Long car journeys are boring for everyone, but they're even worse for kids. If you're sick of hearing "Are we nearly there yet?" every few seconds, then why not try these car games to keep your kids entertained.
1. I Spy: This is an old but timeless favourite. One person picks out something in the landscape and says "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with..." then the first letter of the object they're thinking of. The other players take it in turns to guess the object. The only problem with I Spy is that the game often degenerates to 'C' for Car, and 'T' for Tree - the only things you get to see on a lot of motorways.
2. I Spy - The Books: I Spy books are available from most motorway service stations. These books contain things to look for, games to play, and interesting facts to learn about particular areas of the country. When your child completes the book they can send it off to get a badge from the publisher.
3. Spot The...: This one is great for older, competitive kids. Along the journey, get your kids to compete to see how many yellow cars they can see, or how many registration plates beginning with a certain letter. Pick something unusual - car registration numbers from the past couple of years will appear all over the place, and there's probably too many red cars to keep things exciting too. Something rare is a better idea if you want to keep things competitive.
4. Plate Spelling: Another game you can play with registration plates is to try to turn them into words. G123 CLT could spell "Coolant", or "Chocolate", or "Collect", for example. Point out a few car registration numbers and see who can come up with the most words based on them.
5. The Alphabet Game: Pick a topic, and work through the alphabet calling out names or items that begin with the right letter. For example, "Ant", "Beetle", and so on.
Keeping kids entertained can be a challenge, and after a while even the most entertaining of games can become boring. To ensure your journey is as stress free as possible, make sure that you take frequent breaks. A few minutes running around on the grass outside of a service station will do wonders for keeping your kids happy while you travel. There's no sense in keeping everyone stuck a car for hours on end if they're going to arrive stressed, frazzled, and tired. Regular breaks will help to ensure that everyone is in a good mood once they arrive at your chosen destination, so that they can get on with the all important task of having a good time on their holiday.
Don't forget to pack some healthy snacks. Avoid chocolate and fizzy drinks for the duration of the journey. Instead, stick to diluted fruit juice, dried fruits and savoury snacks that will keep your kids satisfied, but shouldn't produce a sugar rush!
1. I Spy: This is an old but timeless favourite. One person picks out something in the landscape and says "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with..." then the first letter of the object they're thinking of. The other players take it in turns to guess the object. The only problem with I Spy is that the game often degenerates to 'C' for Car, and 'T' for Tree - the only things you get to see on a lot of motorways.
2. I Spy - The Books: I Spy books are available from most motorway service stations. These books contain things to look for, games to play, and interesting facts to learn about particular areas of the country. When your child completes the book they can send it off to get a badge from the publisher.
3. Spot The...: This one is great for older, competitive kids. Along the journey, get your kids to compete to see how many yellow cars they can see, or how many registration plates beginning with a certain letter. Pick something unusual - car registration numbers from the past couple of years will appear all over the place, and there's probably too many red cars to keep things exciting too. Something rare is a better idea if you want to keep things competitive.
4. Plate Spelling: Another game you can play with registration plates is to try to turn them into words. G123 CLT could spell "Coolant", or "Chocolate", or "Collect", for example. Point out a few car registration numbers and see who can come up with the most words based on them.
5. The Alphabet Game: Pick a topic, and work through the alphabet calling out names or items that begin with the right letter. For example, "Ant", "Beetle", and so on.
Keeping kids entertained can be a challenge, and after a while even the most entertaining of games can become boring. To ensure your journey is as stress free as possible, make sure that you take frequent breaks. A few minutes running around on the grass outside of a service station will do wonders for keeping your kids happy while you travel. There's no sense in keeping everyone stuck a car for hours on end if they're going to arrive stressed, frazzled, and tired. Regular breaks will help to ensure that everyone is in a good mood once they arrive at your chosen destination, so that they can get on with the all important task of having a good time on their holiday.
Don't forget to pack some healthy snacks. Avoid chocolate and fizzy drinks for the duration of the journey. Instead, stick to diluted fruit juice, dried fruits and savoury snacks that will keep your kids satisfied, but shouldn't produce a sugar rush!