Car Trip Activities

“Are we there yet?” or “How much longer?”  The infamous words kids repeat the entire car trip.  Fear not!  We’ve got some fun ways to divert kid’s boredom and make their time go by much faster for this year’s trip.

Next time you are planning a get-away, try these activities to keep the kids busy and the trip running smoothly:

Pack a goodie box!  Load the box with fun stuff like a new toy or art supplies (crayons, markers, paper & coloring or activity books).  Make sure that the kids don’t see the goodie box beforehand!  A free and great way to load up the box is by having a toy swap with a friend.  You’ll be able to load the box with “new” toys with little effort and no money.

Play games!  Games are a creative way to waste time and a great way to keep kids preoccupied.  Try playing:

• “What if” or “What is”.  See what imaginative responses you get from questions like, “What if you were a dinosaur or a bird?”  “What if you lived in the dessert or Antartica?”  “What is your favorite fruit, drink, dessert, color, shape, car?”  “If you could be any animal (or bug) what would it be?”
•  Go Fish – pack a little shallow container to hold the ‘ocean’ of cards the kids to need to fish from.
•  More game ideas:  I spy, Hangman, Tic Tac Toe.  Magnetic checkers board game. 

Give them a map!  Giving kids a map allows them to visually see where they are, how far they have traveled and how far they have to go.  It’s a great way to keep them interested in the journey.

Pull out snacks!  Portable, non-messy & safe munchies keep kids happy and sometimes fussiness at bay.  Try packing:

• cheese cubes or string cheese
• grapes (sliced in half for young ones), apple slices, peeled oranges
• peanut butter and banana sandwiches (cut in half or quarters)
• fruit smoothie
• popcorn trail mix recipe (try our recipe!)
• mini bagels (plain or lightly topped with cream cheese or fruit jam)
• pack a couple of napkins and a bag or two for garbage.

Safe travels!