When it comes to road-tripping with kids, getting there isn't always half the fun. So Kelly Leavitt came up with this thrifty idea for encouraging harmony while teaching her children -- ages 4 to 10 -- the value of a dollar. Before each trip, the American Fork, Utah, mom buys a collection of car-friendly activity toys -- washable crayons and pads, craft kits, handheld travel games -- and then labels them with different prices. Every 30 minutes to an hour, Kelly gives good passengers play money, which they can use to buy a reward. "Whether they save their money for a larger item or give in to an impulse buy," says Kelly, "the kids want to behave so they can earn their money, which ends up being nice for my husband and me too!"

Instead of bringing along the usual movies and TV shows for a portable DVD player, try some original programming. The Dandelets of Dayton, Ohio, discovered that home movies make great entertainment for Gavin, age 6, Ben, 5, and Blair, 2. "Our kids can't always sit through a regular half-hour show," says mom Molly, "but they never tire of seeing themselves!"

When her kids were younger, Stacy Osment of Richmond, Virginia, started making them custom activity binders for long road trips. Before leaving home, she would go online and print out puzzles, games, and activity pages. "The binders kept the kids busy, so they didn't want to stop as much," says Stacy. To create a binder for your next trip, visit our Printable Travel Games center, where you'll find dozens of free word games, mazes, and puzzles.