Fear not weary traveling parents. There is hope. Planning is key when introducing your preschoolers to the joys of the road trip.
When children get bored they get cranky and hard to deal with. The night before the trip ask each child to choose three to five of their favorite toys to take in the car with them. If you make the children a part of the planning process then they are more likely to choose something that they will enjoy.
Don't just let the kids choose everything, pack in a few surprises that you know the kids will love to mix things up a bit. The element of surprise will always help to break the monotony of a long road trip. You can get window markers that allow the children to scribble all over your car windows which they will love. Of course you will also need coloring books and crayons as well as a few pocket games to help pass the time.
Toys and games from home will only entertain for a few hours so have a few interesting and fun road games up your sleeve for this eventuality. You could try counting games such as counting the number of blue cars or see who can spot the most number of out of state travelers by their license plates. Older kids will have fun counting how many license plates have the letter "C" or the number 4. For something the whole family can get in on try the round robin style of story telling. Even the driver will be able to have fun with this. One person starts the story with a sentence and passes it on. As the story gets passed around each person will add to it.
It's inevitable, one hundred miles from nowhere your child will pipe out with, "Mommy, I'm hungry." And, we all know, a hungry preschooler is a whiney, unhappy preschooler. Never leave home without a cooler full of fun, easily consumed snacks. Healthy snacks are the best kinds as they are refreshing. Cut sticks of vegetables such as carrots and celery and make sandwiches out of fun shapes. Soft drinks and other sugary beverages should be avoided as these will just make the children hyper and restless. Sitting in a car gives them no way to burn all that excess energy off. Pouches and juice boxes are likewise a poor choice. One squeeze and the enjoyment of the rest of your trip will be jeopardized when that juice sprays all over the car.
If you think of a road trip as having the whole family together it can be a great chance to learn more about each other. Make your next trip one that you will enjoy remembering with fun activities and healthy food.