Top Tips for Keeping Kids Entertained During Road Trips

Road trips have long been a part of the holiday tradition, whether travelling to the coast of Perth for a beach getaway, visiting grandparents on their farm in South Australia, or heading to the busy city of Sydney for a cultural adventure. The inevitable long hours spent in the rental car on the way, however, are often times not remembered so fondly — by either children or their parents. That’s why VroomVroomVroom has come up with some ideas on how you can make your driving experience more pleasant.

Best car activities when going on a road trip with kids

If you’re preparing for an upcoming holiday that involves many hours in the rental car with your small children, it’s important to be as prepared as possible, and even draw up a checklist of items you need to pack for the journey. There are plenty of great ways to keep children entertained while in the rental car, as long as you take a little bit of time to get organised before you head off. From the cool gadgets and interactive games to creative art supplies, there are many options to pick from that will help you keep your sanity while driving. If you’re keen to survive a family adventure without hearing, “Are we there yet?” every five minutes, read on for some top tips to keep your kids entertained in the rental car.

Bring along some handy gadgets and car games for kids

Most parents will agree that the invention of the in-car DVD has been a real blessing when it comes to road trips. Indeed, DVD players can be a sanity-saving device for long journeys, whether you have toddlers, youngsters or teenagers in the car. Pop on some animated movies or shows like The Wiggles to keep them entertained. Other handy gadgets that you can bring are tablets and portable gaming consoles. Most children can happily spend hours playing games on their devices. Make sure you pack some headphones so won’t get distracted while driving your rental car.

Document the trip in a travel journal

A creative way to keep a child’s mind and body occupied during a road trip is to get them making a travel journal. Before the trip, purchase a blank notebook and sketchbook that they can turn into a keepsake of their holiday. Come up with a list of topics that they can write about while away, including the sights seen along the drive. You can research some landmarks you’ll be driving past in transit to your destination and get them to draw each one they see, or create a list of items they can try and spot during the hours spent in the car and mark everything they see in a road trip planner.

Surprise your little one with a new activity book

Another artistic outlet that can engage young children during a long car trip is working on a colouring-in, activity, or sticker book. Pack a stack of brand new books plus some colourful crayons, and only present them to your child once they’re in the car. This way they’ll be delighted by the novelty of the new gifts and will happily spend hours filling in the blanks and arranging their stickers. However, if your child is prone to car sickness, make sure that this reading and drawing time is spread out over the trip so that they don’t end up feeling ill.

Play interactive games

1. Eye Spy – The game starts with the well-known line of “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…(letter)” and requires one person at a time to spot items in the car or along the road that other players must try and guess. The person who correctly comes up with the mystery item then has the next turn to “spy” something.
2. Guess a Minute – Parents set a timer on their phone or watch for one minute. Children then have to try and guess when the sixty seconds of time is up.
3. A Piece of Peace – All the passengers in the car must stay silent until a pre-determined number, landmark, car type or other item is spotted during the drive. As long as you select some not-so-common options you will be able to enjoy quite a good amount of blissful peace and quiet during this game.

We hope that these car activities for toddlers and kids would help make your road trip experience more fun! Do you have some other tips? Please share them in the comment box below.