$25 To go from "are we there yet" to AMAZING

The only difference between another ho-hum road trip, and your own personal amazing adventure is about $25, a little research and some enthusiasm.

Seriously, $25 or less!

To turn my budget road trip into the "best trip ever" I bought:

1. Decorative paper and a sharpie marker  ($5 at Staples)
2. A $15 gift card as a prize (I chose iTunes, but anything will do)
3. A small IQ puzzle from a toy store. ($5)

To plan the trip, I studied the TV show The Amazing Race Canada.  I then copied their style of presenting instructions, challenges, roadblocks and awards in envelopes.

I decorated some basic envelopes with my own pattern and title. I numbered them 1-10. Several envelopes I prepared in advance of the trip, but some were done "on the fly" during the trip.

The first envelope my son received was from a friend of mine who works at Starbucks. I had given her the envelope in advance and requested that she hand it to my son with his drink when I returned with him later in the day. Upon receipt of this surprise envelope, our adventure began. The first envelope enclosure said, "you have one hour to pack.  Bring your sneakers and plan for 5 days. You are heading east. Your own amazing race adventure starts NOW!"

Instantly that message got his blood flowing and put this trip on the FUN map. My son instantly wanted to take a road trip with me. A road trip with no known agenda or destination!

Subsequent envelopes would reveal flight numbers, and landmarks to search for. The IQ puzzle, as mentioned above (and pictured at left) was used as a time waster on the plane. But it could easily be used the same way in a car. It's a tactile puzzle that's frustrating, yet straightforward. It gets the child to put their electronic device away and put their mind to use in another way.  When Ry solved the puzzle and separated the rings, he received a gift card as a reward.

Other envelopes contained trivia questions related to the destination. This could work for ANY destination. Even if the destination was simply Grandma's house.  You could even hand your child a tourist brochure and have them find the answer that way. Disguised learning!

Trivia questions and checkpoint envelopes are essentially free for the making but they are priceless in building anticipation and enthusiasm for your destination. How you deliver the envelopes is up to you. Be creative. Pace them, and place them as you see fit. (I would put one on the night stand to be found first thing in the morning. It would hold the day's destination or challenge.)

Engage others in delivering your envelopes or adding their own challenges. Like leave the envelope with the hotel front desk and have it sent up with your room service or extra towels. This little bit of extra planning can go a long way in making the child feel they are in their own reality TV show. So don't forget to take lots of pictures.

With a little planning and a bit of creativity, rather than hearing a pained "are we there yet?" you'll be receiving accolades and hugs for the best trip ever!