dad dads
Returning User? Login Here | Bookmark this site
Toilet training
Sleeping
How to
Shopping
Baby names
Sex
Expectant father
Ask and Answer
Valentines Day 2009
Favorites
 
 
 
 
Tell a Friend
 
Subscribe via RSS
Enter your email



 
   RSS Feed
 XML Sitemap
 greatdad/sitemap
 
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to Google

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Travel with Kids - Five Stuff-free Games for Long Car Trips

Be the first to rate this article:

Ask about this article
Paul Banas   Print
Subscribe to Newsletters

It’s almost the end of the school year, and, despite the soaring cost of gas, you likely have some travel in store for you and the family during the coming months. Here are five ideas you can keep at the back of your mind when the “how much longer?” questions start coming fast and furious.

1. Twins and triplets - Use “twins” to have everyone name one thing that comes in twins. Think “mom and dad,” “soup and salad,” “stop and go.” When it’s your turn, you can shout out an answer. If the next person doesn’t have an answer in three seconds, the following person can fill in. Players keep score by how many they have come up with. It’s obviously easy at first, but gets harder after a few times around. “Triplets” is even more challenging.

2. Horse - The first player says a letter and the following players have to add letters until a word is formed. The player who adds a letter that forms any word loses. The trick is that players must have a word in mind that could be created as they add a letter. So spelling H-O-R and adding an S might lead to forming “Horse” for the next player unless they could form a word that starts with H-O-R-S but does not have an E next.

3. Which would you rather be? - Choose odd combinations of things to quiz people on their inner selves and true desires. “What would you rather be: a whale or a shark? A theater usher or a candy counter attendant? A professional singer or a librarian? A dog or a cat? ” The list goes on and on, only limited by your imagination and curiosity. You might actually learn something about your kids or spouse!


4. License plates - This is an old chestnut, but can keep kids busy for a few minutes at least while they realize that license plates come on cars from all over the country. Some kids wait years before seeing one from Hawaii or Alaska.

5. Alphabet soup - I almost hit a truck looking for an R during a recent car trip so I’m cautious about this game. In this game, each player has to find letters of the alphabet in alphabetical order starting with A. Each player keeps track and tries to avoid cheating. Little kids love to hunt for letters while they ride, and this game can be safely played from the back seat.

That should be enough to keep them at bay for at least ten miles.

For other travel activities with kids, there are some good ideas in Travel Wise with Children though many require extra props or preparation.




Subscribe to the pregnancy newsletter or 4-8 year olds newsletter.
 Recently Asked Questions
Comments
By Rob,   From Odessa
Quite refreshing to see that there's another dad around who doesn't believe that his kids need DVDs, MP3, GameBoys, and half a dozen other digital doodads to make the 15-minute drive to the grocery store!

When we were kids, Dad would load us up and we'd head off on a 3-day weekend / 3 state spree with little more than a G.I. Joe (the 12" classic Kung-Fu Grip model, of course!) and a couple of books. We had no option but to tolerate this - and do so quietly. Our reward for doing so was a Dairy Queen ice cream cone - which might as well have been the most awesome delicacy in the entire world!

Today's parents can't stomach the notion that their kids get bored after the first 10 minutes into a road trip... How sad.

 
   
 
Post a Comment
 
 
First Name:
City:
Email Address:
Comments:
Total Words:
(400 words*)

Enter the characters you see in the image. They are case sensitive.

 
   
   
 
 

 

 
 
Shopping
 
 
 
 
Article List
Ten Tips for Dads Traveling with Kids
Travel with Kids - Five Stuff-free Games for Long Car Trips
Cruise ships with the kids
Whitewater rafting (Checklist)
Advice for dads: Keeping kids occupied while traveling
Paris and Kids
Business trips with kids

1
 
Tell a Friend
Subscribe to Newsletters
Forum Topics

Greetings from a Fellow Father
Posts: 1  Views: 167

Greetings from a Fellow Father
Posts: 0  Views: 190

Father of Eight
Posts: 1  Views: 454

Am I right for this job...?
Posts: 1  Views: 601

Photo Contest "Me and my Kid "
Posts: 0  Views: 567

   
Most Popular Articles
When is a child ready to be potty-trained?
Nine reasons to delay toilet training
21 Potty Training Tips
How to potty train your child in one day
Top tips to prepare your child for toilet training (even though it may be months away)
Eight Tips on Buying a Potty Chair
The NAKED CHILD APPROACH to toilet training
 
 
See more articles...