The festive season is upon us. For many families, this time is synonymous with roadtrips. Although long drives as a family can be fun, the experience can also be dominated by one nagging question from your young ones: are we there yet?
Finding fun things for them to do on the road can make them a little less impatient. Undoubtedly, keeping them busy is the trick to a good roadtrip.
Here are five ideas to keep your kids busy while on the road:
1. Yummy snacks
A hangry child stuck in a car is truly a recipe for disaster! In some cases, hunger is actually what causes constant nagging and restlessness. Keep your children’s hands and mouths busy with mess-free snacks such as granola bars, crackers and fruit.
You can also make the bag of goodies a surprise by allowing them to guess and discover what yummy items the bag has to give.
2. Fun games and a sing-along
There are plenty of games which can easily be played just by observing your surroundings. These include ‘I Spy’ and the license plate game which entails tracking all the license plates spotted along the way.
Once they have grown tired of those games, you can skip to some good old karaoke. After all, the idea of singing together to strengthen family bonds is not a bad one.
3. Infotainment through podcasts
Children love a good story. Podcasts paint a picture in the human mind and serve as a movie in one’s ear. There are a number of podcasts for children which you can download as part of your pre-trip planning.
These include Wow in the World, Circle Round and the Brains On! Science podcast for kids. Your child’s age and personality are factors to consider when downloading a podcast that they will find to be both fun and informative for them.
4. Books
Reading books is highly beneficial, especially for children. It improves their vocabulary and helps them to make sense of the world around them. Before the trip, visit your local library or bookstore to get some books which they can read and enjoy on the road.
To make things more interesting, the books can be related to the destination you are travelling to. This will get them highly excited and eager for the trip, and they will also get to learn a thing or two.
5. A bit of screen time
These days, children and technological devices go together like bacon and eggs. Take advantage of this by downloading fun educational games for your children on their iPads or tablets.
You can also download a digital colouring book. This way, they can colour on the screen without the mess of crayons all over the car.
