Weekends and Holidays road trips are often a stressful time and experience, with so many people on the roads and so many kids sitting in cars trying to find ways to pass the time in a pleasant way.
While many factors of your road trip travel are unavoidable, keeping the kids entertained and happy will help you keep control of your own situation and make your travels as stress-free as possible.
Keeping games simple and limiting them to activities with little to no pieces is key. Here are the top five kids travel games to keep your little ones occupied while you get to your destination this holiday season.
A great way to keep the kids busy, this game can be played over long periods of time; begin at the start of your trip and continue the game all the way back home.
Looking at passing cars, try and spot at least one of all the states license plates. If your kids are old enough, have them write down what they see as you drive.
See if you’re able to spot all of the different license plates before you get to your destination!
Everyone in the car can play this game. Take turns as one individual spots an item and describes the color or some other detail of the object.
Make sure the item is in the car, so it doesn’t pass by as you drive away!
Whoever can guess the item gets to be “it” and pick the next item to try and spy.
Counting Game
While this game needs some planning ahead of time, it is a great way to keep the kids distracted when you’re busy driving.
Make a list for the kids to try and count or find. Print each child a copy with a check box next to each item to try and find during your travel. Examples during a car ride could be:
- 3 Red Cars
- 10 Cows
- 2 Stop Signs
- 1 “Exit 22” Sign
- 5 Cars With Luggage On Them
And so on. A similar list could be made for travel by plane or train as well.
Have your kids sharpen their letter skills while you travel. Beginning with “A,” have your children find something either in the car/plane or outside that begins with the letter “A.” This could be simple such as “Airplane” or more complex for older kids such as “Armrest.”
Continue through all of the letters of the alphabet, making sure everyone gets a turn. When you’re finished, start again and try not to repeat any of the words you’ve already used.
Good for individual or partner play, hand games are a great way to keep kids busy with little to no materials.
Teach your kids how to play Cat’s Cradle. Requiring only a small piece of string, this will keep your children busy for hours. What’s even better is the game can be played alone or together. If you’ve forgotten how to play, brush up on your skills before your trip, or even pick up a how-to book to bring along.
Rock-Paper-Scissors may seem old and outdated, but you’d be surprised how long this will keep kids busy for. Have them take a break from their electronics and play this quick, easy hand game with each other.
Miss Mary Mack and other clapping games are perfect for keeping kids entertained during that long wait before security or inside of the airplane terminal. Pass on your favorite clapping games to your children and they’ll love these electronic-free games.
By avoiding games that require lots of pieces, you’ll save yourself trouble and stress. Keep your children’s games simple, but make sure they will keep their attention and last more than a few minutes.
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Sticking with games where kids can play alone or with one another are often the best options. By choosing one of the games above, you’ll be able to reduce your stress during travel this holiday season.
