Are you in vacation mode? After all, summertime is here and we’re finally allowed to move about more from place-to-place.
If you’re traveling by car, you might be listening to the sound of your little (or not so little) ones in the back seat as you cruise toward your vacation destination. When I’m steering our vehicle down the interstate with our four children, I have flashbacks to when I was young—wondering if we would ever get to our destination. It feels like yesterday that the Hawaii license plate would never be spotted, playing the punch bug/slug bug game would eventually get me in trouble, and the mission to get every semi-truck we passed to honk was top priority!
Now that I’m the one behind the wheel, I hear myself saying the same things I promised I would never say to my own children:
“Leave your sister alone!”
“We just stopped to go to the bathroom 20 minutes ago.”
“Get your feet off the back of my seat!”
“Do not cross this line with your hands, feet, breath, or any object you are holding.”
If you desire to get your children involved in some fun [non-electronic] games, here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Old school traveling games
Check out this quick list of travel games from our childhood days. You may get an eye roll or two but push on through. There is sure to be one that will connect with your kids.
- Try something new
When you are finished giving your “life before the internet speech” to motivate them (again) to do something other than technology, try these ideas on for size. It is a long list of options with a creative kick. The window markers idea is a new one we are planning to try this week.
- Don’t forget the teenagers
Remember that a fifteen-year-old will need a different set of ideas than a five-year-old. Here is a list of suggestions for your teenage travelers.
- Look into their hearts
Road trips are the perfect place for meaningful conversations. Once the initial excitement has worn off and all the devices need to be recharged, ask some heart-focused questions that will help you move closer together.
Remember, it is less about where you are going and more about who you are with. May the ride there and back be filled with laughter, love, and peace. These make the best souvenirs a family can bring back from any vacation!