From the constant complaints to the “are we there yet?”, traveling long distances with kids can be hard. A restless and miserable kid could put a damper on the holiday spirit.

Plan your vacation around your kid’s needs as well as your own. If you are planning to head out on a long road trip, here are some fun activities to prepare for your kids before leaving.

You can choose appropriate games based on whether you want your kid to play with the entire family or by themselves.

1. I Spy

This classic road trip game is famous for a good reason. From keeping your children distracted to having the full family take part in looking for objects while simultaneously appreciating the surroundings, this game is at the top of our travel games list.

If you have not played this game before, here’s how to play it. One of the members looks for an object (this object can be in or outside of the vehicle) and then describes the object. The player usually begins with “I spy with my little eye, something that is …”.

The player could describe the object with color, the first letter, or any other hint they wish to use. You can establish rules to indicate what kind of objects or hints are valid and whether repetitions are acceptable. The game has only one limit – creativity and can go on as long as everyone playing is still interested.

2. The Alphabet Game

The alphabet game refers to building a word chain based on the last letters of the previous word. For instance, player one starts with the word APPLE.

The next player in line has to come up with a word beginning with the letter E. Everyone in the vehicle can take part in this game, including the driver.

You should select a specific topic to which all the words must belong. The topic could be animals or even Pokemon names! To make it more travel-specific, you could introduce rules that limit the words to locations or objects you can find on roads.

The person who cannot find a word that starts with the required letter is out until only the winner remains. This game encourages creativity and builds vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. To stretch the game out, pick topics that have a large number of words in them.

3. Mobile Games

In this day and age, not using technology is simply unheard of. Download game applications suitable for children. Based on the number of children, you can choose from single-player or multiplayer games.

As most mobile games can be played indefinitely, set up a time limit, or use a turn-by-turn approach. You can also consider educational yet fun games to make the playtime more productive. Make sure to carry your mobile charger with you! You can refer to the list of the top android games curated by Android Authority.

4. Bring your kid’s favorite board game

Bringing along your kid’s favorite board game is a surefire way to ensure that they do not bore easily along the way. Be it scrabble or monopoly a board game can ensure that your child stays entertained for a good portion of the trip.

If you own an RV, you can stock it up with multiple board games ready for use whenever you go on a road trip. You can also pack playing cards and teach your kids multiple card games such as Snap and Rummy.

5. Puzzles

Puzzles such as crosswords, sudoku, and scrambled letters are a great way of encouraging your child to keep their mind active while also having fun. You can invest in a puzzle book or look for free websites that offer these puzzles.

There are a large number of websites that allow you to play these games on the go. Crossword puzzles and their answers can be found here. Look for puzzles suitable to your child’s age group. Make sure you have internet connectivity if you plan on using these websites.

If you are not sure, make sure to download some of them for your kid to play with even in the absence of connectivity. These games help the growth of the mind while keeping your children occupied even when they are alone.

6. Guess the song!

Another car specific game is to guess the song and artist playing on the radio before the chorus begins to play. The player that gets the right answer first gets a point.

You can play this game as long as all the players continue to remain interested. You can either listen to a customized playlist or guess songs playing on the radio.

This game allows the entire family to play and engage with one another. Sing along with the song for brownie points!

Conclusion:

The end goal of a vacation is to make sure the entire family unwinds and enjoys themselves. Games that encourage the entire family to play and have fun are the way to go.

When choosing ways to engage your child during the journey, make sure to keep their interests in mind. If your child enjoys reading, pack a couple of books.

If they like interacting with others, look for a game that encourages this.