Taking a Trip with Older Grandchildren

It's almost back-to-school time! But you still have two or three weeks to take a fun road trip with your older grandchildren. The possibilities of places to go are endless! And the length of time can vary as well, from a short day trip, to a few days, to two-three weeks!

I've taken road trips with my grandchildren when they were pre-schoolers. I've even done a blog about that. Here's the link: www.gigisseasonings.com/blog/road-trips-with-the-grands

But last year my husband and I took a road trip with our pre-teen granddaughters. Instead of zoos and a children's theater, we looked for things that would appeal to these young ladies and their interests. They are both actors who are involved with a local theater group, so we were pretty certain the destination had to be an outdoor theater production in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas. We were off!

Who wouldn't want to travel with such delightful young ladies?

If you can include visiting with other family members on your road trip, please do. We visited the girls' great-grandmother, and their great-aunt joined us for the play.

Add as much as you can for your pre-teens on your road trip. Our tickets included visiting backstage before the play began.

We saw an outdoor theater production so there were live animals in the show. Seeing the animals backstage just added to the experience.

Let the play begin!

And of course we stopped to visit with the actors after the show.

So fun to meet the actors after the performance.

Things to consider with older grandkids:

• Going somewhere that appeals to their interests
• Plenty of car games. Try not to just plug them into games on their phone. You enjoyed car games in your youth--chances are they will too. It's great fun and a good bonding time. They can play on their phone or iPad when they return home. Besides, they need to be checking out the scenery and engaging in conversations with you!
• Stopping at restaurants that they will enjoy.
• If the budget allows, include at least one overnight stay in a hotel. Really try to indulge them.
• Perhaps avoid amusement parks--they can do that with friends and family. Try to plan an itinerary  that includes a bit of history.

My retired friends have done this as well, and I have their testimonies.

One friend took her grandson on a one-day trip to a famous and historical ranch here in Texas. Besides exploring and learning about the Goodnight Ranch and Charles Goodnight, there is the matter of the sweet conversations between a grandmother and grandson in the car. That's priceless. So even a day trip can be fun. Don't rule that out!

My sister-in-law took her daughter, granddaughter and two great nieces on a road trip to the next town a little over a hundred miles away. Who says it has to be some great, grand trip? It's the time together that counts! And while they visited restaurants and a museum, she reports that the girls' favorite part was the hotel stay. They loved ordering pizza and hanging out by the pool. What teenager wouldn't?

Now....about those car games!

Earlier in the summer, I was trying to plan another trip with my granddaughters, and was researching car games for older kids online. Here are some I think that would appeal to older grands:

• Board games like Parcheesi and checkers with magnetic pieces that enable you to play in the car.
• Boggle is another good game and doesn't require buying a special travel edition. It's already portable and self-contained.
• The old standby--the A-Z game wherein the players have to find the letters from A-Z on billboards and signs. I found a variation to that which sounds like fun. Each player writes an 8-letter word on a piece of paper for their opponent. Then you exchange papers, and you have to find those letters in signs and billboards. First one to complete their list of 8 letters is the winner. And yes, you can Google 8-letter words that you can use. Be warned. The list includes words like dazzling. Finding "z's" on the highway can be hard. You might want to make a rule limiting the use of such words. (Insert chuckle here.)
• Twenty Questions. You are all familiar with this one. Just Google if you're not.
• This store-bought game I purchased one Christmas, and my grandkids like to play this in the car. It's called Joe Name It,  and you roll the dice and whatever number you roll has to be applied to your question. Let's say you roll a five. Then you draw a card which might read, "Name ____ state capitals." In which case you would have to name five state capitals. I agree with my granddaughters, it is a good game to play in the car, and even the driver can play!

Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think!! And this bit of wisdom certainly applies to grandparents, and the time they have with their grandkids. Just do it! It's very rewarding and downright FUN! I hope I've given you ideas and a bit of inspiration.  Remember, the whole point of this is to go without their parents! It's your time together! 

And as always, please write me about road trips you've taken with your grands. I love to hear, love to get more ideas, and I promise to share here on my blog. Until next week!

"Everyone needs to have access to both grandparents and grandchildren in order to be a full human being." Margaret Mead