What are some things I can have my kids do while we're on our road trip?
My daughter is 10 and my son will be 15.
2007-11-15 11:41:37 · 19 answers · asked by alix p 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
Word puzzle games.
Technology games (psp, gameboy, etc.)
books or comics for the boy
buy those books for games on the roadtrip (at you local bookstore: barnes&noble or Powells)
Just keep them occupied with something fun, not boring.
2007-11-15 11:45:32 · answer #1 · answered by adfadf 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I sat down with my kids before a long road trip and let them plan out the route we would take. Then, using a road atlas, we created a list of all the big and little towns we would pass along the way. The atlas tells you how many miles there are between each town, so, we figured out long it should take to get from one town to the next if we averaged 50 miles per hour (to allow for gas, rest stops, meals, etc.) We determined what time we would leave and then calculated what time we should arrive at each town. As we proceeded on the trip, we compared our actual time to the schedule we had created.
It was a TERRIFIC success for us. The kids never asked once, "Are we there yet?" because they already knew exactly where we were and when we should get to each place along the way. They were excited to keep track of whether we were ahead or behind schedule and they felt some sense of involvement and accomplishment for helping to navigate for us on the trip.
Books on tape have been another great idea for us too.
2007-11-16 16:31:36 · answer #2 · answered by wow_bill 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those portable DVD players (you know, with the 7" or so screen built in) have become relatively inexpensive, plus you can get a power adapter to fit in the car's lighter... and I'm pretty sure they all come with headsets so that you dont have to listen to Dora or Silence of the Lambs 8 or 9 times on the trip.
I don't think you can count on having a 15 year old play games like Mad Libs with a younger sibling (but I don't know your kids) so try to think about things they can do on their own.
2007-11-15 19:52:01 · answer #3 · answered by motorbaby73 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While you're in the car you have a chance to get your children's undivided attention. Learn more about them and make them think by asking them challenging questions. Make a lot of stops. It's not a good idea to keep them couped up in the car all day.
Your 15 yr old son, may not be too thrilled about a road trip with his Mom (at that age I wouldn't have been). So, think about stop you could make that would be fun for him. He'll appreciate it. Good luck.
2007-11-15 19:48:35 · answer #4 · answered by bananas4breakfast14 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Classic portable games made for travel, many are available in electronic forms.
My daughter and I have a electronic 20 Questions game from Sharper Image we play while we're out.
Other ideas: their own I-Pod or good old fashioned walkmans, if they have them, so they can play the music they prefer. Books and comics are great if they don't get car sick.
I hope you have a great trip!
2007-11-15 19:49:35 · answer #5 · answered by Jax 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm old fashioned and against gameboys/dvd players/etc. But they are definitely an option.
Books on tape work well for us.
We just stick a bag in the backseat filled with books, games, paper, pens, cards, etc. Snacks are important, too.
Verbal games, like "I Spy..." or "20 Questions" (we play I.Q., infinite questions) or linking games, etc.
If you do bring electronics, make sure you have the right converters, batteries, iPod->cassette deck thing, etc.
2007-11-15 20:01:32 · answer #6 · answered by Pearl R 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Crossword and sudoku puzzles are what I usually do on road trips.
Handheld electronic games and ipods are good too.
If you have a dvd player in your car, bring some movies.
2007-11-15 19:44:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
go purchase an over the seat video/dvd player. it will be worth millions in your sanity. i did a 7800 mile road trip with my 10 yr old son and 16 yr old daughter, he was able to play x-box and she could watch movies and vice-versa. holy cow did that keep them quiet. you will also need an inverter to power the x-box. all in all you are looking at about 400 bucks. without it you will be begging for a gun with a single bullet in less than 4 hours.
2007-11-15 19:47:08 · answer #8 · answered by Andy C 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Do you not have a portable DVD player for the car?
They are so cheap nowadays, that anyone can afford them.
We have ours and they play PS2, movies or just listen to their favorite music.
2007-11-15 19:44:54 · answer #9 · answered by Mom of 2 great boys 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Music, get them head phones, if they dont get car sick books, we have a portable dvd player we bring along too.
2007-11-15 19:44:33 · answer #10 · answered by mjoy2685 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋