Contemplating a road trip with your family? While it’s sure to provide an opportunity to create amazing memories with your kids, there’s also a lot of work that goes into it. A major question you may be asking yourself is, “How do I entertain my child on a long car ride?” With all the things you have to worry about before getting your crew out the door, keeping your kids entertained on a road trip doesn’t need to be on the list of things that are stressing you out.
Entertaining kids without sitting in front of a screen for hours can be a challenge. While your kids’ Troomi phones help keep them safe online, if your family is working on healthy screen time habits, you’ll have to get a little creative to help everyone disconnect from their screens. Lucky for you, there’s a lot of great ideas that can easily be found by a simple Google search. But if you’re not quite ready to tackle planning for 50+ Road Trip Activities for Kids , here’s 5 simple road trip activities for kids that will keep everyone from saying “are we there yet?”
Road Trip Scavenger Hunt
Do you know what’s great about the internet? There are hundreds brilliant people out there who have invested their time in creating free content to keep your kids entertained. Road trip scavenger hunts are one of the greatest road trip activities for kids. All you have to do is print one off for each kid and presto! Hours of fun.
Scavenger hunts provide opportunities for kids of all ages to talk about the scenery, sharpen their problem solving and pattern finding skills, and get them asking questions about the world around them. It’s a great way to connect with your kids and see how they view the world.
A Movie for Everyone
For some reason, things seem to really escalate when all family members are sitting in a car together for hours on end. Picking a movie to watch suddenly holds the weight and seriousness of a presidential debate. To keep everyone from arguing over the movie selection, try surprising your kids with a movie they’ve never seen before. Maybe even one from when you were young. Keeping the movie a surprise can add some mystery and excitement and also help you avoid a little drama from the back seat.
Strong and Strategic Snack Game
Is it even a road trip without some good snacks?! Your snack game can play a big role in helping kids pass the time and count the hours. Before you set off on your grand adventure, look at your road map and identify periodic landmarks that your kids can look for throughout the trip. When you pass your landmarks, hand out a special snack! This is a great way to help kids keep track of time and distance, while enjoying a fun snack along the way. Switch off between healthier snacks, plus some sweet and salty to keep everyone on their toes.
Quiet Time
When going on vacation you have so many things to remember to pack, you may forget to ask yourself, “What to bring for long car rides with kids?” Everyone needs some quiet time on a road trip. Instead of fighting your kids to take a nap, think about bringing a few items that will help your kids relax and hopefully help them drift off to sleep for an hour or two.
Before you leave your house, have every kid pack the following:
- A book to read/look at
- A pillow and blanket
- An activity book
Give kids the opportunity to own their quiet time by helping them pick out these things themselves. There are so many activity books out there for kids of all ages. Sudoku, sticker books, mad libs, and mazes are just a few to keep in mind, and you can find them at most grocery stores! Set a timer and have everyone do their quiet activities until the timer goes off. This will help everyone get some much needed rest on a long day of driving.
Get to know you questions
Do you ever wish your kids talked to you more? The car is a perfect place to spark up a conversation with a very captive audience. Have everyone remove the ear buds and turn off screens for a quick round of questions. Search for fun questions to ask your kids and you’ll find lists of questions that will get everyone talking. You’ll all learn more about each other and open the door for more conversations as the road trip continues. Asking fun questions can help you learn what things your kids may be struggling with, while also helping you to see how you can help your child be successful and feel good about themselves.
Road trip activities for kids don’t have to be complicated. Next time you find yourself asking, “How do I entertain my child on a long road trip?” Just remember, simplicity is key! Utilize your togetherness to talk and reconnect before vacation even starts, and above all, don’t forget the snacks.