Only two and a half weeks ’til school lets out for my kids for the SUMMER! I can’t believe it. And as every Mom can relate, I have that whole mixed bag of feelings going on – relief that I’ll no longer have to pack lunches, help with homework and stick to the school schedule but also panic about what to do with them for the entire summer!
One of the things we’ve done as a family the last few summers is to hit the road the day or day after school gets out. It’s a nice way to jump into summer. This year we’re heading south and visiting my grandmother in Charleston, South Carolina and then slowly making our way back north with stops in North Carolina and then Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. It will be a lot of hours in the car!
My kids are great in the car but even they get bored after logging several hours in the car! I thought I’d adapt and add to this article that I wrote a few years ago on How to Keep Kids Entertained in the Car on my family travel site. Here’s 10 quick & easy ways to keep them entertained as you’re in the car:
Lunch bag puppets – pick up a case of lunch bag puppets, pack them with some markers and have some fun! My kids like to do little shows with their creations after they are done.
Seek & Find – my kids love doing hidden pictures or seek and finds. Pick up one of these books on Amazon (there’s thousands!) based on your child’s age. Highlights Magazine publishes a bunch of these books and here’s one you can get for $6.26 on Amazon.
Pipe cleaner fun – you can pick up a pack of pipe cleaners for $1 at your local dollar store and this is honestly one of my kids ultimate favorite. One year they made this entire world in the back of the car.
A new surprise every hour, or every 100 miles – A couple of years ago, I read about a Mom who goes to the dollar store and then wraps a bunch of toys. We did it a few times! Every hour the kids would open something new and they loved the idea. You can do it by wrapping or also do the Grab Bag Idea, which I saw online. Similar concept – use your leftover brown bags and let your kids each choose a “surprise” bag every hour. Something different inside each!
Love this License Plate printable from the Dating Divas! Have the kids X off each license as they see them.
Road Trip Bingo – so fun! Print off these sheets of different colored cars and signs. You can also purchase these Auto Bingo cards on Amazon for reuse (around $9 for 4!)
The ABC Game – no printing required! Look for letters of the alphabet on signs on the road. X and Z can be a challenge so be sure to use license plates if you need to!
Audio books – I’ve seen several Moms online RAVE about audio books. We’re going to try this out for the first time on our upcoming road trip! Your local library may have them available and if not, you can use Audible.com.
Washable Window Markers – my kids love these! We have them at home. Note – definitely wash off within 24 hours otherwise it’s a bit harder to get off (not impossible but it cleans off with more ease if you do it within a day!) Crayola sells them.
Travel Scavenger Hunt – make up your own or buy this card travel game from Amazon for $6.83
What kinds of things do you do with your kids while you’re on a trip? Comment and let me know!
Also, here’s a video I had made a few years ago. I made it in honor of the opening of Cars land in California but you can see some of our ideas here:
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