How To Keep Your Child Entertained On A Long Car Journey (You Can Thank Us Later!)

“Are we there yet?” - we’ve all been there, 1 hour into a 4-hour journey, stuck in standstill traffic and the whining begins! With the summer holidays fast approaching, we thought it would be a good idea to share some tips we use to help keep your kids happy in the car. Leaving you free to enjoy a peaceful journey - bliss!

Electronic Gadgets

Yes, yes, we know, they are a parenting-sin, but they are really really useful. Whether it’s a tablet, smartphone or one of those fancy in-car DVDs, pop on their favourite film and it’ll keep your little squawkers quiet for a few hours – you can read them War and Peace once you’ve arrived!

There are also some really great free kid’s apps out there, that you can download onto your tablet or smartphone. One of our absolute favourites is the CBeebies App – it has lots of fab games featuring CBeebies characters.

Lucky Dip

This is a simple idea but it does take a little preparation. Buy a few cheap games and toys that your little ones will enjoy. To keep the costs down take a trip to a pound store, they are great for kid’s games, toys and crafts, and it won’t break the bank.

At different points throughout the journey you can reveal a new toy meaning that you can elongate the fun, and your children won’t get bored too quickly.  If you can find the time, wrap each toy and put them in a bag, allowing your child to dig around and grab a pressie - much like a lucky dip!

Snacks

Food, the best way to any child’s heart. Pack as much as you can carry, and when you think you’ve got enough, pack more. You can never have too much food when you are on the road. Obviously, sweets and crisps will be the most popular, but do try to balance the selection out with healthy snacks as well. Take a look some great car snack ideas here.

Crafts

It may seem like madness, letting your children loose with colouring felt tips on your beautiful car interior, but there are ways your little ones can still be creative without ruining your upholstery. Sticker books are always a great entertainer, especially reusable ones, as they can be used time and time again. Or an etch-a-sketch which allows them to create epic pictures without the use of pens. How about fuzzy felts? A toy that literally is fuzzy pieces of different shaped felt that you stick to a board.

In-car Games

Or, if you’re in the mood and want to get involved with the entertainment, car games can help fill a few hours. i-Spy is a classic, or try the Car Registration Game, which simply involves spotting cars with the correct letter at the start of their registration plate, going from A to Z in order (some letters like, I and Q, are harder to find so allowing a single numberplate with the two letters adjacent to the required letter can be allowed). The I’m going on a picnic and I’m going to bring game (there must a catchier name!) is also a great time filler. Starting with the letter A, each person in the car starts with “I’m going on a picnic and I’m going to bring a…” item beginning with A e.g. Apple. The next person says the same phrase, remembering the first item and adding their second item that begins with a B, and so on and so on.