Janice’s Jots: Cure your traveling complaints
Are we there yet? How many more miles is it? (Yawn) Are we having fun yet? Wake me when this ride is over!
Parents from coast to coast who have ever traveled with children have heard similar comments coming from the mouths of bored youngsters buckled in the back seat. Their unending curiosity, boundless energy and short attention span can make traveling with children quite a challenge.
Once, while making an eight or nine-hour journey in a three-vehicle caravan, my family helped relieve the strain of the long journey by having riders rotate from car to car after each stop. Having the variety of interesting passengers also helped each driver stay alert and more refreshed.
If you’re family is preparing for a trip, create an activity kit for each of your children to occupy their attention before, during and after your vacation.
The Kampgrounds of America offers good advice to keep kids busy en route to and during the trip.
Start with a sealable container for each child ranging from a large, heavy-duty, self-sealing plastic bag to a sealable plastic box, or even the child’s school bag or day pack. Add any combination of the following according to each child’s age, abilities or interests:
•Sturdy plastic magnifying glass used for investigating tree bark, lady bugs, leaves, wildflowers, brightly colored quartz rock or pieces of sandstone, or any of the thousands of things children find interesting.
•Crayons for drawing things that were seen through the magnifying glass, while hiking or relaxing around the campfire, or whatever else suits their fancy.
•Pencils. Older children may want to get more detailed in their artwork, or even write a journal or diary about their vacation experiences. Challenge a pre-teen or teenager to imagine traveling the same route or participating in the same activities 50 or 100 years ago, then write a story about their experiences. One of the first assignments in school is always to tell what you did during summer vacation.
•Paper to go with the crayons and pencils. Paper also comes in handy to make sails for boats made of twigs and bark, fans and paper airplanes, and for playing those ever-popular travel games such as tic-tac-toe.
•Activity books. These are available for ages ranging from elementary school children on up to the adult level. Quiet time activity books include word scrambles, mazes, hidden pictures, crossword puzzles and brain teasers. For pre-schoolers, coloring books are a good substitute.
•Small toys or games that are easy to pack are a good source of diversion. Travel-size games for one or more players are handy for older children.
•Flying disc takes up little storage space and can be used at rest stops for playing catch or as a tool when playing in the sand at the beach.
•Playing cards can be a source of fun for children of all ages. Young kids who know their numbers can play Go Fish or matching games and the older ones can play Solitaire, Crazy Eights, etc.
Another good idea is to take a hint from commercial airlines. Occupy your travelers by popping the top on bottled water and passing around snacks followed by packaged wet hand wipes, if necessary.
Here’s a couple of treats you might consider providing at home or while on the road:
Chex Caramel Corn
4-1/2 cups Corn Chex or Rice Chex cereal
4 cups popped popcorn
1/2 cup honey roasted nuts, optional
1/4 cup butter or margarine
6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Heat oven to 250 degrees. In large roasting pan, mix cereal, popcorn and peanuts; set aside. Heat butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla to a boil in 2-quart sauce pan, stirring frequently. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated.
Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to cool, stirring occasionally to break up. Store in airtight container. Makes 9-1/2 cups snack mix.
Candy-sprinkled Marshmallow Chex Mix
6 cups popped popcorn
4 cups Corn Chex or Rice Chex cereal
1 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme
20 red or green hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed to make 1/2 cup
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix popcorn and cereal; set aside.
Microwave marshmallow creme in medium microwaveable bowl, uncovered, on high for 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 1 minute longer or until melted, stir.
Pour over popcorn mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Sprinkle with candies. Spread mixture on cookie sheet. Bake 5 minutes; stir. Bake about 5 minutes longer or until coating is lightly golden brown. Spread on waxed paper or aluminum foil to cool. Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Makes 10 cups snack mix.