As the saying goes, traveling with young children isn't a vacation, it's a trip. By planning well and including some simple games for children in your summer travel plans, you can have a fun and memorable vacation together.

The games don't need to be high tech or complicated. Here are some easy-to-do activities that youngsters can play in a car or on an airplane or train:

Foil Them. Everyone on your trip can enjoy this game, played with aluminum foil and imagination, and on any number of occasions. Pack some pieces of foil for each traveler, cut into any length desired. Creatively shape the foil into such items as jewelry, hats, letters, numbers, a "microphone," animal or food shapes, face masks, or even "images" of each other.

Map It. The next time that children ask you how much longer it takes to reach your destination, this activity can help them find the answer themselves, whether traveling by car, plane or train. Pack an extra map of your route and let kids use it to keep track of your progress. Along the way, they may wish to draw sights of interest and destinations on their map, such as fields of cows, a swimmer, a tent, and favorite restaurants.

Travel Journalist. Buy an inexpensive disposable camera for your kids and let them pretend to be travel photographers and reporters. Suggest that they select a theme for the photos—perhaps remarkable hats they see during their journey, or road signs, the color red, or animals. Older children could photograph points of interest and then write three noteworthy facts about each place, for instance.

Traveling Pipe Cleaners and Wikki Stix. Pipe cleaners or waxy Wikki Stix cut into different lengths can keep children busy for hours. Best of all, they're easy to pack and require little cleanup. Challenge kids to create, for example, a zoo full of animals, a garden full of flowers, or a sky full of planets.

By creatively planning some children's games, you can make the most of your summer vacation and turn travel into an adventure for the whole family or travel team.

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