“Are we nearly there yet?”
If you’re tired of hearing this regular, plaintive whine and then breaking up sporadic squabbles in the back seat, here are six smart ways to keep your little angels occupied and absorbed on long car journeys this summer. Whether you’re driving to see family on the other side of the country or heading off on a summer holiday, try out these beauties for a more relaxing drive.
1. The Classics
I spy with my little eye, something beginning with….R! It’s an old favourite but it’s sure to keep everyone occupied for at least 10 minutes. There are plenty of these classic car games to play on the move which should ensure family harmony for a good while. Memory games like “I went shopping and I bought…A pizza, a toothbrush, a gorilla…” etc. are also fun. Equally simple old favourites like coming up with an alphabet of vegetables in turn: “Apple, Banana, Clementine…” are good for a laugh.
2. Download Free Audiobooks
Everyone loves a story and, with loads of audio books now free to download online, you can fill your USB, MP3 player, smartphone, CDs (or whatever piece of technology you fancy, really) with tales to keep your kids entertained and winge-free. Some good resources for free kids’ audio books include:
- Storynory.com (http://www.storynory.com/)
- Booksshouldbefree.com (http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/genre/Children)
- Kidsaudiobooks.co.uk (http://www.kidsaudiobooks.co.uk/complete_list.htm)
3. Embrace Technology
If you’re a high tech kind of parent, you probably have tablets, Nintendo’s 3DS’s, in-car screens and all sorts of technological wotsits ready to go. While plugging the kids in to technology isn’t always the best way to keep them quiet, it really does work a charm. The only catch? Sharing screens, speakers and earphones is prime territory for squabbles – so rule over your gadget grabbing little ‘uns with equanimity!
4. Get Musical
“We’re all going on a – summer holiday!” Cliff Richard may not be your children’s first choice of in-car singalong, but there are plenty of other musical activities you can enjoy en route (as long as dad doesn’t have a headache!). Choose a family favourite song, hit play on your car sound system, when it’s coming up to a good bit, turn off the volume for ten seconds. The player who is most in time with the music when the volume comes back on is the winner! Alternatively, stick your player on shuffle and play Name That Tune!
5. Emergency Stops
Often in life we hear the cliché “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey that matters.” As annoying as this truism might be, it’s actually great advice for long journeys with kids. Instead of focussing on a final destination, make the journey fun with a few little stops along your route. Whether it’s a picnic in a big field where your little trouble makers can run around and tire themselves out, or a little look at a nearby landmark, small hops will break the journey up for kids and tire them out along the way! Google Maps is an amazing resource for finding points of interest along your route.
How do you keep your little ones occupied and squabble-free on long journeys? We’d love to hear all about your top tactics – share your ideas with our readers below or tweet @TwoLittleFleas
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