Vacations are a time to remember. Years after a holiday, we remember the merriment that we had enjoyed during a particular vacation. Though the holiday is memorable, traveling to the selected destination is probably the most tiresome part of the package. The process becomes even more tedious if you are traveling with kids. Their low attention span and impatience is the primary reason why they get over-excited whether the destination is grandma's place or Hawaii. Not an hour passes by when parents hear the endless chime of 'when do we get there?'.



Making these long car rides or a trip in the airplane is not as difficult as it may seem to a harassed parent. A wee bit of planning in advance to keep your young tykes in control will see you a long way. A variety of games will keep them engaged and divert their minds away from the long wearisome travel.

If you have not come across some games which are apt for travel time then here are a few. For bumpy car rides where children cannot indulge in board games try 'spot the letter of the alphabet'. The game involves reading road signs or billboards and spotting the letters of the alphabet in the sequence. So if you come across 'Abacus building systems', the letters A, B, C, D and E are found. In the next billboard they should look for F. This game is suitable to be played alone or with a sibling. Create a competition between two children by allotting one side of the road to each and see who reaches the end of the alphabet first.

Another extremely simple and interesting game which can be played while traveling on the freeway is 'license plates'. The objective of the game is to identify vehicles from different states using their license plates. Keep them busy by telling them to keep going till they see plates from all 50 states.

The tussle of managing a child on the airplane can be more embarrassing than a car drive. With a hollering baby you are sure to get dirty glances from the scores of passengers traveling on board. Coping with toddlers on a plane is easier since the journey is much smoother than a car ride and drop down trays can be used to play board games. If traveling with an infant, then make sure that your little one is comfortable to ensure a peaceful flight. Try and time your babies sleep to coincide with the flight timings. Feed your baby during take off and landing to reduce discomfort in the ears.

Planning activities specially suited for travel will help you recall the vacation with fondness and visions of the harrowing time you had will not cross your eyes every time you look back.