Old School Road Trip Fun for Kids

Summertime's all about making memories with your little ones. Road trips offer a chance to spend time together -- but they can also be stressful. Everyone cooped up in a small space can lead to cries of "He's touching me" and "She's looking out my window."

Enjoy some old school road trip fun with your family this summer. Whether you're a DIY fan or would rather shop for travel games, these 15 games will help you make summertime memories.

The Alphabet Game. The youngest player starts off the game. Each player in turn uses a consecutive letter of the alphabet to create a funny story. Example: Annie is going to Alabama and she's bringing apples. As play continues, each player has to repeat all previous stories and add their own.

I Spy. Pick out an object inside or outside the vehicle and describe it. Use color, size, location and other clues. The winner chooses the next object.

The Billboard Game. Look for words starting with each letter of the alphabet in consecutive order on signs and billboards. The real challenge comes with Q, X, V and Z.

The License Plate Game. Type a list of all 50 states. Print and laminate copies for each family member. Using dry erase markers, players mark each state as they find a car from that state. The winner's the first one to find license plates from all 50 states.

Mad Libs. You remember playing this game in the '80s. You'll find updated versions of Mad Libs at Cracker Barrel or make up your own version.

String Games. Maybe you were a champ at creating Jacob's Ladder. Teach the kids mad string skills with Cat's Cradle and other fun string games. Don't remember how? Check out Kidlantis.

Thumb Wrestling. Two players join their fingers together into fists with thumbs up. Each player tries to pin the other player's thumb for five seconds. No arms allowed.

Rock Paper Scissors. At the count of three, two players use their hands to display rock (fist), paper (flattened palm) or scissors (two fingers spread out like scissors). Rock crushes scissors. Scissors cut paper. Paper wraps rock.

Where Are We? Make copies of road maps of your trip for each child and laminate. Let the kids keep track of where you are by looking for road signs, exit signs and other landmarks. Your little ones can also use dry erase markers to follow along on the trip.

Lines and Dots. Why play Dots and Boxes on your mobile device when you can go old school with a DIY version of Lines and Dots. Download the free printable from MomsMinivan or make your own by filling half of a sheet of notebook paper with dots spaced evenly about 1/2 inch apart. Players take turns connecting dots by drawing lines between two dots. When a player completes a full square, he writes his initials in the box and takes another turn. The game ends when all boxes are filled.

Build a Story. Mom or Dad starts the story with a few sentences. Each family member in turn adds a few sentences. Make your story silly, funny or just plain crazy.

Silly Sing-Alongs. Pick up a CD with silly kid songs. See who can sing the loudest. Your kids will learn fun new songs in no time at all. Find printable silly song lyrics on MomsMiniVan.

Tic-Tac-Toe. No kids, it's not a hashtag even though the Tic-Tac-Toe board looks like one. Draw tic-tac-toe boards or download a free printable. This classic game is played with two players, one making Xs and the other making Os in the nine spaces of the tic-tac-toe board. Three in a row wins the game.

Spot It! on the Road. The newest in the Spot It! games is perfect for road trip fun. There's only one matching symbol on each pair of cards. Players try to be the first to find their match. Find the game on Amazon or at your favorite toy shop.

Travel Bingo. Pick up old school travel bingo cards at OldTimeCandy or make your own. Players cover each picture as they see the object and try to be the first to get five in a row.

Pack your bags with old school fun as you hit the road this summer and show your kids all of the fun games you can't play on a tablet or phone.

Summertime is the Best Time of the Year

Summertime is the best time of year,

Seeing the sunshine fills me with cheer,

Fresh mowed grass and scent of grilling,

Cookouts and ice cold drinks that are chilling.

No school to fill the time with homework, 

Time to ride bikes and enjoy the perks, 

Honeysuckle wafting through the air, 

Flowers blooming everywhere.

Whether as a child or as a mother, 

I enjoy time with sisters and brothers, 

Laughing and going here and there, 

More food to eat, less clothes to wear.

We fix meals together, focused on sweets, 

Choosing dessert before thinking about meats, 

To the store we go over and over each day, 

For things we forgot like chocolate, YAY!

But the best thing of all about summer's long days, 

Are the trips that we take to the ocean's big waves, 

Watching the sun rise at the start of the day, 

Riding the waves, up, up, up, and away.

When the sun goes down as the day is all done, 

We know that we've had a full day of fun, 

Tomorrow brings a new day with sun shining bright, 

To fill each moment with every delight.

So come on summer, you're almost here, 

So close I can almost smell the summertime cheer, 

The beach is calling and I must go, 

Oh sweet summertime, I love you so!

- Originally published June 6, 2012 on Yahoo! Voices by Sandy Wallace

How Mommy Blogging Has Changed Parenting

Back in the day, parents kept kids occupied and amused using the same tried-and-true methods their parents had used. You could tell which houses had kids from the backyard swingsets, sandboxes and riding toys in the yard.

Kids made their own fun and parents were just there in case something went wrong. Most kids spent long days outside when the weather was nice and enjoyed playing outdoors until dark in the summer.

Cold winter days meant bundling kids up in snowsuits, digging out hats and gloves and sending them outside to play. Afterwards, there were mugs of hot cocoa for the kids and cleanup for moms.

Most outdoor family photos were posed pictures of the kids in front of the house, on the deck or playing in the backyard.

Rainy days were harder for parents back in the day. Sometimes kids played with toys or played board games. If the kids got bored, moms might pull out the craft box. Indoor craft time usually involved something messy like painting.

Parents today don't have to come up with their own ideas to keep the kids busy. Mommy bloggers have changed parenting life. Pick a blog, any blog and you'll find lots of creative ways for kids to have fun. Sensory play, unique craft ideas and ways to make learning fun are some of the things you'll find on the thousands of mommy blogs out in the blogosphere.

Mommy bloggers know there's no need to stay indoors when it's raining. Google "rainy day fun" and you'll find about 33,000 results, many linked to a mommy blog.

Many mommy bloggers remind today's moms to enjoy the simple things in life, sharing happy family photos of picture-perfect kids having fun.

You can find fun new outdoor games on your favorite mommy blog. You'll also find new ways to make everyday activities more fun.

Riding bikes is a timeless way for families to have fun together. It's easy to bring the little ones along with strap-on baby seats, bike trailers, tag-alongs, tandem bikes and family cargo bikes. You'll find lots of ideas from mommy bloggers who write about life as a biking family.

You can find lots of mommy bloggers to follow on Pinterest, where they share their best ideas and cute posed family photos.

Follow easy craft and activity instructions from your favorite mommy bloggers and your home will become like a resort, filled with activities and fun for kids of all ages.

You can find footprint craft ideas to create perfect gifts from the little ones to their grandparents. What grandma wouldn't love a flower pot with her grandbabies' footprints on it!

Find crafts for every season on your favorite mommy blogs. Winter, spring, summer or fall craft ideas range from simple seasonal pictures to unique ideas you'd probably not think of on your own.

There's no need to buy another greeting card ever again. Lots of mommy bloggers share their favorite greeting card instructions to help moms and kids create one-of-a-kind greeting cards.

Pick a holiday, any holiday -- and you'll find cute and original ways to make desserts that your family will love.

Most of all, mommy bloggers celebrate the timeless love of a mother and child. Whether your children are toddlers or teens, family love lasts forever.

Whether your kids are little or big, becoming a mommy blogger offers moms the opportunity to share their real lives with followers or to relive the good old days.

Even tech-savvy grandparents can jump on the mommy blog bandwagon. I've been a mommy blogger for several years. Mommy blogging wouldn't have worked for my Mom though -- she didn't like computers!

Mommy blogging -- it's here to stay, at least for now. Until the next big thing comes along, follow along with me on Twitter and you'll find the best of parenting. From old memories walking down mommy memory lane to recipes and parenting tips, mommy blogging is what it's all about. Parenting is the place where fun never ends.