Boredom during a family car trip often results in whining, arguing and frustration for everyone in the car. Organizing several activities for the kids before you leave home helps everyone enjoy the ride. The kids stay engaged and are less likely to complain. Activities also make the driving time pass faster. The age of your kids influences the type of activities that work best.
Games
The best games for traveling involve few or no pieces. Many companies make travel versions of regular board games, allowing your kids to take along their favorites. Crossword puzzles, word searches and other printable games work well for older kids. Counting games offer a simple option that doesn't require equipment. Choose an item to count, such as blue cars, barns or stop signs. To add a competitive nature to the game, have each child count the specific item on his own side. The child with the most wins. A similar option is a scavenger hunt. Create a list of different items before you leave. Each child finds as many items as he can from the list.
Singing
Singing along with a favorite family CD helps pass the time in the car. When the CD gets boring, take turns making up your own lyrics to the songs. "Name That Tune" is another singing activity you can modify to fit the car. Family members take turns humming or singing a song while the others try to guess what it is.
Trip Documentation
Tracking the trip entertains older kids while teaching them about geography. If your trip spans several states, print a map of the United States so your child can color in each state that you visit. For a shorter trip, look at the license plates of other drivers, coloring in each state as you see a license plate from it. Providing each child with her own camera is an interesting way to capture the trip from a child's view. The kids take pictures along the way, which later work well in a scrapbook. A journal gives your child a way to record her thoughts and experiences on the trip.
Group Stories
Creating a story together often results in lots of laughter. One person starts a story by saying a few sentences to introduce it. The next person takes over, adding a few more sentences. This continues with each person telling more of the story, based on what the previous storytellers say.
