PACKING FOR SUCCESS

Sometimes it feels like you’re playing Tetris, but any way you slice it, packing is an art. Here are some tips to make filling bags and cars a little easier:

• Lay out all items on your bed before packing them into your suitcase. Seeing everything before you tuck it away will help you determine if you’re missing anything (or if there’s anything you can do without).
• Roll, rather than fold, items such as T-shirts and underwear. This saves space and can help prevent creases.
• Stash shampoo bottles and cologne in zipper-style plastic bags to contain a mess in case of breakages or leaks.
• When packing the trunk, start with your largest bags, then fill in the space around them with smaller items.
• Keep special toys and games unpacked and readily available for the road.
• For safety, always keep the view through your back window clear.

GREAT GAMES FOR THE ROAD

Geography Lesson: The first player starts by naming a place (for example, Windsor), and the next person in the car must think of a place that begins with the last letter in that name (Regina, Red Deer or Rexdale would all work). Continue around the car, in order. Players are eliminated when they can’t think of a real place that someone hasn’t already used. Rules can be adapted to accept answers that include any type of geographic location, be it a country, body of water or street.

Visual Scavenger Hunt: Prepare a number of lists, each of which contains five or more specific items for players to locate while on the road: a red barn, a windmill, a license plate from Manitoba, a hotel billboard and so on. None of the lists are the same. The first person to find all of their items wins. Players can choose to work together or go it alone.

Map quest: Give everyone in the car a map of the province or state you’re in, or the country if you are travelling cross-province or cross-state. Have everyone use stickers or markers to mark their journey. Use special stickers to mark a favourite place or tourist site.

License plate hunt: Each person has a pad and pen and marks down every new license plate they see. The person with the license plates from the most provinces or states at the end of the game (whenever you determine is the end) wins a prize!

Silly pictures: Fold a piece of paper into three parts. One member of the family starts by drawing part of a picture on the first half, then passes it to the next person, who draws on the second half without looking at the top half. The third person draws the bottom part of the picture without looking at the first two halves. When you’re done, have a laugh at your creation. Jazz it up with crayons and sparkly markers.

Car dancing: When the family is getting a little antsy from sitting for so long, why not turn up some fun music such as ABBA’s Dancing Queen and have everyone do a little creative arm waving, head bopping and torso movement (assuming no one is blocking the driver’s view, of course).

With files from Allison Dunfield