As the school holidays are now underway and we turn our attention to planning great days out and holidays, one question always comes to mind - "Are we there yet!?" So to avoid the frustration and boredom in the car, we've come up with some great ideas to start the fun and entertainment the minute you step into the car: If you are going on a longer journey and your budget is up to it, why not let the kids watch their favourite DVD.
DVD units are available from electrical retailers or as an after-fit option from your car manufacturer.
The peace that descends on the car is amazing and the only noise you should near are the giggles at the funny parts (if you remember to pack the headphones of course!) Want an interactive game; why not try Bingo? This needs a little prep before your journey but is great fun.
Draw up a Bingo Card for each player with random numbers on it from 1 - 49 and hand this and a pen to the players.
Someone (we'd suggest this isn't the person driving) then takes the responsibility for calling out the numbers on a number plate either using 1 or 2 of the numbers ie.
TT41 9GG could be 4, 1 or 9 or 41 or 19, it helps to write down the numbers you've called out to avoid repeats.
The players mark their numbers off of their card and when they have a line, 2 lines or a full house, call out Bingo and are declared the winner; it usually helps if a small prize is available, maybe a piece of fruit or first choice of the bedrooms when you arrive at your destination! Find the farm animals works really well for younger children and is played in a similar way to Bingo.
Supply a pen and paper and ask each player to draw pictures of 5 animals they might see on a farm, it's then up to Mum or Dad (whoever isn't driving) to call out these animals when they see them on their journey.
The person who crosses off all of their animals first is the winner! If there's a tie may we suggest that the best impersonation of a cow could be used as a tie breaker, by the time you've all finished laughing everyone will have forgotten it was for finding a winner! 20 Questions is a firm family favourite; are you a vegetable, mineral or animal? Let players take it in turn to choose who or what they are and then the other players have 20 questions to identify them.
Bear in mind that the person who has decided upon the item can only answer YES or NO to questions asked, so make sure you think carefully before asking as 20 questions goes in no time at all! The conversation usually starts with our game "Are you a boy?" "NO" "OK, are you a girl?" "YES" uh oh only 18 questions to go! There are also many commercial travel games available from retailers ranging from Ludo and Battleships to Scrabble and Hangman, a great range of choice for all the family.
Driving during the school holiday season can be fraught with delays and diversions, make sure you stay safe by reading our summer driving tips to ensure you have a safe but fun journey.