August is National Family Fun Month! Lots of families are squeezing in some last-minute travel before heading back to school. If you’ve ever traveled with kids, you’re probably aware of how important it is to keep your kids busy on the road. Here are five fun ways to keep your kids occupied on your trip!
1. Pack an activity kit.
Giving your kids something special that is used only in the car can be an exciting activity for them. A small container with some non-messy activities is a great way to keep them occupied. For little kids, this may look like "magic" coloring books where the markers only work on special paper and not on their hands. Older children might have fun with crossword puzzles or making friendship bracelets. Get them involved by asking what they would like in their car activity kit.
2. Have a singalong!
Is there a particular soundtrack that always holds your children’s attention? Take it on the road with you! Singing along with familiar music can make the time go faster. If you have older kids, you could take turns choosing music for the ride. If there are a variety of tastes in the car, you can develop a system that allows everyone to play some of their favorite songs. Just be sure to set the ground rules before you start so everyone knows what to expect.
3. Name That Tune
Similar to having a singalong, you can play a fun game of name that tune with your older kids! Someone other than the driver can queue up some music and see who can name the song first. Another version of the game is to play a bit of the song and pause in the middle of it to see if anyone can guess the next line.
4. I Spy
I Spy is a great game to play with younger children. Pick something in the car and describe it to your kids in a way that makes sense for their age. A similar game you can play with kids of any age is 20 questions. Think of a person, place, or thing, and have players ask questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no" to try to guess what you’re thinking of. If they can guess it correctly within 20 questions, they win!
5. Reading
Long car rides are a great time to catch up on your reading! Let your older kids purchase a new book or borrow one from the library. Oftentimes, you can borrow an ebook or audiobook from your library using the Libby App. It’s a great free option when you’re worried about a book getting lost, or if your kid tends to get carsick when reading on the go.
For kids who cannot read on their own, there are many video storytime options. You can download storytime videos from your favorite streaming service right on your tablet so your kids can enjoy a good story without using mobile data. If you have older kids and younger kids, ask the older ones to read to the little ones so that everyone can enjoy a book on the road.
August is National Family Fun Month! Lots of families are squeezing in some last-minute travel before heading back to school. If you’ve ever traveled with kids, you’re probably aware of how important it is to keep your kids busy on the road. Here are five fun ways to keep your kids occupied on your trip!