Pensacola Vacation Guide

Going on a trip to Grandma’s for the Christmas season may find travelers driving across the country. You may be on a vacation you have always dreamed to an exotic island for a wintertime vacation. Whatever the reason you may be stuck in the car for such long hours, many families may not think long road trips are very stressful. Small children soon realize it is hard to sit still for such a long time, and parents may soon feel they will go insane before the kids ask for the last time, “Are we there yet?” What can the worn out traveler do to keep his mind busy and little hands occupied during those long hours? Here are some ways you can stop the antsy pants, bring a smile to mom, a giggle from the kids, and a little peace for dad. 

Take your favorite books and spend some time soaking up adventure and mystery from another world. Try a reading a book that will keep the pages turning. Time will fly by when you are absorbed in a mystery and you just have to know who done it!

Put your favorite tunes on and sing along.The minute you step out of the car at Grandma’s, you will be busy hugging old friends and family members you have not seen all year long. Go ahead and get a little crazy, belting out your favorite songs from high school. Maybe it will help tone things down a bit before you get to the really crazy stuff.

Sitting in the car for any length of time is boring. The toddlers are fighting, the baby needs her diaper changed and mom and dad feel like they are in the middle of a war zone. How do you keep everyone happy?

The best accessories for family cars are DVD players, especially for children ages three to 10. Watching a movie takes anywhere from one to two hours and it is a sure promise to entertain the kids and keep them quiet. We all agree that a good movie makes the hours fly. The best way to keep the kids interested in movies is to keep a set of DVD’s in the car and never let the kids take that set of movies in the house. Or, you can switch movies from the house to the car. You know how boring a movie is after you have watched 20 times.

Audio books on the iPod, Mp3 or CD are perfect for trips in the car. Stories can entertain a child’s mind and keep him or her interested in what they will hear next. Do not forget how kids love to look at the picture while listening to the story, so grab a few book and CD sets.

Crayons and coloring books keep little hands busy for unending hours. Buy a few puzzle books and get some glow in the dark crayons. Another neat item to store with the crayons is the whiteboards and crayon sets. The pages will not get torn out and there is always a new adventure to draw. Plus, you can play Tic-Tac-Toe and Hangman

Keep a special box of small toys in the car, too. Bags of raisin, pretzels and pint sized cookies make an easy to clean snack. Toddler sized bottle of water and juice boxes keep well in the car. A container of wipes is good to keep in the snack box to help clean sticky fingers.

These may not be high tech answers for your long trip, but they will help time go by faster without mom constantly staring at the clock, watching the minutes pass away slower with each tick.