Entertaining Kids On Long Drives
May 27th, 2004, 12:47 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Entertaining Kids On Long Drives
My granddaughter just visited for eight days, and then we drove her back to New England. She is six years old, and her favorite thing to do in the car was playing "What Animal Am I?" Other passengers in the car had 10 questions to guess what animal you were. It was a silly little game but she loved playing it endlessly.
What do you play to entertain your little ones? (She'll be visiting again in late summer, and we'll have another roadtrip so I love ideas!)
What do you play to entertain your little ones? (She'll be visiting again in late summer, and we'll have another roadtrip so I love ideas!)
May 27th, 2004, 12:58 PM
#3
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bonniebroad, you are lightyears more patient and prone to bubble-headedness than me. I could no more play that game on a long drive with my young son at that age than I could play bridge.
But girls are different from boys. We used to stop at a reststop when it seemed it was time (judging by my son's restlessness) and we'd let him race against himself, using a stopwatch to time him. He'd try to break his time from the previous run. He'd run himself silly and then we'd get back in the car and he'd go to sleep.
And so would I.
But girls are different from boys. We used to stop at a reststop when it seemed it was time (judging by my son's restlessness) and we'd let him race against himself, using a stopwatch to time him. He'd try to break his time from the previous run. He'd run himself silly and then we'd get back in the car and he'd go to sleep.
And so would I.
May 27th, 2004, 01:04 PM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Tandoori Girl, what a hoot!!! My granddaughter is the fastest runner in her class, glories that she beats all the little boys..... Geesh, maybe that's an idea for her next roadtrip with us!
Yes, congratulate me on my patience.;-) And when we weren't playing "What Animal Am I?", we were playing "I Spy"............ It was real nice when she took a nap!
Yes, congratulate me on my patience.;-) And when we weren't playing "What Animal Am I?", we were playing "I Spy"............ It was real nice when she took a nap!
May 27th, 2004, 01:38 PM
#5
Well the good news is that she'll be seven this year!
Another game kids like is the alphabet license plate game...you have to find A-Z in order from license plates, calling out the letters as you see them. First one to z wins.
There are some great road trip game books these days...Some have items that they have to spot and cross off, some have daily journals designed for young kids to fill out (lots of fill in the blanks, rather than just lined pages) and other amuzing activites. We also had some magnetic board games--checkers, bingo, and another I Spy type one.
The "Sing around" line of cassettes or cDs are great too. They are filled with simple campfire and folk songs and come with a song book. You'll recognize lots of the songs from your childhood, and they are in easy arrangements so even totally tone deafies can join in!
Another game kids like is the alphabet license plate game...you have to find A-Z in order from license plates, calling out the letters as you see them. First one to z wins.
There are some great road trip game books these days...Some have items that they have to spot and cross off, some have daily journals designed for young kids to fill out (lots of fill in the blanks, rather than just lined pages) and other amuzing activites. We also had some magnetic board games--checkers, bingo, and another I Spy type one.
The "Sing around" line of cassettes or cDs are great too. They are filled with simple campfire and folk songs and come with a song book. You'll recognize lots of the songs from your childhood, and they are in easy arrangements so even totally tone deafies can join in!
May 27th, 2004, 01:45 PM
#6
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,639
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We loved playing a game I invented called the "Slug Bug" game. Since we love the VW Beetles, it's about that car.
Each color "slug bug" has a me and when you see that color, you yell it out. Example: Red- Lady Bug!!!!!
Yellow- Lemon Drop!!!!!
Green- Kiwi bug!!!
White- Snowflake!!!
Blue- Bluebird!!!
Well, you get the picture..... my husband & I still play that game, even when they're aren't any kids in the car. (Shhhh) ***kim***
Each color "slug bug" has a me and when you see that color, you yell it out. Example: Red- Lady Bug!!!!!
Yellow- Lemon Drop!!!!!
Green- Kiwi bug!!!
White- Snowflake!!!
Blue- Bluebird!!!
Well, you get the picture..... my husband & I still play that game, even when they're aren't any kids in the car. (Shhhh) ***kim***
May 27th, 2004, 01:49 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We always played "In my grandmothers Chest" Start with the letter "A" and Say in my grandmothers chest there is and apple, the next person has to pick something that starts with the letter "B" and say "In my grandmothers chest there is an Apple and a Ball" etc. This was alway fun and took alot of time.
May 27th, 2004, 02:05 PM
#10
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 555
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We used to play a game called "Buzz" that my grandpa had made up for my mother when she was a kid. It's a simple variation on the "I Spy" type game. A list of objects and points is created. Every time you spot something on the list, you yell "Buzz" and get the amount of points specified. The first person to 500 (or 1000, etc.) wins.
For example, in our version a white horse was worth 25 points, and a semi-white horse was worth 10. Motorcycles were 15 and red cars were 5. Basically, you can put anything on the list and change it, depending on the drive and scenery. The good thing about this game is that it keeps kids occupied looking outside instead of fighting. There can also be long periods of silence before someone finally yells "Buzz". I'm sure that's why my grandpa made it up.
For example, in our version a white horse was worth 25 points, and a semi-white horse was worth 10. Motorcycles were 15 and red cars were 5. Basically, you can put anything on the list and change it, depending on the drive and scenery. The good thing about this game is that it keeps kids occupied looking outside instead of fighting. There can also be long periods of silence before someone finally yells "Buzz". I'm sure that's why my grandpa made it up.
May 27th, 2004, 06:43 PM
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Books on tape (Harry Potter for instance);
trinkets from the dollar store
the-quiet-game: see how long you can keep quiet with a parent trying to make you talk (works better with a bunch of kids fighting in the backseat)
And, not my own idea: Who can keep their eyes closed the longest (not the driver, again you need a bunch of kids)
Another game my kids love(d): country, city, body of water, animal, profession, name. You may have to change the categories (food, girl/boy name, whatever). You pick a letter and write down items that begin with this letter. Then you compare answers: if you have the same as someone else, you get 5 points, 10 for unique items, 20 if you're the only one who found one. Letter can be picked by someone saying the alphabet silently and another saying stop. Or you can let her pick the letter.
trinkets from the dollar store
the-quiet-game: see how long you can keep quiet with a parent trying to make you talk (works better with a bunch of kids fighting in the backseat)
And, not my own idea: Who can keep their eyes closed the longest (not the driver, again you need a bunch of kids)
Another game my kids love(d): country, city, body of water, animal, profession, name. You may have to change the categories (food, girl/boy name, whatever). You pick a letter and write down items that begin with this letter. Then you compare answers: if you have the same as someone else, you get 5 points, 10 for unique items, 20 if you're the only one who found one. Letter can be picked by someone saying the alphabet silently and another saying stop. Or you can let her pick the letter.
May 27th, 2004, 08:11 PM
#17
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 6,267
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Reading this, I'm glad my kids are older now (11 and 13). How did I ever make it through traveling in those younger years? It's interesting how you can handle only what you are given at different points in life. I am better at talking and reasoning and being more parental (which is what they need now, they don't need me to be their friend, they have freinds, they need a parent) now that they are older. Now we travel so easily together. When they were young we just strapped them in the car seats, put the stupid dumb silly songs tapes in the tape player and sang along like a bunch of ninnies. ("There's a hole in my bucket, dear Goofy, dear Goofy" is etched in my brain at some deep subliminal level.)
If she can add, we played that adding up numbers on the license plate game when I was a kid and we had road trips. Add up the numbers on all the license plates you can see til you get to 100 or 200 or whatever. The problem is, I still do it without even realizing it. I will be at a stoplight and realize I have been adding up all the license plates, so be careful- this stuff stays with you.
If she can add, we played that adding up numbers on the license plate game when I was a kid and we had road trips. Add up the numbers on all the license plates you can see til you get to 100 or 200 or whatever. The problem is, I still do it without even realizing it. I will be at a stoplight and realize I have been adding up all the license plates, so be careful- this stuff stays with you.
May 28th, 2004, 03:26 AM
#19
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,790
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The 11yr old soon loses interest after a few rounds of I Spy and other song/rhyme games. There is nothing as wonderful as the silence that comes from a kid playing with a Game Boy. I am purchasing a few new games that will be handed out during the long drives of our July vacation. There is only so much Britney and Beyonce that I can listen to without having a fit.
