
"Are we there yet?" Long family car rides can be tricky. Your little ones start to get antsy after about 30 minutes, but your family friends' house or grandma's house is a good three hours away. In order to combat backseat boredom, we have a few games to keep your kids entertained for the long haul.
The License Plate Game
The license plate game is a classic. Ask anyone, it was the road trip favourite for almost every family growing up. It will strike up some competition, and is sure to keep your kids' attention for a while. Playing is easy. Make sure your kids are equipped with a paper pad and a pencil. The kids should try to spot license plates from different states, and jot each state name down as they see it. The goal? Collect all 50 states! Try to assign a time limit, say 30 minutes, to ensure maximum focus.
Taken from: MiniTime
Virtual Hide and Seek
This game is great for younger kids because it harnesses the power of their imaginations. In virtual hide and seek, your kids choose a place in your house to hide. They are allowed to be any size they want, so they can hide in a closet, or in a teacup in your kitchen. The seeker finds the person hiding by first asking broad questions such as "are you in a bedroom?", and narrows the questions down until the person hiding is found!
Taken from: Mom's Minivan
Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts take little to no time to compile, and will keep your kids entertained for the majority of the ride! Take 10 minutes before your trip to gather a list of things to look out for. These can be different cars, road signs, restaurants, or geographic landmarks such as rivers or lakes that are specific to the trip you are taking. Print the list, and have your kids check off as many items as they can before you reach your destination!
Taken from: Mom's Minivan
The Animal Name Game
Make your kids put on their thinking caps with this fun game. The first person begins by naming an animal, say "dog". The second person then has to name an animal beginning with the last letter of the first animal named. The second person in this case could say "goat", since dog ends with the letter "g". There is no winner or loser in this game. The goal is to name as many animals as possible! You can also try the game using names for different categories such as cities, foods, or colours.
Taken from: Parents
Happy travelling!