Family Road Trip: 7 Ways to Stay Entertained during the Long Ride

Dad’s vacation leaves have been approved! Mom is finally convinced that the house is clean enough! School is out for the kids ‘til the year’s end! And to make things all the more perfect, the essential car components such as the engine, exhaust system, and tires have already gone through its mandatory check-up.

If you’ve already got those factors covered, then your family is just about ready to embark on that awesome road trip that you’ve been planning all year. But just to be on the safe side, you’d want to apply the following seven tips that should make your vacation completely free from boredom. Let’s begin!

Bring a Selfie Device

Smartphones are the one thing that people cannot go anywhere without. At least not anymore. With the advanced technology of today, mobile phones can offer so much more than communication. Just take the 8-megapixel camera on your iPhone and imagine how much it has entertained you for the last few months.

This now basic feature of smartphones is one of the things you will be most thankful for once you find yourself on a long drive to somewhere far, far away. With a camera in your hand, you can take a variety of photos such as scenery shots, selfies, group photos and even shoe shots and shots of other cars. Because, well, why not.

Encourage Family Games

Games are always a good way to pass the time especially when you’re on the road with the family. Be sure though to only pick games wherein all members are able to participate, even the one on the steering wheel, if possible. There are so many interesting and funny games to choose from – all you really need is to do your research before the day of the trip. Electronic games are also good in keeping the kids pre-occupied and entertained. Another use for the almighty smartphone.

Explore the Stopovers

Though you’d generally want to reach your destination as fast as possible, it’s best that you do regular stopovers every two to three hours of driving. Aside from the fact that you’ll most definitely need to use the restroom after a few hours on the road, your body and mind will also need a change of scenery.

You can make this part of the trip worthwhile by stopping at a place where everybody can do something that will ease the thought of the long journey ahead. Do something fun before going back inside the car! Keep in mind that staying in one position for extended periods of time can lead to back pains and extreme fatigue, which is hazardous especially if you are the one in the driver’s seat. So no matter what stopover you end up in, don’t ever forget to stretch!

Succumb to Sing-Alongs

We’ve seen this play out in numerous movies, and with good reason – Sing-alongs are incredibly fun! If you know of songs that each family member loves, be sure to include it in your road trip playlist! But only are sing-alongs an amusing way to pass time, but they’re also a healthy activity that will strengthen the family bond.

Music is so universal that the right song can act as a peace treaty between sibling rivals. If you’re able to come up with an entire playlist of “right songs” and the family car will have more Zen than a monk’s temple.

Stock on Scrumptious Snacks

Sometimes, in between stopovers on a long drive, kids in the car get hungry and start complaining and crying and throwing tantrums and whatnot. You can’t really blame then though. When human beings begin to feel even the tiniest urge to eat, we begin to scour our surroundings for food. This is why you should always have food readily available for consumption inside your vehicle. Besides keeping your belly happy, it can also be quite entertaining just being able to eat with the family on an out of town trip.

Broaden your Filmography

Another reliable idea when going on a long ride is to bring along a couple of films which can you can view on the car’s DVD player, your tablet, potable player, and, you’ve guessed it, your smartphone! Don’t be surprised if, at the end of your fifth film, the supposedly dreadful drive felt shorter than the climax of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”. *Wink, Wink*

Engage in the Surroundings

Have you ever just stared out the window of a car looking on as you drive along, feeling that the unfamiliar places that you pass through might have something interesting to offer? Well, if you want to change things up for this year’s ride with the family, then why not try interacting with the places that lad to your destination?

If you find a certain town interesting, or any establishment for the matter, go out of your way for a short while and find out what the place has to offer. Who knows? Maybe your little side trip will end up as the highlight of the entire vacation! As Samuel Johnson has so perfectly put it, “Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.”