Taking the kids on holiday sometimes means having to sit them in a car or plane seat for hours on end. If you’re a parent to children of any age, you already know just how frustrating that can feel for everyone in the vehicle.
Your kids are cranky and want to know when they can get out, you’re getting quite exhausted in trying to keep everyone calm, and the destination is still quite a while away.
That can make traveling with children a bit of hard work, but you also know you love spending this time with your family and experiencing amazing new things together. And that’s why putting together a handy family activity list is such a good idea.
These are the things you and the kids can do together during long travel hours, and all age groups can find entertainment in the activity. When you’re all having a good time, the fatigue and frustration ebbs away for everyone!
With that in mind, here are some easy family activities that’ll be great for staving off boredom and restlessness when you’ve got nothing else to do but travel.
Play Some Cerebral Games
These are the kind of games that require a little bit of improvisation and usually some memory skills, but they’re also the kind of games that take up a child’s total attention.
The ‘shopping list game’, for example, where you take it in turns to add items to a shopping list, and then you have to recall everything the other players have bought as well, aren’t too difficult. Children of most ages will be able to pick it up, but their brains will still have a bit of a challenge on their hands.
And for adults, these games work in a very similar way. You can’t quite zone out when playing them, as attention is required, but you’re not going to find it all that tricky to keep coming up with another item for the list. The memory part of the game may be more of a challenge though!
You can also make games like this a little more tangible. If you’ve brought paper and pens (or crayons) on the journey with you, start with a sheet of paper. Say you’re going to draw or write something on it, then fold it over, and the person you hand it to next has to draw or write something else - but they’re not allowed to look at what you’ve done.
In doing so, you’ll create a very unique, very family focused picture or story. Once everyone has had a turn, or two goes if you’re really enjoying it, open up the sheet and either look at or read out what people have done. And trust us, you can usually have a very good laugh about the result!
Listen to a Podcast Together
Podcasts can be interesting for parents and their children alike, and there are quite a few family friendly ones out there that have been made with the aim of getting families to listen together.
Download some of these before you go and pop them on in the car, or if you’re on a plane, buy yourself a headphone splitter and a pair of earphones that’ll fit comfortably for each person.
You can then spend some time listening to something interesting, fun, and probably quite educational, and that doesn’t take much effort at all.
Pack Some Board Game Travel Versions
Travel versions of board games have long been used to stave off boredom in traveling families. They’re small enough to be packed into a carry on for a plane, and they won’t be hard to use in the back of a car if the kids need a major distraction ASAP.
Buy some of your firm favorites and make sure they’re packed early; you don’t want to forget them in your rush to get on your way!
Download Some Family Friendly Apps
Family-friendly apps tend to be games everyone can play and still find fun in. Nothing is too simple or childish, but the content isn’t too difficult or made strictly for an older audience either. And yes, these games do exist out there!
Approach this in the same way you would a family game night - you’re only going to break out the games that everyone can have a go at. When you next head into the app store or Google Play, look for games that are similar; a lot of them will still be cutesy and educational-based, but they’ll be rated for everyone.
Even classic card games like spider solitaire fit into the brackets here, as kids can be taught how to play using a pack of cards quite easily. Plus, people usually have a set in their travel kit somewhere so you can play offline too!
Watch an Old Favorite Movie
The kids’ movies of today often leave a lot to be desired. As an adult, it’s likely you’re not all that interested in watching them, even when your child asks for them to be put on every single hour of the day.
But seeing as you’re travelling right now, it’s a good idea to do new, novel things, compromise with your little one and say you want to watch a movie with them that you loved when you were their age.
You can then put on an old favorite of yours, maybe a Disney movie from the 90s, and dig into it together. Feel free to sing along to the songs as well - although you’ll have to do so quietly if you’re in shared transportation.
Let’s Make Family Travel a Breeze
If you’ve had to tangle with some travel horror stories when taking the kids out, these activity ideas could make your next trip all the smoother. You can all have a good time, you can all take part in something together, and your attention is taken off of just how much longer you’ve got to go until you’re at your destination.
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