enjoy the journey.
#4: Choose Your Quest
If there’s something your online gaming teen and J.R.R. Tolkien would agree on, it’s this:
Nothing bonds people together like a shared quest.
But don’t worry. You don’t have to go to Mordor to destroy the one ring or anything. Your there and back again story can be something far less innocuous.
Find something you all enjoy. Then, integrate it into your trip plans. Like this…
Everyone loves pizza – you do, don’t you? So make it your quest to find the best pizza between Tampa, Florida, and Chicago, Illinois. (Or wherever you’re traveling to and from.)
Look up well-reviewed pizza joints on your route and have everyone rate their favorite pizzas.
Here are some other fun questing options:
- Best antique stores
- Most unique farmer’s market
- Great gas station bathrooms
- Coolest escape rooms
- Creepiest ghost stories in each town
- Epic hikes (check out AllTrails or other apps to find trails near you.)
The trick here is finding an interest in common that you can bond over.
#5: Discover New Games
These can be games you play on or off the road–maybe in the evenings, after you’ve reached your destination, or during that time before bed.
Now, there’s not always a lot of space for board games, depending on the RV you have. But if you have a deck of cards, you can never lack for games. There are literally thousands of games you can play with one single deck of cards.
You can look up game rules online or bring along a book of card games.
Or, if cards aren’t your style, have each member bring their favorite game to play. And each night, you can learn a new game together.
#6: Find your Next Adventure in an Audiobook
Not all entertainment requires human interaction. Whether you’re an avid reader or not, audiobooks serve as an excellent means to pass the time on a long car ride. You can enjoy a good story together and have something to talk about with your kids.
You can ask them questions about the characters:
- How did the characters behave?
- What do you think will happen next?
- What should that character have done instead?
And if you pick a good series, your kids won’t whine when it’s time to get back on the road. They’ll ask to listen to the book.
Great series for long road trips depend on your audience, but here are a few options:
- The Icarus series by Timothy Zahn
- The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
- The American Girl books by Valerie Tripp
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (but start with The Hobbit for full context.)
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
- The Halo books by a collection of authors
Pro Tip: This is also a great way to get your kids’ summer reading done.
Summary
Your next road trip is sure to stir a few laughs with the help of these activities. All you have to do is set the tone and choose to have fun together.
Whether you’re car camping or visiting national parks out West, you can have an amazing family vacation that brings you closer together.
When your road trip ends, it’s time to store your RV or camping setup—at least until your next big adventure. With the help of peer-to-peer marketplaces like Neighbor, you can look for covered or enclosed storage a little closer to home.
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