Children have the superpower of getting bored in a millisecond. Any mother can verify this. That being said, if you’re planning for a summer vacation and don’t want your kids’ no-longer-cute whining perhaps you should prepare. Let’s discover the ways you can incapacitate that superpower they got so that all travelers can enjoy their journey.
Trip Mapping
Whether you’re traveling by car or train, you can give them some maps and other info (the Internet can help a lot here) so that they can draw personalized map of the things they would like to see before arriving to their destination.
It could be anything, from other cities’ monuments, to tunnels and bridges. Designing their own map will give them the impression of responsibility, they will actually feel part of the trip, as their instructions (hopefully right ones) is what will be guiding you to your destination!
Buzz Words
This attention-sharpening game can be very entertaining for kids and adults alike. The first player chooses a word, they all start to listen carefully to the radio. When the word comes up they shout out buzz. The first to shout, wins!
Road Tripping
Peek-a-boo's fun, but it gets old too fast
License Plate Games seem to always fascinate kids. First, spot a license plate and jot down its letters, everyone (driver that means you too!) has to come up with a phrase using the letters, the only person left with sentence ideas gets to pick the next license plate!
Scavenger Hunt
Prior to your departure get in teams and list down must-see places/things/people/activities. Each team member keeps their own scavenger hunt list and ticks the things they saw, railway tracks, a cow, billboard ads and so forth. By the end of your trip you might as well use this to make a vacation memory jar!
Dry-Erase Paddles
Other things you could do for your kids’ entertainment, include printable large-scale puzzles (if they’re themed according to your trip, it’s better), hangman and connect the dots games. Hint: If you got dry-erase paddles, this will definitely be more eco-friendly and less messy than having to print out sheets of activities for them!
Practice on your acting talents by choosing a theme to role play during the trip. You could be pirates, tourists, popstars. This game requires a lot of imagination and some preparation from you; find relevant songs, props, even movies to watch that all relate to the theme you’ve chosen.
You’ve arrived at your destination, you’re free at last! Now its time to see what the kids can do at the vacation spot!