How to Entertain Children During a Long Drive
Many parents dread those two infamous, annoying questions on a long drive: "Are we there yet?" or "How much longer?" While you might not be able to prevent your children from asking these questions -- kids will be kids after all -- you can make a car trip more enjoyable. Aside from the DVD player, personal electronics and books, many activities suitable for long trips can keep your kids engaged and entertained. Perhaps you might be one of the lucky ones and hear, ̶0;Wow! We̵7;re here already?̶1;
Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Pencils
- Cameras
- Car bags
Instructions
Create a scavenger hunt that takes place the entire drive. Include a range of items they might see on the road and stops, such as a U.S. flag, red minivan, sign with the word ̶0;Jack̶1; in it and a picture of pig. Kids can either cross off or check the items they find. Alternatively, give them their own cameras -- such as old digital or disposable cameras -- to take pictures of such items. You could assign point values based on the item̵7;s difficulty level and give out a prize at the end of the trip. A black mailbox, for example, might be worth 1 point, while a Hawaiian license plate might be worth 5 points. Print out a sheet that lists the 50 states, Washington, D.C. and the Canadian provinces. When you spot a state̵7;s license plate, cross it off the list. Give one out to each person for a competition, or do it as a family. You can do the same thing for chain restaurants and stores. Take your kids to the store to buy items for their own individual car bags. A new coloring book, magic markers, stickers, action hero, toy car or doll with a hairbrush might work for your child. Don̵7;t allow your children to play with these items until the trip. Even then, you might want to wait a couple of hours until they̵7;re restless before letting them open their car bags. Play word and alphabet games with your children. For example, think of an animal that starts with the letter A, such as ant. The next person would say, ̶0;Ant,̶1; then an animal that starts with B, such as bear. The third person would say, ̶0;Ant, bear,̶1; then an animal that starts with C, and so forth. Think of the funniest or most clever acronyms for the letters found on a license plate. Then, vote for your favorite after each round. A winner for the license plate with the letters GEB could be, ̶0;girls eat boogers̶1; or ̶0;glowing earthworms believe.̶1; Put two license plates together if you want longer acronyms. Pencils and paper might make this game easier to play. Hum or whistle a tune so everyone can guess the song. Alternatively, create new lyrics for a well-known tune. For example, you can sing the words, "Going to the ocean dude, ocean dude, ocean dude. Going to the ocean dude, to see my grandma float" to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Once you've got the song down pat, film everyone singing it on your camera or phone. This could make the perfect upload for a social media site.
