Driving 12 hours in a 2000 Toyota Camry with a 9-year-old and a 7-year-old calls for some serious creative planning. I'm thinking food, toys, diversions -- and those are just my needs. How would I keep my kids occupied for a full day in a 9-year-old sedan without a built-in DVD player in sight?

Luckily, I've had a little practice. I enjoy schlepping my kids to New Orleans each summer to visit our family. If you've taken any driving vacations in Florida, you know it takes nearly six hours to exit the state. That's a lot of Turnpike coming at you, with no beautiful mountain ranges or picturesque scenery in sight.

The first problem to tackle was entertainment for the kids. They don't have iPods or a Nintendo DS, but 12 hours in a three-foot-square space calls for some sort of electronic baby-sitter.

I may not have the fancy built-in equipment, but portable DVD players are getting cheaper each year. This past holiday season Target had a very capable RCA player for $49. (The best deal at Amazon.com this week was a Coby for under $60.) A case that straps onto the back of the front seats in a car was $15. Ear buds were $2 (and are such a sanity-saver for me).

Until this year, one player suspended between the two kids worked just fine. We have a binder of Disney and other kid DVDs that satisfied both. This year, when Chloe started asking for more Princess movies while Ian was negotiating to watch Indiana Jones, it became a problem. So Santa brought a second DVD player. Smart guy.

Here are more tricks of the travel-with-kids trade:

• Activity bags: I've tried different tactics as the kids have grown older. We start with a backpack stuffed with age-appropriate, non-messy activities for each child. This has included coloring books and colors, small dolls with clothes, Army men, tiny dinosaurs, Matchbox cars and small puzzles. Color Wonder art products also work well.

The dollar store is a good source for small toys for this purpose. As boredom sets it, you can pull out a fresh toy every couple of hours.

• Snacks: I portion cut-up fruit, crackers and little cookies in snack-sized bags that I keep in an ice-chest up front with me. I can grab a bag and toss it over the back whenever I hear grumbling.

• Journals: I bought each of the kids a small lined, bound book to keep a journal of our trip. This helped them practice their writing skills over the summer break and made a great memento when we were back home.

• Audio books: I've saved the best for last. Audio books are the secret to this Mama's sanity. I love to read, and I find it really hard to find the time to fit in a good book when the kids are in school.

On a road trip, a good audio book will make the hours and miles fly. Broward County Library offers a great selection, both fiction and nonfiction. Ask for the maximum time when you check them out. I got mine for five weeks.

Follow Julie Landry Laviolette's Talk About Cheap blog at www.MomsMiami.com.

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