Fun for Kids

Traveling with kids can be tiring for everyone involved, but that doesn't have to be so - traveling can become a time of fun and bonding as a family - after all, you have a captive audience who can't go anywhere. Try some of these fun games on you next trip, no matter how long or short.

Counting Cows
As you travel to your next stop for family fun, start a new game, Counting Cows. Assign each child a side of the car, if you have younger children, you may need teams. Each child counts any cows that appear on his side of the car (if you go by a field you’ll have to count fast!). If you pass by a cemetery, the child on that side loses his cows, but only if the other team calls “your cows are buried!” The game gets interesting as rules are added, such as white horses are worth bonus points, or distraction tactics may be used to distract the other team from cows or cemeteries. The team with the most cows at the end of the trip wins.

Car-i-oke
Singing in the car might seem like something you see in the movies, or seem like something your parents when they were kids, but it can still be fun. Through in a few twists, such as simple awards for the best backseat dancer, person who knows the most lyrics, or the person who can make up the best lyrics to a song. The sillier the better, the more crazy, the more fun!

Aluminum Foil Art
Pack a box of aluminum foil for some inexpensive car trip fun. Mold and form the foil into just about anything: jewelry, animals, balls, crowns, masks, etc. Be creative!

Play Favorites
Go around the car and ask each person their favorite color. Then have everyone think of different “favorite” questions for the group. Such as favorite movie, flavor of ice cream, song, game, toy, place to visit, restaurant, book, animal, etc. Don’t forget the driver!

Silly Situations
To start, think up a silly situation and state it starting with “unfortunately,” such as “unfortunately, I forgot to pack my comb,” then the next person says “fortunately, messy hair is in style” continue alternating until a new subject is needed.

Pop Lid Fun
Pick up a few extra lids at the next resturant you visit for this fun game. First, everyone pushes one button down, then take turns guessing who has which button down. The person whose button isn’t guessed in the end wins. You can play again by pushing the buttons back up.

Drawing Around
The family that travels together draws a picture together! Place a sheet of paper on a clipboard or other hard surface that can be passed from person to person, and then have passengers take turns drawing. The first artist looks for one item (a barn, river, animal, mountain, bridge, building) in the passing scenery and then sketches it. The next artist spots another object and adds it to the drawing, and so on. Each person should add his or her contribution in such a way that all the objects fit together to create a coherent picture.

Journey, Not Destination
We often try to push through the journey in order to start having fun at our final destination. But if the process of getting there adds tension, then is the pushing really worth it? Kids (and adults) can only stay confined for a relatively short amount of time. So, if tempers are escalating, consider taking frequent stops to stretch, run around, and expend some of that energy in a positive way. By mapping out the stopping points ahead of time, you can answer ‘’Are we there yet?’’ with a simple ‘’No, but we are going to be stopping in about ten minutes and then we can have a picnic/play tag/eat an ice cream/ (fill in what works for your children).’’

Drawing Around Variation
For a variation, give each child a piece of paper and have him or her draw a separate picture. Each artist takes turns calling out items that everyone has to include in the drawing. When the pictures are done, pass them around and see just how different they turned out.

Divide and Conquer
Sometimes an alternate seating plan helps to ensure family peace. Change places each time you make a stop so that everyone gets a different seat for the next part of the trip. With a new perspective and a little space between them, children may forget their antsiness.

Snork!
To play, one person picks an object that you pass frequently, such as a signpost, a green car, a gas station. Then, each time the car passes a matching object, he or she calls out “snork” (or some other nonsense word). Everyone else tries to figure out what the item is by looking around when they hear the word “snork” and taking a guess. The game can also be varied by picking items that come up more or less frequently. But, be careful, if someone picks fence posts, it may all come down to “Snork, snork, snork, snork, snork . . .”

Check back soon for more games and fun things for kids to do!