Anyone who has traveled with a child is familiar with the "I'm bored" statement, usually repeated numerous times by all children present. In order to eliminate this complaint try the following car games for kids.
Bingo
Most of us have played bingo, but this game is a different version of the one most commonly played. Each child is given a bingo card with the names of fast food restaurants, gas stations, and hotels. The goal is to find a bingo by looking for the places on the card and checking them off when they have been spotted. If a child is too young to use a crayon or pen, you can check them off for them.
Camera Searches
Each kid is given a portable, or digital, camera and a list of objects. The list of objects can be anything, such as an all-white horse, a yellow house, or two birds in the same tree. Make the list at least as long as the camera allows. If using film cameras that have 24 exposures then put at least 24 things on the list.
If you have a digital camera that holds up to 100 pictures then put at least 100 items on the list. The goal is for the kids to take pictures of these items along the way, and whoever has the most pictures of items on the list at the end wins. Finding car games for kids that hold their attention can be challenging, but this one is sure to do the job.
The Car Game
Write the names of cars on index cards. Use the make and model for a more challenging game, or just the make for a simpler one. The person who sees a car that matches what is written is handed that index card. The person who ends up with the most cards wins. Another alternative is to make an index card for all 50 states and the person who spots a license plate with that state on it get the corresponding index card.
Story Telling
Tell fun stories about people and have them guess who you are talking about. You can use fictional characters, such as Cinderella or Harry Potter, or you can use people in your family. If using people in your family make sure they are fun stories that will not upset anyone. An example of a story would be saying "Out of my seven closest companions, one has allergies, or seems to because he sneezes a lot, and one is always in a bad mood." Who am I talking about? Snow White, of course.
You can also let the kids take turns telling the story and you can guess who they are referring to, since car games for kids are often more successful at holding their attention if they involve them more.
Being stuck in a car with bored and discontent kids can be avoided. Just prepare in advance to play these car games for kids and everyone will be smiling.
Sarah Holt writes for EverythingAboutTravel.com. Get the free Travel Secrets Ebook, as well as travel stories and tips, at
http://www.everythingabouttravel.com
