Car
Trip Games and Activities for Kids
By
Laurel Smith
Time
flies when you’re having fun - The miles fly by too! You can make a long
family car trip seem a lot shorter if you have fun with your kids along
the way. Plan ahead with a few car activities, and making the journey can
be as much fun as the destination. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Make
a Trip-Journal or Scrapbook
Give
everyone a big spiral bound sketchpad and a box of crayons or markers.
Each day of the trip or for each event along the way, draw a picture of
what you did that day, or draw a map of where you went, and write about
it. You can also paste in souvenirs.
Get
a Good Songbook With All the Lyrics
It
surprising how many songs you think you know, but you don't really know
all the words. Have a singing marathon and learn the old classics by heart.
Give
Your Kids an Allowance for the Day
Tell
them that this money is for snacks, treats, souvenirs etc. Help them learn
to budget their money and make good choices.
Let
Your Children Have a Map
Give
your kids their own copy of a map of where you are going. Show them how
far you have come, how much further there is to go and let them mark it
with a crayon. Every time someone asks "How much further?” let them see
for themselves. You might also like to get a compass and show them how
it works along with the map.
Have
Bubble Gum Blowing Contests
The
weirder the gum the better. Get it at the rest areas and try all the different
flavors.
The
License Plate Game
Print
a U.S. map or list of states for the license
plate game off the computer and color in the states as you see license
plates from each one. See if you can get all 50 states between Memorial
Day and Labor Day. You might even record the time and date and the state
where you saw it. This can be a family project as you build your "collection"
of license plates together.
Printable
Car Games
Print
some activities to bring along on your trip such as Car Bingo, License
Plate game, tic-tac-toe, lines and dots, scavenger hunt and more. You can
find lots of printable
car games here.
Cats
Cradle or String Loops
You
just need a piece of string for this one. See if you can make
"Jacob's Ladder", "Kitty Whiskers", or play Cats Cradle!
Magnetic
Board Games
Do
your children know how to play classic board games like Chess, Backgammon,
Checkers, or Chinese Checkers? What better time to learn than in
the car to pass the time! The magnetic car versions of these games
are nice because they are small and compact, and have easy ways to store
the pieces so they don't get lost.
Counting
Cows
Count
the cows you see on your side of the car. If you pass a cemetery on your
side of the car, you lose all your cows. The one with the most cows
wins.
Read
Out Loud
This
passes the time quickly in the car for the reader and for the family members
who are listening.
Lego
Contest
Have
a contest to see who can build the best item that relates to where you
are going. Use a shoebox to store the Legos, or large zip lock bags.
Guess
How Far Away That Is
Pick
an object and have everyone guess how far away it is, then clock
it on your odometer.
Play
Favorites
Have
everyone think of different "favorite" questions for the group. What's
your favorite... movie, flavor of ice cream, song, game, toy, place to
visit, restaurant, book, animal, fish, etc. Be creative and don't forget
to ask the driver too!
Aluminum
Art
Give
everyone a sheet of aluminum foil. Have them mold it into anything they
want: animal shapes, Frisbees, balls, jewelry, crowns, headband, necklaces
and masks. Be creative. It’s inexpensive fun and easy to clean up. Toddlers
love this one too.
Remember
that it's sometimes nice to sit in the back of the van with your kids while
Dad is doing the driving and play some games right along side them. You
might be surprised at how much fun you have too. Happy travels!
-----------------------
Author:
Laurel Smith is a former schoolteacher and mother of three who has logged
thousands of road trip miles both as a kid and a mom. Visit her website
for more than 101 car trip games
and road trip games
and activities for kids at MomsMinivan.com
! And moms might also enjoy her other websites for free
baby stuff and free makeup
samples!
| This
Article is available for reprint:
Terms
of use: Permission is granted to use this article for reprint on your
website or in your newsletter on the web, or in print media as long as
the author bylines AND all the links in the article and bylines
are all included. Feel free to change the fonts as needed. Other
articles on this website are not available for reprint unless specifically
stated. Enjoy!
Please
let me know if you use the article - I'd love a copy or the url to where
it is published. Thanks! Email me at Editor@momsminivan.com
You may copy the text from
the box below and paste it into your website. It will contain the links
and required elements. |
|
Please abide by the terms
of use (above) in order to maintain permission to use this article. Thank
you. Enjoy!
footer
Road Trip
Mom recommends:
Back
Seat Travel Games Tin
For kids of all ages. A travel
tins with various activities. Comes with magnetic pieces & activity
cards. Hours of Fun!
Available at Amazon
|
Back
Seat Survival Kit
From Klutz. A full-color book
of car activities, plus a game pad, and a vinyl pouch full of everything
you need Hours of Fun!
Available at Amazon
|
|
Don't Miss These:
Games
for Kids | Toddlers | Babies
| Articles | Travel
Freebies
|
