“Are we there yet?”, “I’m bored”, “stop kicking me!”, “are we there yet?” If you have kids and have been on a road trip or long journey, you’ll have heard this before. In the past your armoury was small, but today there’s an arsenal of tools to combat child boredom in the car.
Tablets have opened up a whole new world of in car entertainment whilst audiobooks and MP3 players are a great way to break up the monotony when your iPad battery runs out. Whilst electric gadgets are seen by some as a barrier to communication and taking the easy way out, on really long journeys or when stuck in a traffic jam, they’re fantastic.
So what are the best ways to keep kids entertained on a long journey?
Electronic Options – don’t forget headphones & batteries!
iPad
Great for Apps, games, music, TV shows/films etc. The kids can commandeer it in the car before you use it to search out all the best tourist attractions upon arrival. When it comes to Apps, you can opt for educational or entertaining. There are a number of drawing and painting apps available if you get bored of travel bingo.
DVD Player
You can pick these up for as little as £40 now but it’s not a good idea to buy the cheapest. Go for a robust model that won’t skip scenes or freeze half way through only to jump to the beginning again.
Audiobooks
Get the family involved for this. There’s a huge number of titles & authors available now including Arthur Ransome, the Chronicles of Narnia, Roald Dahl, Just William, and much more. There’s bound to be something you’ll all agree on.
If your kids are a bit older, search out a family friendly comedian. Jasper Carrott is perfect for example whereas Jimmy Carr is best left for when they’re 18.
PS Vita/Game Boys etc.
If you have a handheld console, take it. Let it entertain them until the batteries run out. If the worst comes to the worst, you can play Call of Duty on it until you calm down.
Luddite Options
Board Games
Sometimes you just can’t beat a good old fashioned board game and whilst Connect4 probably won’t keep them entertained for hours, it’s great for filling the gaps. Battleships and Guess Who are also good options.
I Don’t Spy
You’re in a car. On a road. In traffic. There’s not much you’re going to spy that will challenge each other. I don’t spy… allows you to think of anything in the world. On the M25? No problem, there’s a turtle in the Galapagos Islands with your name on it. In Fiji? Transport yourself to the North Pole instead to really confuse them.
Pub Game
When you pass a pub, check its sign or name for how many legs it has and award points accordingly. For example, the White Horse scores 4 whilst the Fox and Goose gives 6. Points go to the side of the car on the same side as the pub. Use one of these buildings of mercy to break the journey and switch drivers.
Sweets, Treats, and Bribery
Have packets of sweets and healthy snacks as a way to control over excited or angry children. If all else fails, give them 50p for every half hour they behave so they can buy something at the services. If you don’t want to have to pay for good behaviour, give them £5 at the start and confiscate 50p every time they’re naughty [insert evil laugh here].
Activity Books
Get some crayons and some colouring books to get them away from the computer or TV screen for a bit. Just make sure they don’t draw on the car seats!
General Tips
- Try and travel at night so the kids sleep through most of the journey.
- Make sure you’re well stocked with tissues, baby wipes, and travel sickness cures.
- Keep calm and accept it’ll all be over soon.
- Get a dual USB cigarette charger so you can keep your gadgets charged in case of a traffic jam.
Got a better idea?
How do you keep your children entertained on long journeys? We’d would love to know your ideas and what your favourite car games are. Leave a comment or suggestion below to help out other less fortunate souls. If you’d like some more inspiration, check out our top car games to break the boredom. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and sign up to our Newsletter for all the latest news.
