Tips For Keeping Kids Entertained

This is a partnered post by a guest writer.

Avoiding in-car boredom on your summer break

It’s the time of year when we’re all taking to the road with the kids in tow, and it’s time to get your thinking cap on to find ways to keep the kids entertained. We all find long car journeys boring, but for excitable kids with heaps of energy, they can be an even bigger challenge.

PassSmart have written a few tips to keeping in-car boredom at bay, which, hopefully, will keep the dreaded “are we nearly there yet!?” away.

Design their own game

Getting the kids to create their own game is bound to keep them occupied. If you’re going on holiday or a day trip, they could design a game to do with your destination. So, for example, if you were on your way to Disneyland, a) you’ll have some VERY excited kids, and b) they could draw or write a letter to each Disney character they want to meet.

By keeping their mind on the destination you’ll be able to keep them thinking about what they’re going to do rather than the boring journey which comes first.

Plan you breaks

Keeping Kids Entertained

Plan your breaks strategically to make sure the kids get a chance to get out of the car and stretch their legs. The more energy they use up during your stop off, the less restless they will be in the car. Try and stop off somewhere where they can get out of the car and have a little run around. This isn’t always possible, but you could consider taking a scenic detour to find somewhere away from the main roads.

Beware the sugary snacks

The best part of going on a road trip is often the in-car snacks, but try not to let them over do it with the sugary treats. Staying still in the car is tough at the best of times, let alone on a sugar high! Instead pack snacks with a natural energy boost like fruit, nuts and raisins. For something a little more appealing, you could make your own ice poles with fruit juice and pack them in a cooler bag, ready for lunch.

You don’t, however, have to cut out the sweets completely! Instead, try to impose an evening curfew for sweet snacks and, ideally, let the kids have them before you stop off for a break so that they can burn the energy off.

Old-fashioned fun

You don’t have to have an iPad, a portable DVD player and a Nintendo DS to keep the kids happy in the car. Great old-fashioned games like I-Spy or lorry spotting are fantastic ways to keep the kids occupied, and, you never know, you might even have fun too!

Take it in turns to choose a game you want to play and the kids won’t be able to complain about your choice of entertainment. You can even put an educational twist on some in-car games, like, for example, the alphabet game. Get the kids to read license plates and think of an animal/food/country/color relating to each letter. You might be surprised at how long in-car games keep the kids occupied for, and, best of all, they won’t cost you a cent!

Avoid music battles

Trying to decide what music to listen to in the car can be a headache in itself, but there is a way to keep everyone happy. Unless you all have different devices to listen to, you’ll know that someone has to compromise. Get the kids to choose 5 songs each and then take it in turns to play one of their choice. You may have to listen to a few Disney classics, but at least there’ll be no squabbling to contend with!

Finally, drive safely and enjoy your trip!


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25 comments

  1. LyndaS says:

    Sugary snacks are EVIL. :)

  2. Colleen says:

    I remember car games when we were young, now the kids bring electronics.

  3. It’s so easy just to give our kids electronics on a road trip. I like the idea of playing ispy!

  4. Lisa says:

    Great tips!

  5. Love these tips, I miss good ole fashion car rides prior to electronics.

  6. These are some great tips! I do miss the good old days before technology took over.

  7. Lolo says:

    We love to stop at rest stops that have playgrounds or a large play area so he can run and play.

  8. We do a variety of activities in the car. Games, music, movies..

  9. Angela says:

    Great tips! We love to make up silly games on car trips.

  10. Maryann says:

    Man I hate taking those long trips.

  11. I’ve found that having an iPad and DVD system really help!

  12. Jenn says:

    Thanks for the tips! We have a road trip coming up.

  13. Marcie W. says:

    These are all great tips! We have been lucky on all of our family road trips thus far, especially since we now know our oldest gets car sick.

  14. Donna says:

    We will be on an 8 hour drive Sunday… thanks for the tips!

  15. Right now I’m lucky as my kiddo will sleep in the car for a long time and then Daniel Tiger keeps him busy.

  16. my kids love to get creative and think of new games

  17. Mellisa says:

    My kids have already started getting bored this summer. Thanks for the tips.

  18. Leilani says:

    Thankfully our kids just enjoy talking and taking in the scenery. I don’t have to worry about playing music, or letting them watch DVDs.

  19. Kathleen says:

    Great tips. I am using many of them to keep the boys from getting bored on our trip this summer.

  20. We haven’t done any long trips yet. My daughter is pretty patient but she hasn’t been tested for a long haul.

  21. Sheri says:

    Very good tips!

  22. These are some great ideas! I especially need help in the car – when we are on long trips and the kids don’t sleep the whole time!

  23. courtney says:

    Great tips! For us it’s a new toy lol

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