So I know it’s been silent over here lately- but I can’t believe how busy it’s been over the last few weeks. I hate buying into the whole “I’m so busy” attitude, but really, it’s been crazy. I’m extremely grateful that my photography business is doing well, but I’d love to find the time to post on here more- I have so many ideas and places I want to share with you.
Last summer I wrote about our favourite places in Edmonton to hike with kids, and this summer we are heading just out of the city to find new places to explore. We finally had the chance to visit the Clifford E. Natural Area just outside West Edmonton. It’s located just north of Devonian Gardens, right off Highway 60 and then west 2km on Range Road 514/Woodbend Road. There is some small signage to direct you along the highway (if you are looking for them- they can be easy to miss). This Bird Sanctuary is protected by Alberta Parks and maintained by Ducks Unlimited. It is well worth the 20 minute drive out of the city for some easy hiking and great interactive exploring. When hiking with kids it’s great to give them a little more then just a trail- things like boardwalks, bridges, water, stumps to jump off and giant rocks to climb on all keep them them engaged and interested during your walk. At Clifford E. Lee Natural Area my girls loved the displays throughout the path system challenging them to find different animals and foliage. They also loved running along the long boardwalk loop. With the exception of the Woodland Flower trail, the other 4 main pathways all connect so its impossible to get lost. Each route is under 1km, making it possible to explore every trail in a afternoon (and making it perfect for kids).
On our visit we checked out the bulletin board at the entry and found a list of commonly found wildlife in the park- this kept the girls engaged during our walk trying to find each one. We came across many different birds (there’s feeders throughout the park), a garter snake, squirrels, a mouse, wild mushrooms, wild raspberries, strawberry plants and numerous insects. Violet also brought along her animal tracking book and only found the tracks of the elusive domestic canine…but she loves trying to find the different footprints and analyzing every bit of mud she comes across. Her animal tracking book is one of her favourites and definitely a must-have for camping trips and exploring trails.
The board walk trail goes around much of the marshland and is about 3 feet off the ground. There are no railings, so if you have little ones who “need” to run but may walk right off the edge, it might be easier to carry them in a backpack or stroller. The park, with the exception of the Aspen Trail, is stroller friendly. There is lots of boardwalk for walking along with a stroller and then wide dirt paths through the forest and fields. The parks is also leashed dog-friendly but not bike friendly.
I would budget 2 hours for exploring and pack a lunch for the picnic tables at the main gate. It’s beautiful little hidden gem in the Edmonton area that’s worth a visit.
Look forward to
-Several family friendly trails that loop
-Lots of wildlife to search for and built-in binoculars to do so
-Bird viewing platforms that double as a “treehouse” in kids’ eyes
-Peace and quiet just minutes outside the city with no admission costs
But be prepared for
-Mosquitos (it is marshland after all)
-Limited bathroom facilities. In other words, head to the bathroom before heading out (the porta potties on-site were spider invested)
-The boardwalk does not have railings, which could be a hazard for younger kids
Our insider tips
We visited on a weekday and we only saw one other family on the trails. If possible, try to explore during the week. Take a cell phone picture of the map at the gate so you can refer back to it when deciding which paths you’d like to take- a 1km can be the difference between a fun walk and a tantrum with toddlers. Be sure you pack a hat (the boardwalk trails are in full sun). There are no services in the park, so make sure you bring water and anything else you may need. Be sure to read my blog post about hiking with kids for more tips before you head out.
 
I’ll be honest- we have never actually gone camping for the May Long weekend before. The weather always seems to be crummy and we always are planting our garden. Well, this year the garden was in by early May and we bought a trailer to handle the bad weather, so we ran out of excuses to try it out. And before you start saying “camping in a trailer isn’t real camping” let me clarify that we bought a 1972 vintage Boler. It’s basically like sleeping in really cute our fibreglass tent. We’ve been renovating it since the fall, and although we are still working on getting it a new coat of paint, it’s pretty darn awesome.
So back to camping. Yes, it did rain nearly all weekend long. Yes, it was cold. And yes, I got a little grumpy on Sunday morning when my sleeping bag got soaked from a leaking window. But here’s the thing, the kids didn’t want to leave. They didn’t seem to care it was raining and certainly didn’t mind having to cuddle around a campfire to stay warm. They loved playing Uno on our bed and loved jumping in puddles. They loved getting ice cream in the rain and tracking animal footprints in the mud. When it was time to go home (a day early, cause I’ll admit I’m no super woman) Violet cried because she was having “the best time ever”. Turns out you don’t need perfect weather and a pristine lake to have great camping experience. All the kids wanted was just to spend time together. Walks along the beach and through the forest in the rain are some of Violet’s best memories of the weekend. It was the perfect time to slow down and just enjoy being together- and it centred Tim and I before a few busy weeks of work ahead. And while I’m hoping that indeed we have good weather for the rest of our summer camping trips, I certainly won’t be cancelling any over a little rain.
So what did I learn over a weekend of rainy camping?
Be prepared– packing extra clothes and rain gear were an absolute must. The girls recently chose Encanto Boots from Keen Footwear and I have to admit that they are the best kids boots we have ever owned. I actually brought along 3 different pairs of footwear for each girl in case their feet got soaked (nothing worse!) but they only wore their Keens all weekend long. They are made from super durable synthetic material and are lined inside making them the perfect kids boot for spring or fall. They weigh next to nothing so they’re great for hiking around the trails too. The best part was the bungee cord on top to keep the inside dry while puddle jumping. They never got their feet wet or complained once. #winning.
Research the town closest to your campground for extra activities. Small towns often have quirky festivals, markets and museums. In our case there was a indoor farmers market nearby on Saturday morning to enjoy some time out of the rain. Also a local swimming pool with a hot tub is also the perfect way to warm up in the evening and have great quality time together (and enjoy a hot shower!).
Stay Close to Home. If you are really wanting to get out for a weekend and the forecast looks dreary, consider staying at a campground near home… just in case the weather puts too big of a damper on your trip. Close campgrounds to Edmonton are Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, Elk Island National Park, and Wabamun Lake which all around 30 minutes from the city. These nearby campgrounds are also great to book early or late in the season if you’re not sure if your kids will enjoy camping if it’s a bit colder then they’re used too.
Decide to just enjoy the rain. Creatures like frogs and worms come out in the rain making for great childhood experiences. If everyone is warm and dressed appropriately, being outside in the cold is actually (gasp) even relaxing. The sound, the smells, and even colours of nature are all better in the rain. I packed the girls winter jackets when I saw the forecast for the weekend and they were perfect for exploring in the evening. However, if we end up making a habit of rainy weekend camping, I may end up buying them these suits from MEC which I have heard are worth every penny.
Bring along some “indoor activities”. While we love being outside in nature and exploring every chance we can get, our primary purpose with camping is to spend time together as a family. Most weekends the exploring IS the spending time together, but sometimes there’s a crazy thunderstorm and you just need to stay inside the tent. Packing family friendly games like Uno, a simple Memory Match game, and a few board games gave us what we really needed, more Technology-free family time. I know I’ve said it a million times, but these years are short. I’m going to squeeze every little bit of quality time with my kids that I can. Luckily for me, some of this time is spent sitting crosslegged on a sleeping bag eating way too many treats, playing way too many games and enjoying it all way to much.
Here’s some very quick (and mostly iPhone) images from our May Long Weekend 2016 at Thunder Lake Provincial Park. It was perfect place for our maiden voyage with the trailer- less the 80 minutes outside the city which made it easy to come home early. The beach was sandy and the lake was beautiful. There was also a extenstive trail system for hiking. The best part was our site, B-50, was lake front with gorgeous foggy morning lake views. Worth it.
We try to visit Drumheller every year with our kids- it’s only three hours from Edmonton, we love the landscape, our girls love dinosaurs and there’s so much to do. You can hit up the major atttractions on a day trip or spend a weekend and really get exploring. With lots of accommodation options there’s everything from hotels with waterslides and pools to camping in a Provincial Park with no services. Whether you’re thinking of making a weekend out of it or have a little less time, here is our list of our Top Ten attractions to explore with kids while in the Drumheller Valley. We also like to keep our costs low while travelling, so while there lots of activities like mini-golf and bumper boats around Drumheller, most of these activities are free or inexpensive.
1.) Start by heading over to The World’s Largest Dinosaur. It’s located right along the river and is attached to the very helpful visitors information centre- grab a free local map for the rest of your trip here! Kids under 5 are free to climb to the top, so I took the girls up while Tim watched from below (he decided he didn’t need to spend $6 walking up a dino 😉 ). However, the last three times we’ve been to Drumheller the girls have literally begged to go back up, so I guess that shows it’s good entertainment value for the younger crowd.
2.) Go for a Hike at the Suspension Bridge. The bridge itself is wobbly and fun to cross, and then there’s acres of badlands to run across and explore. You can spend hours hiking, or quickly make it up to the old coal mining structure and call it a day. You can also head further south on Hoodoo Trail and make it out to the actual Hoodoos as well. That park has structured trails around each hoodoo and is suitable for all ages and ability.
3.) Check out The Tiny Church. Kids seem to like mini things and going into a church the same size as playhouse is actually pretty exciting. I recently posted a picture of it on my Instagram and had many friends message me about how they remembered playing in it as kid themselves. I also remember visiting it as a child and anytime memories vividly stand out to me as an adult I feel like it’s worth taking my own kids. It’s located just past the museum on the highway, right before the Golf Course.
4.) Royal Tyrrell Museum. This place is a given on any trip to Drumheller. The Museum is world class and is fantastic for kids and adults alike. If you don’t want to spend the money on a visit (it was $36 for the two of us, kids under 7 are free), the interpretive trails around the grounds are free to hike, along with the large shaded dino-themed playground and picnic grounds. If you plan on visiting more then one Alberta museum this year, I highly encourage the very reasonable Alberta Museum Pass. The Royal Tyrrell Museum will take around 2 hours to go through with kids and very hands on for every age. It is closed on Mondays.
5.) Go for lunch at the 100 year old Last Chance Saloon. Cross 11 bridges (in a short couple of kms) to get out to Wayne, Alberta (population 33) and enjoy lunch at the kitschy Saloon. Kids will be kept busy looking at the decor or at the roof covered in currency from around the world. The servers are funny (they asked us to BBQ our own steaks out back) and if you ask nicely they’ll even turn on the 1940’s big band box. There’s also often live music on the patio. The food is standard pub fare with the menu and directions can be found on their website.
6.)The Atlas Coal Mine tour is another must do, especially if your children are older. We haven’t done it yet because Maeve is still too little to go underground on the Locomotive, but my brother and his family have and they loved it. We took the girls into the Bellevue mine in Crowsnest Pass a couple years ago and we still hear about it often, so I’m guess Atlas would be a another winner. Tours can fill up quickly, especially in the busy summer months. There are above ground tours are for all ages and you can even climb the tipple, check out their website for videos more details.
7.) Hike Horsetheif Canyon. Outlaws used to hide stolen horses in the Canyon because it is so vast and has many hidden valleys. It’s gorgeous and even looks a bit like a mini grand canyon. There are steep areas and no marked trails- I recommend good shoes, water bottles and hats, especially in the summer. Also if the ground is wet it is too slippery to hike- the sandstone is like a mudslide. But on sunny days we have “hiked” it in flip-flops and even in dress shoes 🙂
8.) On a hot summer day cool down at the spray park next to the giant dinosaur. There’s also there is a wading pool with a fountain to play in. If you are staying at a campground or in a hotel without a waterslide, the Recreation Centre has a great one, along with both inside and outside pools. We usually take an hour in the heat of the day to get ice cream (there’s a fossil shop that sells hard ice cream across the street from the dino), have a picnic and play in the splash park.
9.) Search the town for Dinosaurs. There are over 30 brightly coloured dinos all around the town of Drumheller. It’s fun to count them as you see them and notice the clever painting work. For example, the dino outside the Fire Hall is white with black spots and the Triceratops in the shopping area is carrying a purse. If we ever walk by one, you bet the girls are asking for a picture with it!
10.) On your way in or on your way out of Drumheller, spend a little extra time travelling and cross the Red Deer River on the Bleriot ferry. We guessed it added about 20 minutes onto our trip home, but it was educational and fun. There’s not too many ferries left in Alberta and it was a great experience for them. The captain is very friendly and will explain all about the pulley system. It’s free to cross and was currently running between 8am-11pm- but double check the times before heading out.
We’ve also enjoyed our experience staying at the Ramada which has a waterslide, free cookies and a free breakfast. We have also been camping at the Rivergrove campground which is in great central location. We have enjoyed eating at O’Shea’s Restaurant during each of our trips- it has a great kids menu. For a Map of the area, check out www.drumhellermap.com
Where do you like to visit on a road trip to Drumheller?
It’s May. It’s nearly time for camping season, warm weather, staycations, and exploring Alberta. A few posts back I listed my Favourite Campground for exploring with kids, and Writing-On-Stone made the list. My next several blog posts will be giving more detailed personal experiences of each location and why we think you should add them to your bucket list for summer.
Writing-On-Stone is one of my very favourite places in Alberta. I love hoodoos, I love hiking with my kids and I love cultural exploring. This Provincial Park offers all three. It’s a little over a hour drive from Lethbridge and the nearest town is Milk River . Or if you would prefer to do your exploring from a hotel or Bed and Breakfast there’s some in the Milk River area as well. The park is about a 6 hour drive from Edmonton, but well worth the effort- my girls still talk about our last trip there.
The best part about Writing-On-Stone is the hiking. There are easy walks for any age with so many trails to explore. The hoodoos border along the edge of the campground for easy access. There are a few marked trails (We hiked the Hoodoo Trail along with Visitor Centre Trail and both are easy for any age) but my girls mostly liked just running around though the different rock formations and looking for new ways to get the top of each. Be forewarned- it can be SO hot in the hoodoos. And I mean like 40+ degrees hot. Exploring is better done in the early morning or before sunset.
During the heat of the day there’s a playground and day use area with lots of shade-giving trees. There is also a great little camp store on location that has lots of cool treats. Their slurpee machines works overtime- and if you save your cup your next slurpee is half off (we might have drank half a dozen one day!). But the best way to cool off is to swim in the Milk River. The sand is powdery soft and the current is slow enough to play in. Make sure you pack shade umbrellas and a blankets for sitting on because is no shade or picnic tables on the beach. We also brought large tubes to float down the river in- there’s multiple river entry points along the campground- so you can float down and exit out at the beach. The current is gentle- so it’s relaxing for adults and slow enough that I let my kids ride their own tubes. The beach and river were definitely a highlight of our trip to WOS, and it was a perfect place to spend the afternoon. (Be sure to check the water quality before heading out. On our visit in 2014 the water quality was considered very poor- but that seemed to make no difference to those still swimming in it)
There is a modern (and air-conditioned) visitors centre at top of the valley. It is free admission and there are a lot of hands-on activities, exhibits and short movies. Budget at least hour for the centre, especially if your kids are like mine and enjoy playing the interactive games and reading every single infographic. They had some really unique First Nations children’s games, dolls and toys which was fun for them to experience. There is also free wifi at the visitors centre- which is important to note as there is no cell phone service at the bottom of the valley in the campground. You can also book your tours at the visitors centre, or online ahead of time. If you are travelling on a weekend, it’s probably best to book your programming ahead of time. We did the “Rock Art Tour” and while Violet at 5 was (sorta) entertained, Maeve at age 3 was not interested at all. However, if you are interested in First Nations history, I would totally recommend making a point of taking one of the tours though- most of rock art isn’t accessible unless with a guide. However, the “Battle Scene”, which is one of the most elaborate rock carvings, is open to the public and located on The Hoodoo Trail. It’s about 2.5 km, which in the heat is a very long walk, but on a cooler day I would say it is still worth the effort. There are also interpretive programs nightly in the campground during the busy season. There are posters throughout the park with times and dates- the Snake Program is particularly exciting for the kiddos. The Writing-On-Stone website is continually updated with the current programming, so be sure to check it out before you leave.
It’s important to note that the campground is small (44 sites) so you need to book in advance- they offer a 90 day booking window with Alberta Parks. There are also 3 comfort camping canvas tents if you don’t have the gear or just want to try something new. The campground offers all the basics- fresh drinking water, showers, a playground, interpretive trail markers and a amphitheatre for the nightly shows. I would consider it an attraction in Alberta to not be missed- it’s just so different from anywhere else.
Look Forward to
-Mexico type temperatures at the beach
-Teaching your children about First Nation’s History and Culture
-Climbing and exploring
But be Prepared For
-Mexico type temperatures. Bring a hat, sunscreen, water bottles, ice. Be sure to stay out of the sun in peak hours.
-Bugs and Wasps. Make sure you pack ample Bug Spray.
-Hearing the sounds of Rattlers. While I haven’t seen a snake in the Hoodoos yet, I have definitely heard them. If snakes scare you, know there is possibility of seeing one.
Our Insider Tips
-Stop in Milk River to purchase cold drinks and ice before heading out to WOS. The little grocery store had all the basics and by purchasing a few perishables there it made packing easier in Edmonton.
-The town of Milk River also has a spray park and a outdoor pool if you are looking to get cool and the river water quality isn’t good.
-If your kids are a bit older and can portage across the Milk River, there’s way more hiking in the backcountry area, you just need to check in with the Park staff before departing.
We recently drove 20 hours South to St George, Utah. We had previously done 8 hour trips and although they were still long, they didn’t compare to two full days of driving. During the trip I kept notes of what worked for us, and what didn’t. I’ve compiled a long list of things to do, how to stay sane, and the little tips I learned along the way. So without further ado, here’s a long list of how to keep those kids busy (and keep yourself smiling) on a long long drive.
- Go buy a Star Kids Travel Tray. I can’t say enough good things about this lap tray. Both my girls ask for it on as soon as we get in the car, even when we are just driving in our city. It has ingenious design with a clip that goes around the back of the carseat and can be unclipped on either side. It’s made from a soft and comfortable foam, but the girls found it sturdy enough for colouring and crafts. It has multiple side pockets for books and crafts and water bottles. It wipes clean. It’s carseat safe and won’t hurt them in the case of an accident (unlike large plastic trays that can crush them or could shatter). Honestly, if you are planning to be in the car for any amount of time this summer with kids still in a carseat or booster, go buy it today. And for $30, it’s a steal of a deal for your sanity. We purchased ours locally at Wee Love.
- Get each kid their own tupperware container to keep at their feet. Everything they can bring along will fit inside this tupperware- activities, toys, books, crafting supplies. At the end of each leg of the trip, everything must go back into the tupperware. This keeps your car clean, keeps the activities organized and every knows where their own things are. We purchased dollar store tubs and decorated them with stickers as a pre-trip anticipatory craft.
- Remember those baby window shades you used when your kiddos were really little? Bring them back out. Nothing makes my kids crabbier then trying to colour with the sun in their eyes. On that note, pack them sunglasses too.
- Kids noise cancelling headphones for movies, music and iPad games makes the car ride that much quieter. A good pair is worth the investment on a long trip. We loaded up an old iPhone 3 with a bunch of music for Violet and she loved singing along while doing her crafts. And the adults got to listen to podcasts without any complaining.
- Kids love tactile activities while travelling. In each tub I included a small pad of construction paper, a glue stick, scissors, foamie stickers and some magazines for cutting. My girls love crafting and cutting paper and gluing and creating. This sounds like it could be a big mess, but it’s really not! Maeve just wanted to cut things out of magazines and while there was a ton of little pieces of paper everywhere afterwards it really took very little time to clean up.
- Bring wet wipes (we still use baby wipes in the resealable pouches ) for cleaning sticky hands. They’re still perfect for cleaning up snacks and for tons of different emergency uses. Don’t leave home without them!
- Buy the extra large size of Ziplock bags for your in-car garbage bags. They contain everything and extra messy messes (or smelly ones) can zipped in right without liquids spilling out accidentally. We also use them for motion sickness accidents and seal the mess right up. (Be sure to pack kids Gravol just in case- especially if you are taking mountain roads. I basically survive road trips on a steady stream of Gravol unfortunately and windy roads are the worst).
- And really, bring ziplock bags for everything. Bring a extra box of snack size bags in the glove box for splitting up snacks or purchased treats on the way. You can bring one big bag of popcorn and then share it evenly among your carload. I’ll usually keep a bag of baby carrots in the cooler and it makes it super easy to divide everything into personal sized portions. (And I promise we use reusable tupperware at home, but for travelling I want to keep things simple and not have to worry about cleaning out tupperware at 11pm in the hotel bathroom.)
- Freeze a pile of juice boxes and water bottles to bring along in the cooler of snacks. Your snacks will stay chilled for longer and your kids can have juice box “slushies” as they thaw. We use a soft sided collapsible cooler to save on room in the car, but I’ve seen coolers that plug into the car lighter at really reasonable prices. If you have room in your vehicle (we never do!) that could be awesome idea.
- Listen to audio chapter books from your local library. I’m really hoping to start Harry Potter this summer and continue with the entire series as the kids get older. The Naria Series is also on my list. For now we enjoyed Dr. Suess’ Short stories. We also brought along a half a dozen library children’s books with audio and the girls enjoyed taking turns holding the book to turn the pages.
- Play the “Going on a road trip” game. Say “I’m going on a road trip and I’m going to bring along_____”. Then say something that fits in a category or pattern. Then ask your kids what they will bring- if it fits in the right pattern they “can come”. We’ve played this game with me bringing things that are all the same colour, start with the same letter, or things that belong together (like farm animals). With older kids you can do harder patterns like alphabetical or backwards alphabetical or ingredients for a recipe. It’s great for problem solving skills and it’s fun for them to keep guessing what to bring until they realize the pattern.
- Bring tub or two of Playdough. Sounds messy right? Turns out it’s not really and even what drops to the ground can be picked up or just dries out. This works particularly well with younger kids who can look out the window and keep their hands busy. Having the tray makes these kind of activities really easy. Just leave the silly putty at home- I have silly putty stains that I can’t get out on carseats and clothing from our last trip!
- Bring a map and a highlighter. Kids can trace the route and write when you stopped and why you did. We printed ours out from Google maps and taped a couple pages together but you could purchase bigger maps or allow them to do it digitally on an iPad.
- Travel with a hidden bag of wrapped travel surprises, similar to what I talked about in my Flying with Kids post. When someone is getting cranky or bored you can distract them with a gift, or when someone has been excellent and quiet, you can reward them. Dollar store items, magic ink books, colouring books, new craft supplies, mini flash lights are all good ideas. I like to wrap the prizes just to make it a little more exciting. Who doesn’t like to unwrap gifts? You can also give out surprises but on a timer system. Anytime your iPhone timer goes off, or you reach a certain location they get a prize. Or you could tell them a very specific time to wait for and they receive the prize when they see it’s excactly the right minute.
- Glow sticks and glow in the dark items are big hits come evening travel, especially if you’d like them to not fall asleep before your destination. They are the perfect small novelty item that works great as a surprise after a long day of travel.
- Bring a roll of masking tape for younger toddlers. Kids love tape. Just hand them a roll and let them just put it anywhere. Sounds strange but a great time killer (also works well on airplanes!).
- Play the classic 20 Questions. We had several very interesting games of 20 Questions on the way to Utah- I’m always a little surprised at how much my kids actually know! Maeve (4 years) could easily follow along and come up with her own “Animal, mineral or vegetable”.
- If you stop to grab a quick bite of fast food don’t let your kids actually eat while you are there. Play in the indoor playground or stop at a outdoor playground while the other adult grabs food. Use your stopping time as energy burning time– get in as much running around as possible. They will be happy to eat in the car (on their perfect little trays) and they won’t waste time eating when they can be active. You can bring along a jump rope, a blow up ball for playing some “volleyball”, or have them run a race or obstacle course. If you see a splash pad and it’s hot outside, that’s perfect too. If you are really clever you can call ahead to order pizza so it’s ready at the park or gas station when you arrive.
- Bring a large scrapbook for your kids to glue, draw and write in. I found a 10×10 size book at the dollar store and glued a map of our trip on the front. Then I left the first few pages blank for her to put in random things along the way. I also wrote some questions along the top of the page that she could fill in as we went. Things like “Draw a picture of what’s outside your window right now”, ” What was the best part of your Day?”, ” What did you have for lunch?”. She could write or draw her answer, making the book more interactive and giving her ideas of what to document. She glued in brochures from museums we stopped at, receipts from gas, ticket stubs from the children’s museum. It turned out to be a great memento from our road trip and gave her something to do on the drive.
- Give your kids an old phone just for the camera, or an old digital camera, or even a retro film camera to document the trip themselves. Getting the prints back is really fun for kids- and they can be added into the scrapbook. We gave Violet a Instamatic Camera to be able to put the instant polaroids right in to her memory book.
- Stay in hotels that have pools. Have a morning or evening swim to have some fun and use some energy. For us, a swim before leaving in the morning is better, but whatever works best for your kiddos. We even stopped at a local pool/hotspring in the middle of our drive one of the days- perfect way to break up the trip.
- Buy time consuming craft kits– rainbow loom bracelets, Crayola sets, sticker mosaic picture kits, colour by number kits…. those inexpensive items that take up a lot of time, but that then can be recycled or thrown out at your destination are best.
- Talk about what your destination will be like. Write down the answers on the drive there and read them on the way home. Talk about what they guessed right and what things were different about the destination. Younger kids can draw pictures of before and re-draw the actual scene after. Taking about why things were different then what they imagine is a great icebreaker question into talking about different climates or vegetation.
- Bring school work and or homework. Little kids can easily work on these Kumon books (on sale at Edmonton Costcos right now for a steal, or at Mastermind Toys) and need very little guidance for each page.
- If you are staying in Canada bring along Kinder Eggs as a treat AND a toy. Pull them out as a reward from your hidden bag of surprises. (Just don’t sneak them into USA where big fines are given to those bringing in the little eggs of deliciousness.)
- If you are like us and don’t have a entertainment system in your car, bring along a iPad (buy, borrow or beg a friend) and jam the iPad between the two front seats so it’s facing the kids and make your own entertainment centre. If you have bluetooth turn on the speakers to sync to the Ipad so all the kids can hear. Bluetooth headphones are perfect too. It works exactly the same as a fancy DVD player and everyone can watch the same movie together. Classic Disney movies your kids might love and have never heard of are- Swiss Family Robinson, Old Yeller, Homeward Bound, and Mary Poppins.
- Play the sign game. Each kid needs to find a word on a sign that begins with the letter A, B, C, D….. The trick is going in alphabetical order and not skipping ahead until each word starting with needed letter is found. With older kids you can play it as a competition- no working together, whoever spots it first gets to use the word and each kid needs to find their own word of each letter. It gets pretty hard around “V”….. but I can confirm the whole alphabet CAN be done!
- Usborne Sticker books. I’ve talked about these sticker books before but they are truly worth their weight it gold. We can get at least4 hours (not in a row… usually) from each book. The stickers pull off the paper perfectly and don’t need a parent to read them instructions. Lots of the titles are quite Educational too, with themes like Classic Composers, Ancient Greece, Vikings or WWII. And I can now confirm boys like them as much as my girls do.
- Bring along their favourite pillow and blanket. It’s nice to be cozy. If you’re lucky you might even get some afternoon naps in the car. But if they aren’t nappers, they will have something comforting to sleep with at night- this is especially helpful if you are staying in a new place every night or if they are a little uneasy of new spaces.
- A friend told me about every hour spelling tests. A alarm goes off on her phone and they have a one word spelling bee every hour. Bigger words for bigger kids, prizes or points as you go along.
- Bring along small toys and accessories for play. Cars with road pieces or animals with food and shelter. Playing with toys on the tray is much easier and they can be stored the entire time in a side pocket for easy access. Have them pack their own toys in their tub and let them know that whatever they bring is all they will have for the entire trip, so choose wisely. This also elimatinates the amount of whining about not having certain toys- learning to pack themselves and take reasonability for what they bring is important.
- Have a gum bubble blowing contest.
- If you have older kids you can download classic games onto a phone or iPad. We played a lot of “”Wheel of Fortune” and other game shows together as a family on the iPad. So even though you’re still using technology you are still interacting together as a family.
- Pass notes. Love notes to your kids, secret messages about your destination, why you are excited, or maybe do it in a code for them to figure out. For those that can’t read passing love notes full of pictures is just as sweet and special.
- Download Duolingo and play fun games and learn Spanish while you are at. Everyone can take turns playing and you can quiz each other on Spanish words. It’s easy enough for Violet but challenging enough for me.
- The game “Guess Who?” is perfect for travel. The (newer) boards that have interchangeable characters for 4 different games. You can sit in the front and play easily with the child behind you. This game looks bulky, but when taken out of it’s box the game takes up barely any space and lies flat. It was perfect for Violet (6) and Maeve (4) to play together.
- Don’t take out everything to entertain your kids at once. Keep everything stored till they ask for something, or until they complain about being bored. If you bring out everything at once and they will burn through activities way too fast. Try for a new game or craft set every hour ( or however long your child’s attention span is).
- Try to teach your child a new hobby or skill a week prior to leaving. It’s a little hard to teach a 6 year old knitting from the front seat, but it is easy enough to assist her as needed. Ideas for new hobbies could be things like sewing, cross stitch , braiding bracelets, stamping cards or origami. Teach it close enough to your travel date so they are still excited and engaged in the new skill.
- Memory games. We play it this way- “I’m going on a bear hunt and I’m going to bring…..” then go around the car and each person adds a different item. See how many rounds you can do in a row. Its’ a great game to improve memory skills and teach kids about different tricks to improve their memory like building stories in their mind or making up abbreviations.
- Have your kids wear flip flops that can easily come on and off. This is particularly helpful if you’ll be making only quick stops along the way. I hate being slowed down by tying up shoes when stopping for a potty break. Comfortable clothing is an obvious choice too. Also have your kiddos dress in layers- Being able to add or remove a sweater is easier then changing the temp of the car for only one uncomfortable passenger.
- If you have younger children bring along a small potty. Ikea has cheap and small ones. Being to able to stop roadside for a pee ANYWHERE break is much faster then going well off your track to find a bathroom (like needing to find a bathroom right this minute!). And don’t worry, you packed wipes to make clean up easier!
- Develop a reward system with tickets. You can make your tickets, download them off the internet or buy tear tickets from the dollar store. Good deeds, kind words, good behaviour,or full an hour of quiet play are all examples of when you could give out a ticket. The kids can cash their tickets in at a ice cream stop, for a gas station bag of snacks, a small prize, or a souvenir at your destination. You could also use this system to give them one of your surprises from your bag.
- Bring Crayola window markers for older kids. They can keep track of their points for the license plate game where they need to find a license plate from each province (or each state).
- Book reading challenge– Read a book, earn a prize. This works best for older children who take longer to read a chapter books, but I love the idea of encouraging reading instead of watching movies.
- Let your kids pick some road side stops along the way. Google what is along your route and let them choose what appeals to them. Mark it in their map and have them follow along and let you know when your getting close and need to stop. Helping them be involved with the planning and navigation can help older kids feel like an important part of the trip.
- Bring nuts and bolts and let them screw them on and off. Great for fine motor skills.
- Print off game boards for “Road Trip Bingo“. This pinterest link has loads of printable games for every age level along with lots of other games like a “Colour the State” license plate game, road trip eye-spy and a printable game trying to find different makes and models of cars.
- Bring water bottles, healthy snacks, and suckers for when you need a quiet minute (I blogged about my love of lollipops when travelling here). Being prepared with food and drink will help eliminate stops for snacks and I know that’s the biggest thing my kids like to complain about. Snacks are your friend and sometimes you really need to just drive instead of stopping for food. My sister travels with a knife in her glove box wrapped in tea towel- I’ll admit that I thought she was crazy, but she used it multiple times on our trip- cutting up oranges and making apple slices to name a few.
- Talk about expectations ahead of time. This is probably my best tip for road tripping with your kids. If they know they will be driving all day they won’t keep asking “are we there yet?”. They already know they won’t be stopping till it’s dark out. We were really clear before we left that some days would only be driving- but we would make it fun with surprises and treats along a the way. Before we left the hotel every morning I gave them a pretty good layout of the day and what to expect- and what I expected from them. I honestly didn’t hear “are we there yet?” once.
- Planning a road trip is a lot of work and you might think that you have your schedule down to a science. But make sure that you can be flexible too. If the kids see a sign for a cool roadside activity or if there’s a unique park or waterfall hike, it’s okay to stop sometimes. The kids were happier when we were stopping more and seeing more things- so I think learning to be flexible and to just “go with it” is best advice you can give yourself. Be prepared to be spontaneous and be prepared to just drive when needed. But don’t forget to praise your kids in front of everyone for good behaviour. When they see you believing they are great road trippers, they’ll believe it themselves and act accordingly.
Maeve in her carseat with her tray and her sticker book learning about Ancient China.
Picture above is everything we brought along for the girls and the tubs it all fit in.
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