RV Vacations with Kids
RV Vacations with Kids. Best Ideas on How to Keep Kids Happy During Your Next Motorhome Vacation
How to keep your kids entertained on long RV trips:
Long RV trips with kids can sometimes result in some pretty fussy passengers. Sure, you could limit yourself to short trips only, but finding ways to entertain the kids while driving down the road will allow you to explore as far as you like while keeping everyone happy in the backseat.
Fortunately, there are plenty of awesome ways to keep kids busy on road trips. Here are some of our favorite options:
Audiobooks
Audiobooks are a fabulous way to entertain the entire family as you drive. Even the youngest kids who can’t yet read will enjoy listening, and those who can read can follow along in a hard copy of the book if they wish. There are numerous apps that you can download to your child’s device that will help them learn while they listen.
Kid Music
Jamming to some kid music is sure to bring the mood up a few notches in your road trip vehicle. There are tons of amazing kid albums out there, but we especially love the “Giants of Science” album by The Pop Ups as well as anything by Sugar Free Allstars.
Road Trip Games
Classic road trip games such as the Alphabet Game and the License Plate Game will hold the attention of slightly older children for quite some time. Add your own little twists to the games to make them extra fun. Invent road games such as “I spy” for the road, or who can count the most numbers of a certain model of car or truck. And, bring along some of the travel size editions of popular games that your family enjoy. Guess Who and Travel Edition Scrabble are just a few.
Window Clings
If your kids are sitting next to windows, window clings are an amazing way to keep them entertained. Kids love to stick the clings to the window to create different scenes, and parents love that they’re so easy to clean up. You can also use some blank clings as a palette for your kids’ art. Get some washable markers and invite the kids to create whatever they like (knowing that you can erase it when they’re done). Encourage them to display their art, even if only for a little while, on the windows and if they really create a masterpiece, photograph it so you could have it printed for them digitally later on.
Color Wonder
If your kids like to draw and color on the ride, you’ll love Color Wonder products by Crayola. These amazing markers only show up on Color Wonder-specific paper, meaning you won’t have to worry about your seats or anything else getting decorated in the process.
Family RV Living Tips and Tricks
Whether it’s short-term or long-term, RV living with kids does come with its challenges. That said, it’s also very rewarding. When kids go RV’ing, they are exposed to things they may never have seen or done otherwise. Therefore, taking a big RV trip with the kids in tow is not something you want to skip. And, many families are finding that a road lifestyle is something that everyone enjoys. In this time of school closings and other oddities we are living with, it could be the perfect opportunity to get out on the road and see things you’ve been wanting to see but never had the time before. With internet connections virtually everywhere, you could even work on the road while you travel, making the most of “work from home” restrictions.
And, just in case you need some more tips, here are some of our favorites for RV living with kids:
Take It Slow
One cool thing about traveling by RV is the fact that you can stop to eat, rest, or look around anywhere. We highly recommend taking advantage of this, especially with kids in tow. This will allow your kids to really get a feel for each place you visit and will keep everyone well-fed, rested, and happy.
Stay Organized
When you’re a parent, staying organized is always important. This becomes even more important in tiny spaces such as RVs. Before hitting the road, decide on a place for everything and make an effort to keep everything in its place. You’d be surprised how helpful this is. Small plastic bins, available at Dollar stores are handy for organizing everything from crayons and coloring books, to canned goods in your kitchen.
Do Things Together
For some people, camping means sitting around the campsite while their kids run off and play elsewhere. Try to avoid this camping style and instead use the close quarters and free time to bond as a family. Play games together, take hikes as a group, and finish each night with a family campfire. These times are great for creating family memories that will last a lifetime.
Invest in Reciprocal Memberships
If you’ll be traveling often or long-term, investing in at least one reciprocal membership is a must. Reciprocal memberships allow you to access numerous attractions across the country. There are options for science museums, children’s museums, zoos, national parks, and even theme parks. Research these possibilities before you embark on your trip, and give yourself plenty of time to receive any membership cards you may need to show you are a member. Even AAA has many discounts you can take advantage of at attractions, museums, etc., so be sure to take your AAA card with you!
When you are ready to plan your next RV family vacation, be sure to check with El Monte RV Rentals. We have locations all around the country. Click on the link to see our RV Rental locations nearest to you.