ALT-1 Car Games to Occupy Kids while Driving
Your hair is disheveled, hands tightly gripped to the steering wheel and your eyes as focused on the road as they can be. Suddenly screaming bursts from the backseat and you go forward as one of your littlest kicks your seat. You slowly pull over, turn on your hazards and walk calmly to the back of the car, your hands shaking.
"Mommy needs to focus on the road." You say as controlled as you can possibly handle. Your kids crying and wiggling in their seat and carseat, what should you do?
Games in the car is the only way to drive sanely with children. Every mother and father knows that children will break down at one point whether it is a short ride or a long ride, games make the time pass quickly and your sanity reach its prime. Games need to vary from age to age but the following are a couple of games that are played to help anywhere from the age of one to fourteen.
"There goes a red car, now find me another one!" your two year old looks out the window from her carseat and searches the endless highway for that perfect red car.
"There's one mommy!" She shouts excitedly! You then repeat that you have found two red cars. Not only does your child learn colors but they develop counting skills. This game works perfect from the age of one to the age of about four. Mom or dad says a color of a car and the child looks for it. When she is right, make sure you celebrate excitedly by giving positive feedback. If they are wrong, guide them to the right answer by pointing out another car of the same color. They catch on quick!
Another unforgetable game is car bingo! You can pick this game up at any truck stop (I know, I've had to do many long distance drives!) and Walmarts or Targets. This game is perfect for those aged five and up. When they see something that matches their game card, they close the little window and play this until they get a perfect game. Make sure you supply yourself a baggie of small prizes that they can win. This makes the game more fun and the children eager to play it.
"What state is that car from?" Dad asks his six year old who is learning to read. She squints her eyes and yells out the answer excitedly. The dad then informs her to see if she can find any more cars from that state in the next five minutes. This keeps the children occupied and different times. Now children become bored quickly with this game, so add extra challenged such as.. see if you can find a white car from Colorado. The older the child the more challenging the game.
These are three tried and true games that I play with my children everyday. Whether it's to go get milk from the grocery store or to go visit grandpa in California, these games work. Not only does this help with their brain development, but you are also spending quality family time together. Sure anyone can pop in a DVD and watch movies, but what is that teaching our children? Make car time fun and family oriented and your family will get the best experience possible.
