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Summer travel is a whole other thing when you鈥檙e a parent of young children. The rest and relaxation you鈥檝e been craving? Well, that鈥檚 in jeopardy now that you鈥檝e become responsible for little people who鈥檝e become attached to their daily routines. At the same time, long car trips and other trappings of the summer months bring opportunities for building brains and lifelong memories.

Two experts share how to get the most from summer travel. Dr. Geetha Ramani, director of University of Maryland鈥檚 , studies early math development, play and family math engagement. She鈥檚 also the mother of two boys who just survived an eight-hour car trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. Dr. Megan McClelland, director of Oregon State University鈥檚 , also recently returned from a family vacation. They offered these pointers:

Talk about What You See. Regardless of your mode of transportation, travel affords opportunities to view the world as it passes by, through consideration of colors, shapes, and numbers. Conversations that begin with 鈥淚 spy with my little eye鈥︹�� not only keep children occupied. They can help them process new experiences. Ramani also recommends talking about what you will see in a new place, on the beach, or wherever you鈥檙e going. 鈥淒econtextualized speech, which takes you beyond the here and now, reflects an advanced stage of language development,鈥� she says.

Something Old, Something New.聽Children like having an old standby with them when they go somewhere new, so absolutely positively don鈥檛 forget that beloved plush toy as well a favorite book or three. Novelty is also exciting and doesn鈥檛 have to be expensive. You can find treasures at the dollar store or even make games yourself if you鈥檙e feeling crafty. Ramani notes that taking things out of a box and putting them back in can develop small motor skills. (Pro tip: magnets minimize the amount of dropped stuff.) McClelland recommends Etch-a-Sketch, Play-Doh in a Ziploc bag and travel puzzles.

Give Them Choices. 鈥淧arenting involves spoken and unspoken rules,鈥� says McClelland. 鈥漇ome of those rules go out the window when you鈥檙e on the road.鈥� Letting a child decide whether to stop in ten minutes or twenty allows them to feel some agency in the course of an experience where so much is beyond their control. Parents can also enlist children in keeping the family on schedule鈥攐r some semblance of a schedule.

Use the Breaks. Before kids, you might have been able to power through an eight-hour drive with two or three bathroom breaks. Those days are over. Think of the breaks as a part of trip. Use the time to hold a relay race or other physical activity. You might find healthier dining options if you venture beyond the rest stop.

Take It Easy on Yourself. McClelland admits that while she considers herself an expert on child development, parenting is a humbling experience. Not all children behave according to the textbook. And what succeeds one day might fail the next. She says she鈥檚 learned to go with the flow, especially after her second child made her rethink what she thought she knew about temperament.

Be Open about Feelings.聽If you鈥檙e willing to share that you, too, are tired or stressed, your child will see you articulating those authentic feelings. That鈥檚 an important behavior to model. At the same time, you don鈥檛 want your kids to get the sense that you鈥檙e not in control of the situation. They鈥檙e counting on you.

Save the Tech for Last.聽Travel and technology go together like Green Eggs and Ham, but overreliance on games and movies can rob you of the joys of experiencing new places as a family鈥攁nd talking about them. McClelland notes that delaying the gratification of the screen helps to promote self-regulation in kids. 鈥淭hink of ten-minute games or a thirty-minute show as a reward or something to look forward to鈥� suggests Ramani. Tracking time is also a skill to work on. What does ten minutes feel like?

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on The 74. Learn more here.