by Linda L Kinyon

Created on: April 20, 2009

Summer vacation evokes memories of previous years. The fun time at the beach, the hotel or cabin, oh yes, and the car ride. Remember how the kids were antsy and needing something fun to do to keep them occupied while you were driving? "Are we there yet?" was a frequent question on our trips until we came up with a list of games to play in the car. Here are some great ideas to get you started and help keep your sanity next time you go on a trip with the kids.

This works best for older kids and enhances math skills. Our daughter is in 1st
grade and just learning this one. With some time and patience all of the kids can join in though some of the younger ones may need a bit of help. Pairing them up with an older sibling will help give them an edge and teach them the game. Play cribbage. Its fun and easy and can be done a variety of ways. In cribbage you want your cards to add up to 15 in order to score. Keep it simple while traveling and use license plate numbers, road signs with numbers and any other signage with numbers. Simply claim the sign and either add the 2 numbers or use the number located. You can have one person as a score keeper and once an agreed upon number is reached you can start over. We have played this game for hours on end and every can get involved, even the driver by simply claiming a specified car (using the color of the car to claim) and noting the numbers on the license plate.

Another card game turned road trip game, is 21. Using the above methods see how many times in a specified amount of time each player can reach 21. Math skills are enhanced this way and its a fun way to pass the time.

Assign each child a different color or let them pick their own color. In a 10 minute time frame have them see how many cars they can count of that color. This game can expand to include specific signs or types of trees also. At the end of the 10 minutes declare a winner and trade colors. Of course you can make this a half hour game or even an hour.

Make up a story out of road signs. Have one person start the story. We love the "Deer Crossing" signs and such for beginning stories. Someone will state that it is a "Deer Crossing" and elaborate a bit. Then the story line goes to the next person who has to come up with a story line from another sign. Its fun to be creative and include bill boards, road signs, construction signs, even signs being advertised on sides of cars or trucks can be used in this one.

Don't forget the old, "Grandma is going on a trip and packing her bags..." where after each player has to assign something that grandma packs in her bag in alphabetical order. Grandma may start with an animal and add a box of bingo cards or whatever the participant chooses. You can go one step further and decide that grandma only packs animals, or fruit or a food item or some other such idea. Its fun to see what the kids will come up with for grandma to pack.

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