Commutes, and car trips can be a headache when you have screaming, unhappy kids in the car, but it doesn’t have to be. After doing years of hands on research (as I am a mom) I have found out what works great, and what don’t. I’m sure you have seen the travel games that have magnetic pieces. These games look like a great idea in the store, however they don’t seem to work to great in the car. My kids ending up fighting over who’s turn it was, and who was cheating through most of the game. To make matters worse, within a few days almost all of the pieces were missing, lost somewhere under, and between the seats. I also tried giving them crayons, and coloring books. The idea worked great, until I recovered missing, and melted crayons from between the seats a week later. The mess wasn’t worth the few minutes of silence. The suggestion of buying a cheap portable DVD player was given to me by several other parents, and I did toss the idea around. However, the kids see enough television at home, and I wasn’t thrilled as using a T.V babysitter in the car. That’s when I did some research on my own, and found a few simple games for the kids to play. The best part is, non of these games require crayons, batteries, or any other supplies. Nope, these games are 100% free, and invite creativity into your car trips.
Juicy Fruit – This game is really simple, so even the smaller kids can play. The object of the game is to be the first player to find 10 yellow vehicles. Yellow vehicles are less plentiful then other colors, so it’s a real scavenger hunt. The first person to see a yellow car and say “Juicy Fruit” while pointing at it, wins that point. Whoever gets 10 points first wins that game. If you reach your destination without any players reaching 10 points, then the person with the highest amount of points when. This game is real easy, and my kids love it.
Bee Bee Bumble Bee – Another easy game for all ages, and great for kids learning their colors, is Bee Bee Bumble Bee. If you don’t already know how to play this game, it’s very simple to learn. The youngest person in the car goes first by saying “Bee Bee Bumble Bee I see something you don’t see, and the color of it is ________”. The player names a color of something they see, and everyone in the car guesses at it, until someone wins, or you pass the object. The person who guess the correct answer gets the next turn. If no one guess the correct answer then the player has to find another object, and give another color clue.
Silly Tags – Silly Tags is a great game for children who are learning how to spell, and write sentences. When you stop at a red light the car tag in front of you becomes the Silly Tag. The first person in the car to come up with a silly sentence using all of the letters win. Example: TBD 87C can become “The bad dog ate seven cars”. To make the game easier use only the letters. Example: TBD 87C can become ” The bald duck coughed”. It’s a great game to kill time, and I’ve found myself playing this game alone during traffic jams.
The idea of playing in the car is more meaningful then just avoiding a headache, and keeping the kids quite. I have found that playing these simple games allow for some extra bonding time with the kids. It does make the trip go by faster, and more fun. But, the kids will enjoy spending time with you as well. Remember, the grow up so fast, we have to cherish every little moment we have.
