Tools and Materials
Plastic container
Martha Stewart assorted stickers
Bingo template
Map (route highlighted)
Martha Stewart glue stick
Colored pencils
Crayons
Markers
Activity book (coloring book)
Educational book
Martha Stewart paper bead necklace kit
Martha Stewart summer journal
Snacks
Kids' Travel Kit How-To
1. Let your kids decorate a clear container with stickers and other embellishments.
2. For the car bingo game, download and print the road signs template from our website. You can also laminate the bingo cards. When a player spots a road sign represented on the board, he or she marks the corresponding picture with an erasable marker. The first player to mark five pictures in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, wins. This game is recommended for children over 4 years old.
3. Make an enlarged color photocopy of a map and mark your travel route with a highlighter pen. Giving kids their own maps will help them to develop a sense of direction, distance, and time.
4. Be sure to include writing instruments, such as crayons or colored pencils, as well as an activity book and educational book. Always include a healthy snack, such as trail mix, and a water bottle with a top.
Resources
Plastic container is from the Container Store. The Martha Stewart Crafts products can be found atMichaels stores or www.marthastewartcrafts.com. For books, Martha suggested including Fandex Field Guides, such as "Birds," which are available at Barnes and Noble.
We have big thin fabric bags. Each child has a color. In the bag is the favorite stuffed animal, travel pillow, sizeable but thin blanket (like plane), bottles of water, books, sunglasses, a couple of snacks, a light jacket and whatever other items are vital for each. When we arrive there is a place to put it all to take it in. For small kids, boxes that hold hanging files about 7" front to back sit in the floor board, hold toys and books and double as a footrest.
I might add that the kids were so good my husband thought I sedated them before the trip. I forgot to tell him about the incentive program I struck with the kids.
On especially long drives I would make coupon books that were worth .25 for every half hour of driving. Each child got one book with say $5 worth of coupons for a 10 hr. drive to spend any way they chose once we reached our destination. Any infraction such as fighting, asking "are we there yet?"( make sure to brief them about the progress of your travel frequently and they're less likely to ask), or arguing about giving up a coupon will cost them another. This isn't bribery, it's incentive.
Opps! Didn't see there eas a limit...they are sharp, so Lock
I agree with the no crayons, we too have had a melting crayon incident. You didn't mention a new book, trival question books, license plate game. There are so many more ideas that haven't been covered. Whenever my grandchild are traveling for a visit, I send them envelopes with instructions that they are not be openned until the plane takes off - they might contain a new magazine, puzzle books, information regarding something we are gong to do, etc. It is always fun to have something unexp
I made an over-the-seat thing, with pockets, for the car. That way, everything was out of the way. Clear plastic containers can crack
I would delete crayons out of that list. I did have a melting crayon incident in the seat, when my daughter was little and it was a terrible mess.
I keep one for my granddaughter, but you have things I can add to. Thank you
what good timing, I just decided yesterday that I was taking the kids camping in a couple of weeks.
We did this when I was a kid -- back in the 1950's and 1960's.