Travelling long distances in a car with children can be a little tricky. Though the scenery whizzing by may be impressive, a kid’s enthusiasm for the journey can quickly go downhill without anything to keep them entertained. We’ve picked out the best ways to keep little ones happy when out on the open road.
Get a game going
There is, after all, nothing better than a classic in-car game. A round of I-Spy or spot-the-yellow-car can cause the miles to go past pretty quickly, all the while keeping kids engaged and entertained.
A variety of traditional board games are available in smaller, travel-friendly versions too. These could be a good option for then the imagination-based games have run their course.
Guess the song
There’s a good chance that you won’t fancy playing nursery rhymes on repeat for hundreds of miles, but there’s a way of incorporating that music into a game.
Select a song that the children know, and play just a small, half a second snippet of it. Going off this time, they then have to guess the track. Though simple, it’s likely to keep them entertained for quite some time.
Add in a quick stop
Though you may be wanting to get to your destination as quickly as possible, a quick pause for some fresh air can do wonders. Even if it just means parking up for ten minutes, a break in the journey can quickly calm children down.
Adding in a stop may put more time on the overall length of the journey, but it does open up the ability to see some new places along the way.
Set up an in-car DVD player
Yes, it may not be the most imaginative solution, but sometimes technology works. An in-car DVD player can quickly keep tantrums at bay – and they don’t have to cost the earth, either. Most can be mounted to the back of the front seat headrests, meaning that there shouldn’t be too many cables trailing around the cabin.
It’s always better to go for a good quality version, as it’ll pay dividends to have a solid, reliable source of entertainment at all times.
The high-tech option
It might be one of the easier options, but you can’t fault the way tablets keep children entertained. However, it does bring in a whole series of other problems. You have, for one, got to make sure that any devices are charged before you drive off.
In addition, it’s best to download anything the night before the trip. You can guarantee that in the morning of the journey, the internet will slow and you’ll be unable to download anything at all.