Road trips are an essential family activity that can create great memories. You and your family are together in the car with an opportunity for hours of bonding time. With your kids, however, their patience may wear and temper tantrums could become more likely. Help them stay engaged and entertained, while you travel for hours in the car, with a variety of games and activities. Here are four activities, for children of every age, that will make your road trip fun for the whole family:
Tablet Games
Bring your tablet into the car for entertainment. While screen-time is typically limited on an everyday basis, you’ll want to ditch this rule on this special circumstance. Your child can engage in games or watch movies on the tablet, which will keep them occupied for hours. There are a number of educational games that will improve their reading comprehension, language skills, spelling and math. Make sure you bring a pair of headphones your child will wear, so the entire car isn’t filled with the loud noises of their game or show. If you’re worried about the long exposure to blue light, purchase a retina shield from Tech Armor. This screen protector will reduce the risk of screen scratches and reduce digital eye-strain.
Puzzles
The inquisitive mind of a child is fueled by exploration. At a young age, the brain is still forming connections between all the stimuli it takes in. Life, in every sense, is a puzzle that your child must piece together. This scientific thought supports the idea that one of the most engaging activities for a child is a small-scale puzzle. Word puzzles are ideal because they will enhance your child’s vocabulary knowledge and exercise the brain. You can create your own, printable puzzles at BusyTeacher.com. They are activities that will fully engage your child, as their desire to make connections and solve problems is strong. Make sure you bring along some clipboards, so the child won’t poke through the paper with their pencil.
Educational Games
Bring along a parent-approved treat that can be used as rewards in educational games. The games can include spelling tests, time tables quizzes, history facts or science knowledge. You can tailor your game for what your child must practice. This is also an excellent games for siblings, as there is an enhanced element of competition. The lightly competitive element will keep the game exciting and encourage participation. In Australia, parents will use the hard-shelled chocolate candy, called Smarties, as rewards for correct answers. Parents can find healthy, sugarless edible awards or can provide stickers as rewards. For older kids a point system– that results in an ultimate prize of their choosing– will work best.
Scavenger Hunt
Create a scavenger hunt, where your kids must identify all the listed items. The items can include scenery, landmarks, animals, weather conditions, other cars or people. MiniTime has a car scavenger hunt printable. This sheet lists various styles and makes of cars that passengers must identify. You can play this game with a list or create a bingo-style format. MomsMinivan.com has two different bingo card printables that include illustrations roadside items or vehicles. If you play the bingo game, make sure the blotters you use won’t stain the fabric within your car. Use colored pencils or a crayon for the blotting, versus a marker.
