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Article Available for Reprint:

Car Travel Games for Kids   by Laurel Smith
Time flies when you’re having fun - The miles fly by too! You can make a long family car trip seem a lot shorter if you have fun with your kids along the way. Plan ahead with a few car activities, and making the journey can be as much fun as the destination. Here are a few ideas to get you started.....

Pack Your Car the Night Before!  by Laurel Smith
There are lots of reasons to put everything in the car the day before you leave. Plan ahead so you don't forget anything, and you can get on the road with much less stress! ..
 

Article Archive
The following articles have been published on this site with permission from the authors or written by me. They are NOT available for reprint without permission from the authors. Please read and enjoy. 
 
 



Aluminum Foil Art - Aluminum Foil Fun
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Grab some foil for fun on the road! All you need is a roll of cheap aluminum foil and a little kid creativity. See photos and read about some of the things your kids can make! 

Battleships
A road trip version of this game of war ships!

Battleship Online
Play against the computer using this javascript game to get warmed up for your road trip game of Battleship!

Before You Begin
Prepare yourself for your next family road trip. Making memories is what it's all about.

Car Bingo and Printable Games
A list of printable pages and links to places to find more printable car activities. 

Car Flag for your Antenna
A printable flag you can attach to your car, and some links to proper flag-flying etiquette.

Car Seat Tray
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
A nifty little car seat accessory that can make your child's ride much more comfortable

Car Seat Wheels
Want to put wheels on your child's car seat so you can pull them through the airport? This is the answer!

Car Sick Kids? Sorry I Brought it Up!
Compiled by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Readers were asked to submit their best car sickness prevention tips and their worst barf stories! Warning: do not read this in the car! :-)

Cast Relief
How to save your summer vacation when your child is in a cast

Counting Cows
What's the best way to count cows?  With a cow-culator, of course! 

Creating a Travel Journal for Kids  by Laurel Smith
Creating a travel diary or journal is a wonderful activity that will not only keep your children busy in the car on a long trip, but it will preserve their memories for a lifetime...

Doin' Disney
Tips to make your Disney vacation easier, less expensive, and more fun.

Drink Cup Battleship
A quick easy car game for the road, or a restaurant

Easy Camping Food
Fun food to make over a campfire with kids

The Evolution of My Minivans
The History of this Mom's Minivans

Fix My Van
A funny article on my plea for help to pay my repair bill way back in 2005. Thank you to my loyal readers!

Flying With Kids
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Too far to drive? Here are some tips to help you decrease some of the turbulence you might experience when traveling by air with your kids. 

Flying With A Guitar
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Can you carry a guitar on board a plane? The answer is -- yes you can -- at least in theory.  It really depends on the airline, how crowded the flight is, and where you are seated.

Fun Things To Do with Kids When Touring the Mall in Washington, D.C
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Traveling with kids to Washington, DC

Got a Broken Bone for Vacation?
Don't worry, relief is on the way! Summer vacation is saved!

Got ButterBeer?
What is Butterbeer? What does butterbeer taste like?  A review of this delectable treat.

How to Do Jacob's Ladder
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Step by step instructions on how to make Jacob's Ladder string figure, including printable instruction page and a video

How to Make a Cootie Catcher
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Pick a color. Now pick a number.Your fortune says today is your lucky day! Just show them how to do this once, and you'll have an activity that will keep your kids busy and filled with creativity!

How to Make Slime without Borax
Step by step instructions for making this gooey substance without using borax.

How to Make a Paper Popper
Instructions and video tutorial to make this Easy and loud popper to use for annoying your big brother!

How to Make a Pirate Treasure Map
Make your own waterproof map to lead your crew to a secret treasure.

How Much Farther?
Make an interactive model of your vehicle on a trip! Show your child exactly how much ground you've covered, and how much more you have to go! 

How to Play Lines and Dots or "dot to dot"
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Includes some printable game sheets

How to Play Old Maid and Crazy Eights
Print the rules to these favorite childhood card games, and you'll have some portable fun that you can take anywhere.

How to Jump Start a Car
Step by step instructions and video for using jumper cables to safely jumpstart your car.

Kids Travel Beds
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Road Trip mom recommends some

Kids Travel Pillows
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)

License Plate Game
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Includes a printable page to mark your license plate sightings! 

Merry Miler Memories
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Remembering our family car.

Nyan Cat Cake
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
How to make a cake to look like this youtube sensation

Pipe Cleaner Craft Actvities
Get wired on your next road trip with an activity that will keep them busy for hours.

Pirates of Kentucky Lake
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
A tale of our family's adventure on the high seas. ARRRH!!!

Pirates of the Caravan
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
How to make like Roger and have a jolly good time in the car.  Aaaarrrrrr!

Road Trip Games for Kids

Road Trip Games for Toddlers

Road Trip Games for Babies

Roadside Oddities
Get side-tracked by weird stuff on road trips and remember that getting there really is half the fun!

Road Trip Evacuation
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
My Family's Experience Evacuating for Katrina

Road Trip Scavenger Hunt

Road Trip Advice: Flat Tire
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Be familiar with how your spare tire works *before* you hit the road.

Road Trip Scavenger Hunt
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Lists of items to search for on the road for big kids and preschoolers. Also some printable pages with lists!

Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock
How to play a twist on the old classic. A perfect road trip game

Stress-Free Travel with Your Kids
by Mia Cronan
If you can take a little time for preparation and put some ideas together, you can fend off most of the boredom and restlessness before even getting in the car. 

Stretch Your Dollar on the Road
How to save money on a road trip

String Games
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Several Online resources to print instructions for "Jacob's Ladder", "Kitty Whiskers", "Cup and Saucer" or Cats Cradle type string figures.

Sew Your Own Travel Game
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Easy instructions to make checkers and tic-tac-toe to go!

Stretch Your Dollar on the Road
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Tips for saving money on road trips

The Trip Ain't Over 'til Somebody Sings!
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Sing along and you'll be there before you know it. There's a lot more to singing in the car than just what's on the radio.

Kids Travel Bed
Find a good bed for your toddler on the road.

Traveling with Kids to New York City
by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)
Our family's first experience in NYC

Travel Tickets
Print these tickets and give your child a pre-counted baggie at the start of your trip. Every half hour (or every 30 miles) they can turn in one to you. When their tickets are gone, the trip has ended!

Universal Studios Orlando Tips
Planning a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? See our tips to make your trip more fun

How to Make a Harry Potter Scarf out of Fleece
Sewing is involved, but it's pretty simple. You can outfit your whole family!
 

Blog Articles
Mom's Minivan Blog
Lots more adventures and activities in the blog archives!  You can also get up dates by email if you subscribe to the blog.
 

Extras
These are handy little articles that really have nothing to do with car travel, but they are worthy of posting on the internet for their usefulness because I have not found any resources on these topis otherwise. Here they are:

How to Make a Mardi Gras Parade Ladder Seat
For those who live in the New Orleans area who need to make a parade ladder seat.  Since I could not find instructions anywhere online last year, I decided to post my own.

How to Make a Girl Scout Sit Upon / situpon
There are as many ways to make a Situpon as there are Girl Scouts. Here's how our Brownie Troop did it. 

How to Make a Girl Scout Bridging Ceremony Bridge
There are as many ways to make a bridge for a bridging ceremony. Here's how our Girl Scout Troop did it.