With toddlers and young kids, the thought of a long trip could be a nightmare to most parents. However, with the right entertainment and activities, it is possible to keep your child engaged for the whole trip. This leaves you with a simple, relaxing and tantrum-free holiday!
A regular mistake made is turning to the iPad or other forms of technology too early on, when in reality this should be a last resort activity. Keep reading to discover all of our travelling tips for your tots.
A Simple Yet Effective Sing-a-long
Forget the stress of swapping between disks and flicking between songs! With technology such as Spotify and iTunes, you could create a playlist full of your children’s favourite sing-along songs. This is a great journey starter and a trick that can be returned to throughout your trip. As a little extra hack, why not fade the volume to the back before you set off.
Audio Books
Audiobooks are a great way to keep the tots entertained why you sit back and relax. Stock up on all your children’s favourite stories, or those that you haven’t quite got round to reading yet. This is a trick that can entertain all ages.
Spot the…
This is a game that can keep kids easily entertained for ages, from the first to spot 5 red cars or the first to spot 10 ‘BMWs’. This game can be played by all ages and all you need to do as the game master is choose what they’re spotting.
Eye Spy
An all-time classic car journey game, Eye Spy never fails to disappoint! It’s a game that can engage everyone during long car trips.
Portable DVD Player
If you don’t already have one, then these can be picked up relatively cheaply. Whether you treat your tots to a brand new film or just bring along all their old-time favourites. This can even be effective if you’re travelling with a baby.
Netflix
Netflix has a great functionality which allows you to download films and series offline. This means that as long as you have a laptop/tablet/smartphone your child could sit and watch all the TV and films they want for the duration of the journey.
Be prepared with a car adapter charger and save yourself from the stress of it dying halfway through.
Colouring Books
Get organised with a brand new colouring book for your tot to enjoy during the trip. Don’t forget a pencil case to keep all the stationery together and prevent them from being scattered across the car!
Regular Stops
Throughout a long journey you’re going to need to stretch your legs and so will your children. However this is a great opportunity to break up the journey for your tots, have a little walk around and start your trip from a fresh. With younger children, more frequent stops will be required but it also allows you to set them up with the next activity or film.
Apps
Although kids are notorious for their short attention spans you’re probably all aware of their love for playing games. With iPads/tablets/phones etc. you can download a huge range of their favourite games. However, I wouldn’t recommend bringing the iPad out until all previous activities and entertainment have been tried.
Secret Bag of Toys
If you want to pull out all the stops, then make a secret little goody bag full of new toys. This will not only excite them but also keep them occupied. It’s also a great way to maintain a level of behaviour and use it as a reward throughout the journey.
Educational Games
Car journeys are a great way to make learning fun. Either make it into a competition between members of the car or just test your child’s knowledge and get them excited about learning. Whether it’s capital cities, countries beginning with ‘A’, dog breeds or saying hello in different languages, the list is endless.
The Alphabet Game
This is a super easy and fun game which can include the whole car and kill a huge amount of time. For example, one round could be girls’ names, and you run through the alphabet, each person taking one letter at a time and thinking of a name to match it.
No longer do you need to dread long car trips. These tricks could completely change long-distance journeys for your family and instead make them a time of bonding, enjoyment and fun.
When not on holiday allow us to nurture your little ones and help them learn and grow. Our amazing school is packed with rich lessons, fun games, and new friends. For more information about our school year or to find out more about applying for a position please contact us or give us a call. We can’t wait to welcome your child to our wonderful school.