It’s the time of year when families begin planning their summer vacations. If you’ve ever taken a driving trip with children, you know the first rule is to keep children occupied.
Isabella most certainly had experience in taking children on long trips, by automobile and by train. Her son Raymond and daughter Frances frequently accompanied her when she traveled to speaking engagements all over the country.
In 1883 Isabella published a brief article in The Pansy magazine about a new game for traveling with children.
Isabella Alden 
We loved taking car trips! We played car bingo which is very similar to the game that’s described here. But I also would pack up simple brown paper lunch bags, marked every other hour, and stapled closed. In each individual bag was a little toy to play with (a new toy), a little book to read (sometimes a comic book), something to do (for instance a coloring book or a little puzzle), and something to eat. That would often be a little box of raisins, or some cheese or peanut butter crackers, or lollipop, or a little piece of candy. So every other hour there would be a fresh exciting little package to open and the children absolutely loved this! It kept those long trips fun and exciting for them.
Wow, Karen, what wonderful ways to keep children entertained on trips! I’m going to borrow your lunch bag idea; it’s a winner! —Jenny