Oh, the hours that must be filled on long car rides. Sometimes, the idea is oppressive! Of course, when many of us were young, there was no such thing as in-vehicle DVD players, Bluetooth streaming, tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, and the like to make entertainment so much more achievable. But, if you're like me, the idea of your child watching six-plus hours of streaming video makes you question your parenting skills—worse if you're on a two or three-day car ride.
So, let's be honest, if you're going to allow your kids time to veg out to videos and the like, a car ride probably is the better time for that allowance. But still, I can remember I used to "veg out" to books in the car, and my mom treated them like streaming videos. I can still hear her:
"You're missing everything outside the window to read that book! We're on vacation to see new things! Look around you!"
Nowadays, I'd be thrilled to have my kids bury their noses in books for six or more hours. How times have changed in just a few decades! And those of you born in the '90s? Don't even start. LOL!
Okay. So, are there possible solutions other than electronic entertainment for car rides? Solutions that might engage your children in the scenery around them? Get their creativity flowing? Help avoid the endless questions of "Are we almost there yet?", "how long is it going to be?", "Can I have something to eat?"
Here are some suggestions, and maybe you can even springboard off these and customize them to your kids and their own interests and ages:
1. The State Game
So this one is rather fun. It engages interest outside of the vehicle, and while it may ebb and flow over the course of the trip, it's something to help with the doldrums. I'll admit, even I sort of have fun with this one.
Essentially, it's simple. The goal is to find as many states represented on other vehicles as possible. Have the kids pull out notebooks and write down all fifty states. That can be a fun game inside of the game—or perhaps a challenge. And parents, no cheating and picking up your phones to download a list! Play along with the kids and see if you can name them all!
Once you have the states, it's time to start crossing them off the list. Watch the vehicles, look for states, and enjoy the cheers when your kids see states that they were sure they'd never find!
2. Trivial Pursuit for Families
Trivial Pursuit has youth and family-geared games that are great for the car! And you don't have to play with the board and pieces. Grab the box of questions and have a go in the car. It's as easy as keeping hashtags for every question answered correctly. Alternate topics or have one child choose the topic for another child. Set an amount of correctly answered questions per category in all categories to win.
For example, we say you must get three questions right under each category and be the first to do it to win. The questions have the answers (if you're using the game cards), so you can even have an older child lead the game for the younger kids!
3. Audio Entertainment
Don't discount audio entertainment. This is a great way to engage the kids' imaginations while allowing everyone a chance to have some downtime. Audiobooks and audio dramas abound; if you haven't checked them out, do so! Your kids may complain because they're not watching it, but eventually—hopefully—you'll find them engaging in the stories.
Audio sets such as The Chronicles of Narnia by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre are great resources to get you started. Try Jonathan Parks and his adventures through the mysteries of creation and all the danger and intrigue that comes with it. There are also audiobooks galore. Check out your children's favorite titles or most want-to-read series, and listen to the books as a family on your road trip. This not only helps your kids learn to enjoy stories by creating the imagery in their minds, but it also helps your children hone their listening and processing skills.
And truthfully? You might enjoy this as much, if not more, than the kids themselves!
4. Colors of the Rainbow
My kids play this one even when we're not on a road trip! The goal is to be the first to work your way through the colors of the rainbow by spotting vehicles that fit into each color spectrum.
Some rules should be established before an all-out war ensues on whether purple, violet, or lavender is part of the rainbow. You can be as precise or loose as you'd like, but clarify before you begin.
Once started, yes, they must find the colors in order of the colors of the rainbow, starting at the innermost and working their way out, or visa-versa. Winner takes all—even though there are probably no rewards. But, if you're a super prepared parent, you could have a bag of fun toys/candy/prizes that are car-fun appropriate for the kids to earn along the way.
5. Prize Bag
Along the lines of a prize bag, having the children blindly choose their prizes is probably the most fun; be sure not to let them know what's in the bag. That way, each prize is its own excitement, and they're not throwing fits when they don't get the award they were hoping for. Fill the prize bag with fun little toys from the dollar store, notepads, candy, etc., that they can play with in the car for entertainment and aren't so valuable that if they get lost or broken, it causes a problem.
Here are a few tips on the candy. Be sure not to pack it full of chocolate if you're going to areas where the sun and heat will melt them and cause a mess in the car. Gum is probably a questionable option. Good candies for the car are things like gummy worms, lifesavers (holes in the middle to help prevent choking), lollipops, and, my personal favorite, little bags of fruit snacks!
Family vacations can be a lot of fun with just a little forethought. Then, when you've exhausted some of these options, give yourself some slack and flexibility and allow the kids to stream some videos, watch some Kid's YouTube, and have some time doing the things they love to do too. Their brains won't melt for one vacation, you'll have some peace and quiet, and happy family memories will be made.
As for encouraging your kiddos to look out the window at the scenery? That's on you. And if you find a way to have your kids love scenic drives, let me know! Because I've yet to meet a child that loves hours of window-watching miles of trees, desert, or even mountains. Remember to give them grace so that when there really is something cool to see, they're excited and thrilled at the majesty of God's creation!
Jaime Jo Wright is an ECPA and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author. Her novel “The House on Foster Hill” won the prestigious Christy Award and she continues to publish Gothic thrillers for the inspirational market. Jaime Jo resides in the woods of Wisconsin, lives in dreamland, exists in reality, and invites you to join her adventures at jaimewrightbooks.com and at her podcast madlitmusings.com where she discusses the deeper issues of story and faith with fellow authors.