5 Ways to Keep Your Kids Entertained During Long Road Trips

Road trips are a great way for families to spend a vacation and see the country. While a long trip in the car allows you to spend time as a family and see the sights, it can be a challenge with younger kids. Since kids get bored easily, here are some ways to keep the kids entertained during a road trip while limiting their screen time.

1. Classic Car Games

There is something to be said for old-fashioned car games that were popular in the days before mobile devices. Games like “I spy …” or the alphabet game are fun for the whole family, and they don’t require any kind of Wi-Fi signal. You can also play the license plate game if you’re traveling across the country, and this can even help the kids learn the names of the states.

2. Magnetized Fun

For kids 4 and older, you can bring an assortment of magnets and a metal baking sheet. Bring a set of letters so they can practice spelling as they ride, or they can create their own game with letters and numbers. There are also several magnetized games you can buy for the trip, such as checkers, the matching game, or hangman. There are many travel games available designed for keeping kids busy in the car.

3. Pack Snacks

You can make snacking fun and use it to keep the kids quiet in the car by packing them a wide variety. Use a rainbow loom kit or several small containers and fill them with all kinds of snacks. Pack things that are easy to eat and foods that they can eat on their own, such as pretzels, raisins, and cereal. Goldfish crackers are always a hit, and you can even pack fruit and some sweet treats.

4. Create a Lego Travel Kit

Kids love Legos, but they are usually a toy you leave at home when you have to spend time in the car. You can turn this popular toy into a traveling activity by making a homemade portable Lego kit. You just need an old-school metal lunch box, a Lego building plate, some mounting squares, and craft glue to get started. Cut the building plate to fit into the lunchbox’s lid and then trim the corners and sand them down, so they are round and smooth. Use the mounting squares to attach it to the lid, and then fill the box with your kid’s favorite Legos.

5. Books and Audio Books

Always make sure to pack lots of books on a family road trip. You can also add some audio books to the mix if you want to make sure everyone has some quiet time. The kids can do some reading on their own and then listen to some of their favorite books, too.

There are many things for kids to do on a family road trip. Make sure they also take a look out the window while they ride and see the sights along the way.

Image via Pixabay.com

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