6 professional tips to keep kids busy in the car

Originally published in April 2022

While it may be tempting to want to abandon your child in a motorway service area after driving 659 kilometers marked by “we are coming quaaaaand” of your dear heir, we will take care of finding you some advice that will help him (and you too) to give him the impression that time passes faster, and make him believe that being locked up in a cramped cabin is not such a great torture.

Organize a blind music rehearsal in the car

Obviously you can adapt it to the age and tastes of the child, but you can also take the opportunity to introduce it to your more or less dubious musical tastes! Well, it’s best to avoid letting him listen to all the lyrics of I want to see you by Yelle o Saint Valentine d’Orelsan, but you can share with him all your love for dead singers like Kurt Cobain or Freddie Mercury.

For its part, it may surprise you with its crazy ability to recognize little snail from the first notes. Would your son be the next Mozart? No, definitely not, he shouldn’t be abused (whatever). But he will be nice.

Organize games with your environment

Like the one of ” the first to see a yellow car wins “while no one has a yellow car in the world apart from La Poste or almost (because it is ugly, yellow cars) (yes I judge there what), or even” can you tell me if you see a cow in a field when you are in the middle of the highway without a trace of green around.

It activates attention, forces him to look outside and focus, and keeps him busy for at least 7.30 minutes.

The last little maturity game, oral to pass the time

Do you know the purpose of the Petit bac? You need to find an object or animal, fruit, etc., that starts with a pre-chosen letter of the alphabet.

This game is perfectly adaptable in the car with all children who know their alphabet.

You say “I’m thinking about the letter B” and your child has to find a word in each category that begins with that letter. At the end the points are counted and the winner is offered an ice cream at the next exit of a motorway rest area (or no eh, do what you want).

For the little ones who do not yet know their alphabet, there is the “what am I thinking” version: you have to think about an animal, an object or a person, and your child has to guess who or what it is, thanks to your answers that are only “yes” or “no”.

Go hop, conditioning, with dialogue and all:

“- Is it an animal? Yup.

– Fly? No.

– Does it have claws? Yup.

– It’s a cat? YES ! WE HAVE A WINNER! “

Yes, it may sound as exciting as a Jean Castex speech told like this, but it’s actually busy and it’s fun.

One tablet, to dominate them all

Yes, there is a moment, after 500 terminals punctuated by nursery rhymes, oral games and picnic breaks, when your tablet and your subscription to Netflix or Disney + become your best friends.

So, of course, with time we take it slow, we choose the contents that the child will watch, but in real life if you have already managed to resist all this time without pressing play, it is already a great victory! You can be proud of yourself and throw yourself in without feeling guilty Snow queen Where is it Raya and the last dragon.

The audiobook, this magical invention

Whether it’s story boxes – like the Lunii or the wonderful storyteller I already told you about here – or a good old CD or MP3 thrown into your car stereo, stories read specifically for kids can make you breathe calmly and focus on. I travel for long minutes, in peace.

Plus, it also allows you to take a break from the screens, and frankly that’s not bad.

If you don’t know which story box to choose, we’ve made a comparison to help you.

Travel board games

You certainly knew them in your childhood, but know that they are still very successful.

The Power 4, They Who is ? or even a good old man Battleship stay timeless which can make the time pass well for the little ones.

Well, it is more practical if you have two children in the back of the car who are roughly the same age to play together, because otherwise one of the parents has to stick half of the shoulder and twist neck by turning from the passenger seat.

But hey, we don’t make children comfortable, huh, you know.

Come on, take the holiday highway and good luck!

Photo credit image of one: Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels