No need to travel outside of New England for a family vacation, especially in the summer. Doesn’t matter if you want to go north, south, east or west there are so many great places to explore with a quick road trip. Wether you are looking for adventure or looking to relax on the beach, lets pack up the station wagon and hit the road. Because family road trips just got exciting, again!
Your bags are packed, the gas tank is full and you are ready to hit the road. But with long family road trips comes traveling in the car with kids. How do we keep them entertained without putting a electronic device in front of them for 4 hours? Here are some great DIY activities to keep your children of all ages entertained –
Make edible necklaces
Think candy necklaces without the sugar. String on cereal, pretzels, dried apples, really anything with a hole on to make shift necklace. This also works as a portable snack for those kids who are always hungry! Kids love the novelty of this great snack and it will help the parents from the constant passing of something to eat.
Take some talking books
Reading in the car can sometimes get people car sick and thats the last thing we want to do on a road trip. So wether your kids can read or not the idea of a book on tape is so fun and the entire family can enjoy it. Head over to your local library check out what they have. Audio books come in all different genres.
Make a magnetic table
I can’t explain how many times I have become a contortionist reaching around to the back seat to pick something up that one of my kids has dropped. Then I saw the most genius invention that has changed my travel life. Why not make them a magnetic play table with a baking tray, then stick little magnetic strips on their pencils and other play items to ensure everything stays put!
Play Travel Alphabet with your toddler
If your toddler is beginning learn the alphabet, this game is a great.
The aim is for each player to finish the sentence: “I’m going on a journey to …” using a word that begins with a specific letter of the alphabet. The game then moves through the alphabet from A – Z.
For instance:
Player 1: “I’m going on a journey to Avalon.”
Other players: “What will you do there?”
Player 1: “I will do some acrobatics.”
If Player 1 can’t think of a place name or an activity beginning with the letter “A,” they are eliminated. If they do think of a place name and activity, they stay in the game and the play moves onto the next player using the letter “B.”
Keep playing until all but one are eliminated. The last player standing is the winner.
Play Number Plate Bingo
This game involves the driver nominating the number of letters in the word. Say, “seven.” Everyone then has to write down a word with seven letters in it. The players then have to keep a keen eye out on the traffic, checking each number plate that goes by. (Parked cars count, too, if you can read them quickly enough.) Whenever players see a letter from their word, they cross that letter off. The first person to cross all seven letters of their word off wins.
Eye Spy
Nothing fancy about it- an old fashion game of eye spy. Kids love this game young and old! Keep it in the car or outside of the car and it will give hours of entertainment.
Make surprise bags
Take a trip to your dollar store, party store, or local Target and grab a bunch of super inexpensive toys. Kids love exploring a bag filled with fun stuff to keep them amused on the road. Some great ideas to fill these bags include:
- A small picture book
- A notebook or scribbling block
- A colouring book
- A packet of coloured pencils or textas
- A packet of coloured pipe cleaners
- Large wooden beads and a piece of plastic thread to thread them onto
- A simple jigsaw puzzle
- Finger puppet
- Magnifying glass
- New small toy or mirror
- A small cheap retractable tape measure
Blow Bubbles
It doesn’t matter how old your kids are I guarantee they love bubbles. Grab each kid a bottle of bubbles and let them blow bubbles out the car window. This can provide hours of entertainment for them.
Make a LEGO travel box
Grab a lunch box or storage box either metal or plastic and glue a lego board onto one side. Add a bunch of legos in a bag and viola a travel LEGO case!
Let them be an artist
Give your kids dry erase markers and an eraser and let them draw on the windows. They can play hang man or just draw away. They don’t like what they made they can just erase and start over.
Of course its easy to let them watch movies in the car now a days or play on the iPad which I will say there is nothing wrong with that. But let them be kids like we all used to be and have some fun and make memories on your road trips.