Booked a family camping trip this summer? While you’ll all likely be excited about the prospect of enjoying some precious time together in the great outdoors, you probably won’t be looking forward to that long journey to your chosen campsite.
Sitting for hours on end in the car can get pretty boring, especially for little kids with short attention spans. While sticking their favourite TV show or film on a tablet is an easy way to keep the calm for a couple of hours, why not consider a more traditional distraction method? Read on for six great car games for kids that have been tried, tested and approved by parents.
1. I Spy
The most popular car game for kids has to be I Spy. Its concept is pretty simple: one person in the car picks an object that everyone can see and begins the game by saying “I spy with my little I something beginning with…” The rest of you have to guess what the item is based on the first letter and the winner gets to go next!
2. 20 Questions
This classic car game is quite similar to the above, but instead of saying the starting letter of the word or object, you have to answer 20 questions instead. You can only answer “yes” or “no”, though, so other players should choose their questions wisely!
3. “I’m going on a picnic…”
Get kids using their imaginations and testing their memory skills with a round of this unique car game. The first player will start off saying one thing they’d take with them on a picnic and the next person has to repeat the phrase, but add on an extra item. Keep taking turns and remembering all the objects until someone slips up! It works well for other scenarios, too. Why not start with “I’m going camping…”?
4. The Name Game
Pick a category, such as farmyard animals, and nominate someone to start the round. If they choose ‘sheep’ as their first animal, the next player has to think of an animal beginning with the last letter of the previous word. So, the game might go ‘sheep’, ‘pig’, ‘goat’ etc.
5. Car Treasure Hunt
Every child loves a good treasure hunt – and a car doesn’t have to restrict you from hosting one! At the beginning of your journey, make a list of five to ten objects, people or scenes that your kids have to spot before you reach your destination. The first one to find them all gets a prize!
6. The Song Game
This musical car game for kids is also a great one for teens and adults to get involved with, too! Players must hum part of a song and everyone else has to guess which song it is and/or the artist who sang it. Stick to theme songs from your family’s favourite TV shows or pick a specific genre of music you all love.
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