Traveling with your children

With the holiday season, many of us will be traveling distances great and small with our little ones. Our family recently flew to Louisiana from Michigan (2-3 hr flight) and will be driving 6 plus hours to Indiana over Thanksgiving.

When flying we take the Play Station portable so they can play video games or watch a movie. It's so much easier than a travel DVD player. It doesn't weigh as much and you don't have to keep up with the DVDs. We try to plan the flights around nap time, but that doesn't always work. I try to make sure we're stocked on snacks since the airlines do not provide anything for less than $3.

When driving, we like to pack sandwiches and stop at rest areas for picnics. Of course in the winter it doesn't work as well. I love having the DVD in the van and then there is always road sign games. Since our preschooler is learning to read, we try to have her look for certain letters in the signs.

Do you have any tips or suggestions for other moms on how to keep your children occupied and keep yourself sane?