We all know that feeling; you’ve set off to drive to a relatives house after packing the car up with gifts, kids and spare food, got about 20 minutes into the journey, and the kids have started acting up. If, like some of us, you’ve a few long journeys planned over the winter break, to see relatives, visit Father Christmas, or simply get away from it all, then the car journey with kids can take a little of the festive cheer out of it. However, fear the journey no more - with some of the top in car entertainment ideas, your kids will never want to get out of the car!
Get ready for the games
It’s a great idea to have some games planned for the journey. Kids are by nature quite competitive, and it’s a great way to keep them entertained. Some of our favourites are:
- I spy – One problem with I spy on the motorway is that by the time someone has “spied” it, it’s already gone – so try to limit it to inside the car only. If you’ve older kids, then let them use a word to describe it to make it a bit more difficult, such as “I spy GS” would be “ I spy grey seatbelt. This is one that can run and run.
- The number plate game – Using the last 3 letters of a number plate, try and come up with a word that contains them all, in order! It’s trickier than you’d think.
- Spotting games – There are plenty of resources that you can print off the Internet with things to spot in the car. Give your kids one each and a pencil, and promise a treat for each completed card!
In-car entertainment systems
Of course, if you’re taking long journeys quite regularly, the kids are going to get pretty bored of these same games, so another option for them would be to purchase an
in-car entertainment system, such as a DVD player. These can keep kids entertained for the whole journey, and you can purchase headphones for some too, which enables you to keep your sanity on the drive, and not have to listen to the millionth rendition of “let it go” (unless you’re a Frozen fan of course!)
Wherever you are going this Christmas, make sure you keep the kids entertained, and you’ll all arrive at your destination ready to start the festivities. Merry Christmas!
