How to entertain children on long journeys

‘Are we there yet?’ This is a phrase which, on the face of it, doesn’t make a great deal of sense. I mean, if we were really there, your little one would know about it. Alas, logic isn’t really something we can expect children to use – especially on a long, stuffy car journey. With that in mind, we have put together a list of dos and don’ts when attempting to keep your children occupied – and your sanity intact – on long journeys.

DO’s:

Stop regularly

Yes, we know, service stations leave a lot to be desired. However, if you want to keep your child’s noise to a minimum, then they need to be expending as much of their boundless energy as possible. This means stopping regularly. Service stations are an obvious choice: they provide toilets, shops and a place to rest. If you want to mix it up a little, though, why not try and locate the nearest park? A half-an-hour romp on a climbing frame could be just what your kids need to settle down, or maybe even sleep!

Bring treats

This is a bit of a tricky one. On the one hand, a few Skittles here and there may be all you need to regulate your children’s attention for the duration of the journey. However, on the other, an impromptu sugar rush could prove disastrous. Given that your child is strapped in, this increase in energy is likely to manifest verbally rather than physically, which isn’t what you want during a long journey.With that in mind, perhaps you should consider opting for healthy snacks such as fruit, carrot sticks and even popcorn!

Have an in-car DVD player/iPad at the ready

With a solid battery life and the right selection of DVDs, an in-car DVD player could prove to be the ultimate distraction for your child; they’ll be far too absorbed in Peppa Pig to be giving you a hard time. However, these are perhaps a little dated. For a reasonable price, you could get a second-hand iPad, unlocking a whole host of games as well. Be careful, though, too much screen-time – especially interactive screen-time – could lead to car sickness.

DON’T’s:

Talk about the destination too much

This might seem like a good idea at the time, and it might just lift everyone’s spirits, but err on the side of caution: if you are constantly explaining to your child just how much fun they’ll be having at Legoland, you could well be drawing too much attention to the fact that they are not yet at Legoland. This, above all, is likely to provoke the dreaded question that we outlined at the beginning of this article.

Lie

‘We’re nearly there’, won’t get you anywhere. Lying is an age-old trick utilised by parents to combat their offspring’s searching questions, however, this will only lead to further questions when those precious five minutes come and go. Instead, sugarcoat the truth. That is to say, why not use your answers to redirect attention to breaks in the journey? This way, imminent stops seem a lot more appealing.

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