How to Keep Kids Occupied in the Car

No parent wants to be stranded in a car with bored kids. The screaming, fighting, whining and crying would be enough to derail any trip. You can ensure that your road trip stays pleasant, and the kids happy, by performing a little preparation before the day of the journey. Start after you've packed all the bags. The goal is to keep the kids so occupied that they don't notice the time passing in the car ride.

Things You'll Need

  • A large duffel bag or backpack
  • Games
  • Craft materials (crayons, markers, paper, tape and scissors)
  • Activity books
  • Stickers
  • Baby wipes
  • Books
  • Toys
  • Cards
  • Computer
  • Printer
  • Book of roadside attractions

Instructions

    • 1

      Ready a duffel bag or backpack large enough to hold the activities, toys, books and other items, but that is still able to fit in the back seat with the kids, or at your feet in the passenger side foot well. There are totes made for car storage that are perfect for this project.

    • 2

      List all the road games you can think of that require no tools. Use a pencil and paper to jot them down with a little reminder about game rules. Traditional games such as I Spy, the License Plate Game and 20 Questions are great to start your list. When you are done, place the list in a pocket of the activity bag for use later.

    • 3

      Pack craft materials, such as crayons, markers, tape and scissors. Also add coloring, crossword and word-finding activity books to the bag. Think of some of the low-maintenance crafts your kids may like to do. Place the materials for those projects in the bag. Things like stickers, pipe cleaners and bug eyes are the makings of low-maintenance crafts.

    • 4

      Toss in any games you may have -- electronic or board games. Leave room for favorite books, audiobooks, journals, scrapbooking materials, a deck of cards and even mind games, such as the Rubik's Cube. These activities will keep the older children happy while you try to occupy the younger ones. You can also use your computer's publisher program to create car bingo game boards.

    • 5

      Start the trip with some quiet games, coloring or a craft. Move on to some individual activities when some of the children begin to doze, depending on the time it takes to get to your destination. Use the list you tucked away in the bag to calm the car's occupants down after a conflict -- the games that require no tools will keep all weapons away from dueling parties in the back seat. Save audiobooks, story time or individual reading for the period just before the children's usual nap time or bedtime if you are still on the road.

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