During a recent conversation, I realized that our family might be more committed to the road trip than some. This summer, for example, we mounted three journeys of 1,500, 700 and 1000 miles, respectively. And, lest you imagine that the shortest was the easiest … that one was just me and the two kids. Along the way, I’ve picked up a few tips that help the miles go by a little more easily.

Prepare the Troops
Don’t spring a major drive on your kids. Tell them where you’re off to and why — make them think that the journey is worth it. Don’t lie about how long it will take, and try to give them a sense of scale that makes sense to them: three television episodes or until nap time.

And remember that a car seat is much more constricting than your belt. They can’t even turn and stretch their backs, never mind retrieve a toy that falls out of reach, so try not to begrudge them asking for more stops than you would like. This goes double for anyone who is still rear-facing.

Bread and Circuses
Perhaps nothing is as important as snacks. Without the normal cues of daily life, it’s very hard for them to parse when it’s meal time. I know that you want to keep everyone on their normal schedule, but when you are trapped in an enclosed space with grouchy kids is not the time to make the perfect the enemy of the good. Feel no shame in caving to the pleas for snacks — it’s better than hangry wailing.

Now, about those snacks. This isn’t the time to experiment all that much. A new treat you are confident will be a hit is fine, but in general tried and true classics are your friend. Crumbs will be inevitable, but try to keep to things that won’t melt or smear or stain.

Bonus points for things that are marginally healthy — popcorn, Veggie Sticks and the like. Fruit and veggies are tempting and delicious, but beware the items that get dropped and lost, growing particularly, err, ripe in the summer sun.

I also highly recommend snacks in individual portions to help keep things under control. You can certainly buy pre-packaged snacks, but a full size version split into snack-size Zip-lock bags accomplishes the same thing. And think hard about who should have physical access to the snacks while under way. The kids serving themselves has an element of convenience, but could thwart your efforts to get them to eat dinner later on. The time of day and length of trip will help you decide the best course of action.

En Route Entertainment
Many vehicles these days have the option for DVDs or other video options, but our family has made a conscious decision to opt out from that technology. No judgement for anyone who avails themselves of favorite cartoons — heck, we absolutely do that on plane trips — but we have managed just fine without it.

What do we do instead? We have sing alongs, we listen to podcasts. We play I Spy and The Car Game, which Big Brother invented, wherein everyone looks for whatever kind of vehicle gets named: Who can find the first blue van? Who can find the first delivery truck? Bingo has become a staple too.

With Big Brother on the verge of reading, we look for letters on highway signs and enlist his help to watch for upcoming exits or landmarks. And we have just introduced the license plate game, which was a huge hit, especially since I found this great pad to keep track of results.

Toys Ahoy!
Obviously beloved stuffed animals need to come along for the ride, but when it comes to what everyone can play with in the car, I think raiding the playroom for everyone’s favorites is probably a mistake. You don’t want lots of little pieces that get dropped and lost, making the toy nonfunctional in the aftermath. Also, you will find that the noises a toy makes are approximately 10x more annoying when they’re made on repeat in an enclosed space.

Instead, I like to make a point of visiting the dollar area of the store when I’m on a Target run and know we have travel coming up. But the same type of items can be found plenty of other places too. The key is to pick up things that require some attention, but not absolute precision, and that will not cause tears if left in a hotel room. Think Magic Ink books, lacing cards, mini action figures and the like. Maybe activity books with mazes or connect the dots. Coloring is also a good activity, but watch: If it’s hot enough, crayons will melt all over upholstery. Another helpful item is some kind of lap desk for them to work on. You can find lots of specially designed carseat versions online, but we have one from Ikea that I picked up on clearance when the color was discontinued.

Plan Ahead
If you’re on the way to a familiar destination, there may be stops that get made on each trip and become a tradition. Highway rest stops are fine in a pinch, but you’ll all be much happier if you venture a little further and find someplace to stretch out, maybe a local hit restaurant or a nice park for a picnic. Over time, we’ve plugged lots of playgrounds into Google maps for drives along the eastern seaboard. That way, when Little Brother was an infant and needed lots of meal breaks, Big Brother could enjoy himself during the stop.