Printable Bingo Cards - Reuse them!

A MomsMinivan reader, Barbie, posted a picture (above) on her blog Mamaology showing how to re-use the printable bingo cards from the printable car games page on Momsminivan.com.

She wrote, "I made some games from a website called... momsminivan.com. The Bingo game above is from there. You can print it out for free, place it in a ziplock bag and use dry erase markers to check off the items you find, then erase it and use it again. I plan to give lollipops to the winner of the games."

These bingo cards are the perfect size to fit into a quart sized freezer bag. The dry erase markers work perfectly on them. Fantastic! Thanks for sharing, Barbie. I hope you had a great trip with all of your adorable girls.

Virtual Hide and Seek

One of my readers recently sent me this game that her family plays. They call it "Virtual Hide and Seek". It's a great game for the car that only requires your imagination.

Pick a place inside your house to hide, and imagine you are there. You can be any size, so you can hide in the silverware drawer, inside the toilet, in the dryer, wherever you can imagine! The others ask yes/no questions only, such as "are you in the kitchen" until they narrow it down to the room, area and then....find you! Kids love this game because it's so fun to hide in places you'd not really fit into.

You may have to clarify no hiding between walls and in plumbing! (Submitted by reader, Beth K. Thanks!)

Ultimate Printable Car Games!

Someone finally put all the fun printable car activities into one big fat ginormous printable book. It's the Ultimate Road Trip Games book, that you can download and print. I love it!

It's over 140 pages of stuff to do in the car. Print just the pages you want, and as many as you need for all your kids, and print more for your next trip.

A few activities are similar to the printable car games that I have available on MomsMinivan, but they have taken them to a whole new level, and included many many more, in an easy printable format.

We're excited about the "secret mission" game. This one sounds just right for my school age children, and we can't wait to play it on our next trip. None of the activities require any extra materials other than a pencil and the printed sheets. Use it over and over for every trip you take.

Overall, I think it's terrific! It's definitely worth the purchase price, and I feel really good about recommending it to my readers. You can find it on their website at Ultimate Road Trip Games!

Meanwhile, make sure you stock up on printer ink! Here's a place I love to get mine - use the coupon I found for a discount! 15% Off Compatible Inkjet Cartridges - use Coupon TAK658W
(Expires 09.30.09)

Happy travels!

Join MomsMinivan.com at PBS Parents.org

Last summer I had the pleasure of appearing as a featured "expert" at the PBS Parents website to talk about keeping kids entertained on the road. This week I have been invited back!

We are discussing ways to save money when traveling with your kids on the road, and creative ways to keep the kids entertained in the car without emptying your wallet.

Please click over and join in the Q & A discussion!

update: link has been updated to reflect archived story

Melissa and Doug Travel Games

My cousin Kirsten is taking a road trip with her kids this weekend in Oregon and found some great new products she recommends! They are called "Flip to Win"

Here's what she says:
We got Hangman and the Travel Bear Hunt - and both are good. Memory looks fun. There are No parts to lose except the pen on Hangman (which has a clip to store the pen when it's not being used).


Here's More:

• These fabulous, travel-style games bring new fun and convenience to old family favorites
• Innovative flipping pieces won't get lost
• Includes one game board with erasable whiteboard, self-storing marker and eraser
• Great for the road and at home

Sounds great! Definitely worth checking out "Flip to Win".


Thanks, Kirsten! Have a great trip!

~ Road Trip Mom ~
Momsminivan.com

Travel Gear Shopping Coupon March 16, 17

Shop and Save for road trip gear!

On St. Patricks day the coupon code: 3STPAT09 will save Family Travel Gear customers 15% on every product except the CARES (Child avaiation restraint) harness. The coupon code can be used on both March 16 and 17, 2009.

They have great stuff to help make traveling with kids easier, and MomsMinivan.com gives them two thumbs up on service and quality! Shop at Family Travel Gear!

Hit the Road without Hurting your Pocketbook

Don't let your tightened budget put a crimp in your fun. There are many ways to save money, even on a road trip to help cut the costs. I've put together an article with lots of useful ideas to get you started on the following topics:

• Plan Ahead for Meals and Snacks
• Plan Free Entertainment for the Kids for the Road
• Adopt Good Driving Habits that Save Gas
• Call Ahead for Overnights On The Road
• Plan Your Route
• Save Money At Your Home While You are Away

It can be found on my website at http://www.momsminivan.com/savemoney.html

Hit the road, have fun and be safe!

Soccer Mom Minivan talk show

"Soccer mom" Jeannie Tate hosts a talk show from her minivan. This video cracked me up. I totally love the dry cleaning that is hanging in her guest's face. My favorite one liner is , "It's not easy being a mother -- if it were, fathers would do it!"

This poor woman spends way too much time in her minivan!

Chinese Cootie Catcher and more

More Fan Mail! After reading my article, a reader wrote in a while ago to share her experience with making a cootie catcher. She also sent the picture on the left.



Hello, my name is Abby. Today is my first time to visit your website: MomsMinivan.com. I enjoy reading it very much as it brings me lot of memories about playing games with kid. Currently, I'm working for a child centre in Hong Kong where we play games with kids.

I just want to share with you about the "Cootie Catcher". In our culture, we have the same stuff but we named it differently. we simply called it "ESWN" that stands for EAST, SOUTH, WEST and NORTH. (See the attached jpg file). Inside the ESWN, we write the "action" for the kid to do when they choose the number. For example, "sing a song", "do sit-up", "jump 10 times"....etc. Using the "Direction" as an alternative of "Color" is fun too.


Cootie catchers, or fortune tellers, are making the rounds in many different circles these days. I had another reader write recently to tell me that she was using my blank cootie catcher template for her Bible study group (She put scripture verses in the message area). It's also become a cute table activity at weddings (put love messages in the fortunes, or instructions to "kiss the person next to you" or "dance the next song"). You're only as limited as your imagination.

Classic Bingo for Travel

Product Recommendation from Road Trip Mom! -- Travel Bingo Shutter Card Game Set

This is not the old favorite "Auto Bingo", but it does have the nifty sliding windows that kids love. It's regular B-I-N-G-O, where the caller picks a random number from the bin and calls it out like "B-15"! Then everyone marks their cards. This one can be played over and over again since your numbers are marked by sliding the windows. A pluck of the finger marks your number!

I have found that kids will play this game much longer than the other auto bingo which is more like a scavenger hunt looking for items out side the car. Older kids especially appreciate this one. And if you offer up a prize for the winner (think lollipops, or Tootsie Rolls), you can guarantee to hold their interest for quite a while, though several games. Keep playing until everyone wins. Even the driver can "play" by having someone else in the car play the card for you!

This set has 6 cards in it, and is completely self contained. No loose pieces and no markers needed. Great for the car or a plane. A definite winner in my book. Get it here.

Talk Like a Pirate Day

Shiver me timbers! September 19 is International "Talk Like a Pirate Day"! The creators of this wonderful day have their own website at TalkLikeAPirate.com. If you've been reading me blog over the last year, you already know that I highly recommend talking like pirates as a valid method for making a road trip much more enjoyable. You can do this any day of the year, not just this Friday. If you aren't familiar with these methods, then check out my pirate road trip article so you too can Make Like Roger and Have a Jolly Good Time in the Car. And fer even further inspiration, here's a video featuring the basics of the 5 A's of Pirate-speak. Now get going, ye scallywags!

DC License Plates - License Plate Game

One of my readers sent me a message noting a US plate that is missing from my printable license plate game sheet. My dear reader noted that although Washington DC is not a state, that it should still be included in the list. I'm inclined to agree.

So, I have added "Washington DC" to the checklist of all the states for the license plate game! Now before I start getting bombarded by readers asking me to add Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands, etc. I have also added a check-box for "bonus points" for spotting a plate from a US territory or other country.

Now, Go! Play! Enjoy!

Back Seat Out-Takes

Some people may have the impression that my road trips are always perfect.... that we go singing down the road in perfect harmony, never fighting, never getting bored, arriving on time and never getting lost. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm as normal as the rest of you.

Even my backseat looks like the floor of a teenager's bedroom at the end of a long trip. Here's a photo as proof.

I have also posted a few random crazy moments that occured in the back seat of our minivan this summer....

I overheard this conversation between my darling daughters (aka "DD"s) during a game of Battleship on the road:

DD1: Permission to speak freely, Captain?

DD2: Permission granted...

DD1: You are a dork! (laughter galore)

Overheard game of Mad Libs ...

body part: Uvula

place: Oscar's belly button! (Oscar is our dog)

noun: vomit

adjective: vomit-like

adverb: vomitly!

Vomitly? You gotta give 'em points for creativity anyway. Makes me wonder how they would do at Scrabble.

I don't sweat any of it though. Payback will come someday when they'll be driving, and I'll be in the backseat with THEIR kids, inspired to write all kinds of stories titled, "Traveling with Kids, or Why Grandma Drinks Wild Turkey".

Full circle.

Car Sickness Blows!

Allow me to introduce my champion of chunks -- my darling daughter#2 (aka Dd2). It's a little ironic that she is such a barf queen now, because as an infant, she was the LEAST vomituous (I just made up that word I think) of my three children when it came to baby barf and spit up. As she grew older she thoroughly surpassed her older siblings in the heave-ho department. Most of her barfage is due to the dreaded result of car sickness. Poor child... motion sickness bags are her mainstay.

She is our baroness of barf. The terror of the technicolor yawn. A wizard at whistling beef. A trendsetter at tossing cookies. The heralder of heaving. Sweetheart of the stomach tsunami. A goddess at shouting groceries. Yup, she's training to be a supermodel. ;-)

We have found many ways to deal with her up-chuck when it presents its self. We try to avoid it when possible using many of these useful tips and motion sickness remedies , but sometimes barf happens anyway. When it does, I am now armed with a new product called the YakPack, a vomit clean-up kit for travel.

The kit contains vomit-absorbent/odor neutralizer, a scoop and scraper for rapid pick up, antimicrobial hand wipes, heavy duty dry cloth and non-latex gloves for clean-up. It also has a plastic bag for removal and disposal, a clear zipper bag for convenient storage, and a barf bag and absorbent lap pad to protect surfaces (although it's probably too late to use these by the time you need the kit). The odor neutralizer smells really good, or at least it does now before the barf has been added.

Where has this been all my life? (all of her life, rather). It has everything needed to clean up when I'm on the road or in the air, and it fits easily into a carry-on bag or in my glove box. I'm so excited about it that I can hardly contain myself.

That's right folks, I can't wait for my kid to hurl in the car so I can try it. . . . . . Is that wrong?

Pipe Cleaner Creatures - Fun for the Road

Get your kids wired on your next road trip! This is an activity that will keep them busy for hours.

All you need are some pipe cleaners, a nail clipper (for trimming the pipe cleaners to different lengths), and some creativity. A pencil or pen might also come in handy to create coiled sections by wrapping the pipe cleaners around it.

For more photos and ideas, check out the full article: Pipe Cleaner Crafts and Creatures

Rolling Reviews from the Backseat: Doodleballs

By The Back Seat Reviewer -- Road Trip Mom's Daughter!

Step away from the Doodle Balls. You might get addicted. These tiny magnetic balls are a perfect way to keep any kid of any age busy on a long road trip. All you do is move the magnet above the Doodle Balls to drag them around and make a picture, number, or word. Doodle Balls are also a great deal for the money. They will last a long time and be loved by everyone!!!

The only thing I don’t love about Doodle Balls is that the magnet stick is very easily lost. You can use any magnet, but it is easiest with original magnet.

Any kid short, tall, big, or small would love Doodle Balls. I like them, and so does my 9-year-old sister. I’m sure you will too.

NOTE FROM ROAD TRIP MOM: This is a review by my road trip daughter! She is becoming a regular on my website with her product reviews and backseat opinions.

Where to Find Road Side Attractions

My blogging pals are on Day-3 of their cross country road trip to the Blogher conference in San Francisco. They are heading across Nebraska today on their way to Denver, and it's a long dry stretch.I have been checking out roadside attractions for them to squeeze in between all their tv interviews.

Road Side America is a great web site resource to help you find something amusing along the road to make your trip more interesting. Just enter the state you'll be traveling through, and you'll get a map with all the local attractions marked on it. Yesterday I told them to watch for the giant smiley face water tower at exit 76 in Iowa. Today, the Nebraska map produced lots of options, and I managed to find an eccentric little place for them to have lunch - Ole's Steakhouse and Big Game Lounge. I am looking forward to a report. ... and a photo of my pals in front of a giant polar bear or elephant.

If you don't have internet access along your drive like they do (they are such techie goddesses), it's no problem because there is a wonderful book: New Roadside America: The Modern Traveler's Guide to the Wild and Wonderful World of America's Tourist.

I just got back from a 1200 mile road trip myself, but looking at all the fun stuff to do in other states makes me crave the road again. No worries though, I am heading out again shortly for another pirate adventure ... stay tuned...

UPDATE: They made it to the steakhouse and game lounge. Read all about it.

Road Trip Playlist

Here are some suggestions for your road trip playlist! These are all "road trip" themed songs or have to do with cars or vacation. There are many suggested road trip playlists similiar to this all over the net. I made this list for my friends who are starting their Mom Road Trip to Blogher from DC to California tomorrow. Have a great trip!

California Here I Come – Pete King Chorale (OK, I know this one is cheesey, but you can't start a trip to California without it!)
Life is a Highway – Tom Cochrane & Red Rider
Peter Gunn Theme - Blues Brothers Sound Track
On The Road Again – Willie Nelson
Highway to Hell – AC/DC
Back on the Road Again – REO Speedwagon
Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett
Born to Be Wild – Steppenwolf
Road Trippin’ – Red Hot Chili Peppers
I Would Walk 500 Miles – The Proclaimers
Slow Ride – Foghat
On The Road Again – Canned Heat
Summer of 69 – Bryan Adams
Ramblin’ Man – Allman Brothers
Truckin’ – The Grateful Dead
18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses – Kathy Mattea
Pink Cadillac – Bruce Springsteen
Slow Ride – Foghat
No Particular Place to Go – Chuck Berry
King of the Road – Roger Miller
I Can’t Drive 55 – Sammy Haggar
Running on Empty – Jackson Browne
Hit the Road Jack – Ray Charles
Drive My Car – The Beatles
Low Rider – War
East Bound and Down – The Road Hammers
Start Me Up – Rolling Stones
Mercedes Benz – Janis Joplin
Already Gone – The Eagles
Free Bird –Lynyrd Skynryd
Paradise by the Dashboard Light – Meatloaf
Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
Route 66 – Cheetah Girls or Route 66 – Rolling Stones
California Dreamin’ - The Mamas and the Papas
Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver
I’m Bad I’m Nationwide – ZZ Top/Dwight Yoakam
California Sun – The Ramones
Permanent Vacation – Aerosmith

Fun for the Road: Drink Cup Battleship!

Here's a fast and quick easy car game for the road. It's drink cup battleship.

You can use the plastic drink lids from fast food meals for this game. Or if you're like me and you have a strict "only water in the car" rule, you can always finish your drinks in the restaurant and take only the cup lids into the car.

Your battle ship is the button you push down (ie..rootbeer, cola, diet, other). Each person takes turns guessing someone's "battleship". The last person with their "battleship" undiscovered wins. You can push the buttons back up and play again and again until you wear out your playing pieces. The game is fast and easy. Great for preschoolers and up.

This has been posted on the Big Kids Car Activities page and on it's own page for Drink Cup Battleship.

Rolling Reviews from the Backseat: Vanity PL8 Puzzles

By The Back Seat Reviewer -- Road Trip Mom's Daughter!

We recently got a copy of Vanity Pl8 Puzzles. I think it is a fun and entertaining book -- on the road or off. The book is filled with over 170 vanity plate puzzles and fun facts about license plates and their history, appearances on famous people’s cars, and other odd things. It was moderately challenging and very interesting.

I had loads of fun figuring out what these license plates said. Some were harder than others, but luckily the answers are in the back.

The only problem is that some kids, like me, get carsick when they read in the car. If that is the case, you can always look for real vanity license plates and try to figure out if they have special meanings. I would definitely suggest this product as a time-passer in the car to any kid, or adult who likes solving fun puzzles.

NOTE FROM ROAD TRIP MOM: This is a review by my road trip daughter! She is hoping to be featured regularly on my website with her product reviews and backseat opinions. Please give her a warm welcome!

Fun for the Road: Crazy Eights

Playing cards is one of my kids' favorite things to do when we are on the road, or waiting at our airport gate for our flight to board. I've uploaded some printable instructions to MomsMinivan.com with the instructions for playing some fun easy card games when you are on the road or in airports.

So, if you've forgotten the details of how to play Old Maid or Crazy Eights, here's your chance to brush up. As a mom, the funnest part for me is watching one of my kids try to keep a "Poker face" when he/she has just drawn the Old Maid from someone's hand!

Advice: Back Seat Couch Potatoes?

Dear Road Trip Mom:
What is your viewpoint on electronics as a diversion?

So many parents pacify their kids these days with car-installed, or portable DVD players and/or handheld video games. Could kids be making better use of their time, or do you believe such devices have earned a place in roadtrip entertainment?



Answer:
I do think these devices have a place in roadtrip entertainment, but mostly as a break from other activities.

You just can't expect children to be actively engaged and play games for hours upon hours. At some point, they just want to take a break and rest. This is when a DVD player is appropriate in my opinion. Kick back and watch a movie, then everyone will be refreshed ready to be involved again.

A family car trip is one of the best opportunities parents have to spend a lot of time really talking with their children, and it's an opportunity that shouldn't be wasted. One of my website readers once wrote to me and said, "The trip there is half the fun because our vacation starts the minute we get in the car."

Aaaarrrrrrrrr We There Yet?

After spending a day on the lake last summer pretending to be pirates, I was inspired to write an article about playing pirates on the road.

The time will pass quickly if you and your crew carry out your travels with pirate personas. Use your creativity and make every aspect of the trip pirate related. Speak like pirates. Sing pirate songs. Tell pirate jokes. Watch pirate movies. Wear pirate garb. Make pirate accessories. Basically, make like Roger and have a jolly good time in the car!

See the full article: "Pirates of the Caravan" for a bounty of ideas to get you started. If you know any good pirate jokes, please post them here and I'll add them to the article!

Cootie Catcher

I have updated the article on How to "How to Make a Cootie Catcher"! Most kids really enjoy making these from scratch; however, I've had a few requests for a pre-fab version, so I have answered the call. My own children are often the test subjects for new material at the website, and I'm happy to report that they were very pleased with my printable cootie catcher creation.

They especially liked that I offer two versions. One is all inclusive and complete. The other version has the "fortunes" areas left blank so you can fill in your own fortunes. Please enjoy these PDF files which are now part of the cootie catcher article, and also posted on the Printable Car Games page with all the other printable goodies.

Printable cootie catcher (pdf file) (complete with fortunes)
Blank cootie catcher (pdf file) (write your own fortunes)
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