Who doesn’t love the anticipation of vacation? We all love the countdown! We don’t all love the packing and prep part, but you know who does? Your kids!

Kids love prepping for a road trip. It gets them excited! It makes it seem like a huge deal. It makes them anxious. And what parent really wants to pack bags and coolers for the whole family? Not one. So have the kids help and it will take on a whole new feeling and maybe even be a little educational along the way (but don’t tell them that).

How can they help?

Snack Attack
*Start by telling them you need to go grocery shopping for the trip. Have all kids submit their list of beverages and snacks they’d like to have on the trip (on paper or have them send them directly to your phone). Feel free to tell them there must be at least 5 healthy snacks or drinks on the list. But also make it special by allowing for special treats like the brown bottle root beer that’s usually vetoed because of expense.

Then load them and their lists up and head for the grocery store. If you want to make it really educational, you can tell them they have to go online prior to the shopping and find sale prices and prices of their items and stick to a budget you’ve set. If you don’t want to do that, figure you’re still saving tons of money by taking a cooler and avoiding the costs of convenience store food and beverages. A bag of ice each day for the cooler is a much cheaper way to go!

Bags Packed
*Next, have them print off a master list of things needing packed for a road trip, or if they are too young, print them a list. Have them pack! Talk about putting outfits together prior to the trip so they have sets all ready to go and try to color coordinate so everyone is limited to two pairs of shoes. (If you really want to overachieve, have them do the laundry so everyone is ready to go!) Get them to find all the chargers for the electronic devices. Have them find the sporting equipment or bag chairs needed for the trip. Make your life easier in the process!

Manning the Ship
*Let them be your navigators. Have them go to MapQuest and send the directions to your phone! Let them use their devices to find cool places to stop along the way figuring it is advised to stop every 4 hours for at least 15 minutes. Tell them they need to check for gas stations and cheapest prices or reviews. Or have them make the family playlist for music on the trip. The best family-bonding roadtrips are ear-bud free (at least on the way there)!

Schedule the Crew
*Then finish off the prep-work by having them make “proposed” itineraries for the family once you arrive at the destination. Make sure they include time for everyone to do their favorite things, eat meals, and still hang out with the family. Also know that they are more inclined to do activities they prefer not to when they start thinking about everyone else and their hobbies. Remember – you don’t have to follow their itinerary if they miss the point, it is a proposed one and something to get them excited for the trip.

Four simple tasks to get your kids on board, you less prep work, and a stress-free-argument-free (well, hopefully) trip!

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