Traveling with children: Are we there yet?

We’re embarking on the longest trip of my son’s young life this spring, flying across the United States from Seattle to the East Coast. Although we’ve taken other, smaller trips, this will be a daunting seven-plus hours of driving, waiting in lines, and flying. In an attempt to make the experience as pleasant as possible for all concerned (and specifically, to avoid glares from other travelers), I’ve turned for advice to other parents who are seasoned hands at this sort of thing.

As it turns out, most parents have well-thought-out strategies for how to entertain, distract, and engage kids during travel. The overall parental consensus is that preparation and organization are the keys to traveling smoothly. Most people also prefer to use whatever they have at their disposal rather than lug additional toys and games on their journeys. Fortunately, your Windows Mobile phone is an able assistant for planning, organizing, and entertaining.

Note  As long as you either set your Windows Mobile device to Flight Mode or turn off your device’s phone function, you can still use other programs (such as games, Microsoft Office Mobile, and Windows Mobile Media Center) during your flight.

To help you plan and organize your trip, use your phone’s Internet features. For many people, visiting airline web sites to see if the flight is on time, or checking state transportation sites for traffic conditions, is a matter of course. A savvy subgroup might also know that you can check in and print your boarding passes up to 24 hours before your flight. But did you know that you can also take care of your boarding passes ahead of time, with your Windows Mobile phone—instead of a computer? Some airlines allow you to use your phone to check in ahead of time and then print your boarding pass at the airport kiosk.

Many globe-trotting parents have also pointed out that a Windows Mobile phone itself can be a source of entertainment for children who like to examine and interact with the themes, wallpapers, and ringtones. You can download all of the aforementioned from the Insider web site designed specifically for mobile devices (http://mobile.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/totalaccess/default.mspx) right to your phone—either before your trip or as needed, when airport fatigue sets in. Even a cursory investigation of the PC version of the Insider web site yields an impressive array of media with which to entertain the tech-savvy younger generation. To plan even farther ahead, you can download these little entertainments to your computer from the Insider web site for PCs and then sync with your phone before your trip.

To download themes, wallpapers, and ringtones directly to your Windows Mobile phone:

Note  Although the screenshots below feature the wallpaper add-on, the steps are similar for themes and ringtones.

The image you selected appears on your phone! One of my friends secures at least half an hour of relative quiet during long car trips by having his kids try out every wallpaper background and decide which works best on his phone.

Of course, games are always a winner with kids above a certain age, and Insider offers an ever-increasing assortment, from the seasonal Snowman Maker to the various flavors of solitaire to a version of Guitar Hero. Even though they won’t be much use for my one-year-old at the moment, I’d better start honing my skills now to be a match for him in the near future. There’s nothing like a little mother-and-son 3D monster truck competition to while away the minutes before takeoff or the hours on a flat stretch of land during a lengthy car trip. (Do remember to turn your phone off during takeoff and landing when flying, as instructed by the flight crew!)

To download games to your Windows Mobile phone:

You’ll be glad to know that there are many other applications on the Windows Mobile web site—and on other web sites—that will entertain both you and your children. More and more web sites now have versions designed specifically for mobile devices. One that seems particularly promising for train or car travel (or long waits on the tarmac) is Wikipedia’s mobile site: http:/mobile.wikipedia.org/. With this gem, you can enlist your child’s help in researching your destination, along with its history and attractions as you travel. Zumobi is another nearly limitless source of entertainment and edification that serves up a variety of sports, music, entertainment, games, and news in the form of widgets.

Another phone feature that can help forestall a potential chorus of “Are we there yets?” is the built-in camera. Challenge your young ones to document their trip in pictures. Give them some rules to inspire their creativity as they choose their photographic subjects (“Find me a man with white shoes” or “Take a picture of a sign that has the letter Z in it”). Remind them that they can also send their pictures immediately (when you’re not actually in the air) to a Windows Live Spaces site using Windows Live for Mobile, so that all their friends and relatives can vicariously enjoy the trip, too.

Good luck and bon voyage!