By the readers of

updated 12:23 p.m. ET April 25, 2008

1. My kids are always squabbling in the back of the car. The last time we took a long car trip, I came up with a little project they could do together. I gave them each a roll of low-tack masking tape and told them they could build a divider between themselves, right down the middle of the back set. Soon, they were busy and giggling and they ended up with a tremendous wall of tape. When we got to our destination, the wall came down in one fell swoop. No muss, no fuss. — Julia from Gunnison, Colo.

2. Every parent who drives with kids in the car needs to know about FreeHeadset.org, a worldwide automobile safety program that distributes free cell phone headsets to anyone who wants one. To get a free headset for your cell phone, you just need to sign up and select the make and model of the cell phone you use. They will send you a free headset, but you pay the shipping charges (about $5). — Rose from Del Mar, Calif.

3. My family likes playing license plate bingo. These printable bingo cards from Scholastic.com make the game easy to set up in advance. I fill in the names of different states before we leave home. — Marnie from New Canaan, Conn.

4. Having worked for years at the front desk of a hotel, I know that every hotel has a few rooms that are better than others—perhaps slightly more spacious, or with a nicer view, or in a quieter location. Making an effort to be nice to the front desk staff when you arrive can go a long way in getting a better room. I always say, “This is a very special trip for us.” We usually end up with a wonderful room, and sometimes even an upgrade! — Cecilia from Santa Barbara, Calif.

5. I’ve read again and again that even just-cleaned hotel rooms are full of germs. That’s why I never travel without sanitizing wipes. When we first get into our hotel room, the first thing I do is wipe down all the surfaces that the housekeeping crew would probably miss: Light switches, TV remote control, telephone, doorknobs, bedside alarm clock, and especially the toilet flush handle. Oh, and I always remove the bedspread. — Pam from Mason, Ohio

6. If your car has a panic button, you can use it as a security alarm system when staying at campsites or in motel rooms where your door opens directly to the outside. Presumably, your car is parked nearby. Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you were ever in danger from an animal or intruder, you could press your car’s panic button to set off the alarm. The car horn would sound repeatedly until you turned it off or the battery died. You can reset it with the button on the key fob chain. — Laurie from Ashburn, Va.

7. My son just loves doing word search puzzles. Before we go on a family vacation, I make up customized word search puzzles for him to do in the car or on the plane, using words about our trip and destination. DiscoverySchool.com’s Puzzlemaker makes this simple and fast. You just type in words that you want included, and the program generates a word search puzzle that can be printed out. Easy and fun! — Kirsten from Eau Claire, Wis.

8. We often take two days to get to grandma’s since our kids are still small. I always pick a hotel that offers free breakfast. Hampton Inn is one of the best for this, in my opinion. (They also give you cookies at night!) The breakfast menu always has something the kids will eat and it allows us to get away without spending that $15-$30 in the morning. Then, we carry bread and some cold cuts and/or peanut butter in the car for lunch. It works out well because we stop at a nice rest area, eat, and let the kids burn off some energy. There’s another $15-$30 saved. Frankly, I find the kids’ energy expenditure worth more than the savings. We play more during a picnic lunch than when we stop at a restaurant. Lastly, we bring our own drinks. We carry water, juice, and Gatorade in a cooler. Buying it at the grocery store is much cheaper than the gas station mini-mart. To help with this, we bought one of the Coleman “powered” coolers that plugs into our cigarette lighter. Works like a charm. — David from Gainesville, Fla.

9. Before our last family trip, I loaded my iPod with free audio stories for children from Storynory. My kids were thrilled to be able listen to something “just for them” and I was happy that these stories were age-appropriate. — Kim from Rochester, N.Y.

10. We teach our kids how to dial “911”. And we teach them how to use a cell phone, in case of emergency. It’s also a good idea to take a few minutes after settling into a new hotel room to show them how to operate the hotel phone. Kids should know how to contact the front desk, how to get an outside line, and how to call for an ambulance. — Melinda from Ogden, Utah

11. Use your time in the car to remember the past. If you have a portable VCR or DVD player, watch home movies on long car rides. It is a great way to remember fun trips or special events. — Chris from Elk River, Minn.

12. I worried that my 14-month-old son wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly in our hotel room, so I brought two key elements from his nursery: a portable CD player and his night light. At bedtime, we put on his “night-night” music and plugged in his night light, which filled our hotel room with a familiar amber glow. He was asleep within minutes. –Tara from Hoboken, NJ

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13. My kindergartner and preschooler love eating at chain restaurants that give out kids’ activity placemats and coloring materials while you wait. When my husband and I want to bring the family somewhere that isn’t as obviously kid-oriented, we bring our “Restaurant Kid Kit.” It’s simply a large plastic SpaceMaker container filled with crayons, activity books with word searches and mazes, HotWheels, and other small toys. We keep it in the car so it’s handy during car trips and outings. We get to visit a wider range of restaurants, and our kids do less whining. — Kristin from Nevada City, Calif.

14. An inexpensive metal cookie sheet makes the best lap table for a child during car trips. It can be a food tray or a writing desk (the raised edges keep crayons from rolling off). It can be a clipboard with the addition of a clip-style fridge magnet. It’s an instant play table for all sorts of magnetic toys. On various trips, we’ve brought simple letters and numbers, LeapFrog farm animal magnets, magnet books, Magnet Wheelies kits, magnet dress up toys, and Magnetix. My daughter likes to play with a magnet puzzle shaped like the United States. When we see a license plate from one state, she adds it to her magnetic map. — Brooke from Carlisle, Pa.

15. Fuel taxes vary from state to state, which is reflected in gas prices. When you take a road trip that crosses state lines, plan to gas up in the least expensive states. Consult the AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report to see where gas prices are lowest. If you’ll be spending time in one locality, sites like GasPriceWatch and GasBuddy can help you find the cheapest gas while you’re there. — Jason from Sherwood, Ore.

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