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The answer to a successful car trip: be prepared!

Description:
Most families embark on a long car trip from time to time. Traveling with young children can either be wonderful or difficult. Turn down the choruses of "Are we there yet?" and replace them with happy memories by planning ahead. With drinks, food, and plenty to do aboard, these journeys can actually be fun!

Step by Step:

• Planning Ahead: Always plan for your trip to take twice as long as you would without children. For long trips you will have to take plenty of food breaks as well as allow your children out to realease some of their pent up energy.
  
  Make a list of all the things you will need to take with you. If you're planning a long car trip, start your list a few days in advance. Begin your list by making a mental review of what a typical day is like.
• Entertainment: Sitting in the car can be boring, so it's a good idea to pack a few of their toys, books, and special treats for them to enjoy during the car ride.
  
  • Family Participation - Car rides are a great time to have the entire family participate in the fun. You can play games, sing songs, and tell stories.
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    • Take turns imagining an animal and the rest of the family takes turns asking clue-like questions.
    • Take turns telling stories. Or for added fun, one person can start the story and then each person in the car takes a turn adding to the tale.
    • Sing-A-Longs are a classic way to have fun in the car. In case that not everyone in the car knows all the words, you can take recordings of your favorite sing-a-long tunes.
  • Toy Bag - Fill a bag with some of your child's favorite small toys. Give your child a toy an hour or so. If you give them the entire bag, they'll go through all the toys too early in the trip.
    
  • Surprises - Buy your child new toys and throw them into the toy bag. Every now and then your child will be surprised to get a new toy.
    
  • Books - Make cassettes of you reading some of your children's favorite books. Take those books on the car trip and your child can read along (or just look at the pictures) as they listen to the reading. You can add tones at the end of each page so that your child will know when to turn the page.
    
  • Music - Children don't need special music. They'll listen to anything that's got a good beat and a nice or happy melody. Just remember to pack some recorded music in case that you lose radio frequency.
• Keeping Cool: Make sure to keep the car well ventilated during your trip. Long car trips will be much more comfortable if you either turn on the air conditioner or keep at least two windows open in order to let in the fresh air.
• No Direct Sunlight: Keep track of the sun and make sure that your children are properly shaded. Adjustable shades are useful because they can be moved around from window to window as necessary.
• Drinks & Snacks: Young children become very easily dehydrated and they can't always wait for the next rest stop. Make sure to take along plenty of fluids and easy to eat snack foods for your children. Take enough snacks for several times a day and make sure to pack extras in case of emergencies or delays along the way.
• Take a Break: Make sure to make frequent stops when traveling with small children so that they can stretch their legs, run around, and just get rid of that cooped up feeling. Take a ball, frisbee, jump rope, and sidewalk chalk so that your children have something to do at the rest stop while you're have a relaxing break of your own.

Materials:
Car seat
Window shades
Drinks (water & juice)
Snacks
Toys
Books
Recorded Music

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