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If a road trip to Florida is in your plans for summer vacation, keep in mind that any children accompanying you might need more stimulation than what the car radio has to offer as the signal fades in and out as you drive from one city to another. Although an iPad might be an easy solution to occupy older children, there are plenty of gadget-free ways to keep young kids occupied on the road.

With that in mind, here are some suggestions to make a family road trip (almost) as fun as arriving at the final destination:

Healthy snacks

While bathroom breaks are unavoidable and a good reason for everyone to stretch their legs, make sure that you have a supply of fruits or even homemade granola on hand will keep the kids from begging you to get off the highway and feed them along the way at a less than memorable restaurant.

Do not skip the pit stops

For many people, reaching the destination in a day is a priority, only stopping when necessary for restroom breaks or gas. This might be fine for adults but can make fidgety children unhappy.

The best approach is to stop every two to three hours to allow everyone to get out and stretch. No matter how young or old you are, it will feel great to stand up, walk around for a short while and breathe in the fresh air, especially for long road trips.

Allow your kids to run around even for a short while, especially the younger ones. Doing so will not only burn off some energy that has been building up in their seats but can even tire them out enough so they will nap when you are back on the road.

Travel books

While reading books would be far more educational and worthwhile than miles and miles of video games, some kids cannot read in the car for too long without getting carsick. Travel books like the Eyewitness series combine fascinating facts and full-color photos that are engaging for young readers without being too demanding on the eyes.

Have a sing-along

One way to keep everyone entertained while on the road is to have a road trip competition where each will take turns to belt out some favorite tunes along with the kids.

Roadside attractions

Yes, those roadside attractions will stretch out the overall length of your road trip, but more traditional tourist destinations like Rock City and Ruby Falls near the Tennessee-Georgia border or even a state park will encourage visitors to walk around and enjoy some fresh air.

Prepare a treasure chest

For long road trips, you can create a treasure chest that will include treats, small toys, and fun items such as stickers, coloring books, etc. You can hand out the chest during the course of the trip. It is best to allow the kids to check it out one at a time to prevent them from getting bored easily.

License plate games

The closer you get to Disney World, the more you will see license plates from a variety of Canadian provinces and US states east of the Mississippi River. There are a variety of books available to help kids catalog the licenses they see, or they could simply keep track on a sheet of notebook paper.

Count the antenna toppers

Another thing that drivers will notice as they approach Disney World is the variety of Disney antenna toppers. From simple black and white Mickey ears to seasonal toppers, there are just about as many antenna toppers as there are license plates on the road to Disney.

Invisible Ink Pads

There’s no mess with invisible ink activity pads, which usually can be found in children’s specialty toy stores. With different themes to choose from and plenty of mazes, matching games, and mind benders, these Old School amusements will still be a hit with young people.

Wiki Stix

These wax-coated strands of colorful yarn will provide hours of mess-free fun for your road trip. Kids can bend them into 3D shapes and reshape them later on.

Pipe cleaners

If Wiki Stix is hard to find, most craft shops are stocked with equally colorful pipe cleaners that can also be used for hands-on fun in the back seat of the car.

Party store puzzles

The novelty of party store games and puzzles are an inexpensive way to keep kids occupied without having them zone out for hours with a video game. These include handheld mazes with metal beads, miniature Etch-a-Sketch toys, and other small items that are small and easy to pack.

Playing cards

A deck of cards can be found anywhere, and as long as the driver is not playing, the whole family can participate in any number of games– as long as they don’t show the hand they’ve been dealt.

Final thoughts

Of course, one activity needs no planning or structure – the “lost art” of conversation. Long car rides are sometimes the best opportunity to take advantage of a captive audience, and if you can get everyone to turn off the electronics long enough to talk to each other, that might end up being the most memorable part of your road trip.