{"id":17481,"date":"2017-03-14T18:47:51","date_gmt":"2017-03-14T18:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/?p=17481"},"modified":"2021-01-04T20:24:41","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T20:24:41","slug":"entertain-kids-road-trip-without-electronics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/entertain-kids-road-trip-without-electronics\/","title":{"rendered":"How to entertain kids on a road trip without electronics"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note:<\/i><\/b> All travel is subject to frequently changing governmental restrictions\u2014please check federal, state and local advisories before scheduling trips. This article was updated October 30, 2020. <\/i><\/p>\n

Family road trips can be exhausting for children and adults alike, leading many parents to just let their kids plug in and drop out, missing out on all the great scenery passing by outside their windows. But these handy tips could make the prospect of spending all those hours with kids in a car of a daunting proposition. That\u2019s right: We’re suggesting you try leaving all the devices at home so you the rest of the family are left to entertain yourselves and really enjoy each moment in real time. Believe it or not, it is possible. Just look to ideas for how to entertain kids on a road trip without electronics.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Best weekend road trips from all 50 states<\/a><\/p>\n

\"How

Photo: @kidsareatrip<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

1. Talk to each other<\/h3>\n

It may seem like a no brainer, and that’s because it is. Turn off the radio and talk. With younger kids, the conversations can be easy. Ask questions that promote longer answers such as: \u201cIf you could be any animal what would you be and why?\u201d Older children can have more meaningful conversations. Parents can share stories from their childhood or talk about world events and history. Kids listen and participate when they\u2019re a captive audience.<\/p>\n

2.  Use stickers<\/h3>\n

There are an endless number of sticker books out there with stickers that don\u2019t adhere to every surface. These are a great option for younger kids. If they don\u2019t want to put the stickers in the books, bring along paper and let them create stories. Heck, let them stick them on themselves; just don\u2019t let them eat them.<\/p>\n

3. Read books or listen to audiobooks<\/h3>\n

Make a trip to your local library before hitting the road and stock up on books and audiobooks. For younger ones, find short books for mom or dad to read aloud, and let older children choose a few of their favorites. Audiobooks are a great way to give parents a break and change things up. A great book can be a life saver on long car trips.<\/p>\n

4. Take out the camera<\/h3>\n

Ok, this is an exception to the no electronics rule, but kids love to take pictures. It can be fun to hand over the camera and let them capture their siblings, parents and the world going by. When making a pit stop, let them take pictures, too. Later on, everyone can compare photos, choose some of the favorites and make a family album to remember the trip.<\/p>\n

\"Entertain

If you give a kid a camera… Photo: @kidonatrip<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

5. Bring a cookie sheet and magnets<\/h3>\n

A cookie sheet with edges helps keep smaller items corralled in the back seat. If kids like magnets, a cookie sheet is the perfect foundation for their creativity. Try magnet shapes and tiles, magnet Lego, and magnet books with cutouts. There are even magnet chess games. They all work perfectly in the car!<\/p>\n

6. Play \u201cold fashioned\u201d car games<\/h3>\n

Some of the games played back in the day are still fun to play. Try playing the license plate game by printing a list of all the states ahead of time. Everyone crosses off states as they see the plate. Or enjoy a game of \u201cI Spy.\u201d One person chooses an item they see on the road and everyone else has to guess. Another option is road trip bingo. Print out bingo cards ahead of time and as each person sees the object they can put a marker on that item (or cross it off). If you run out of ideas, just search online for \u201croad trip games\u201d and there are plenty of suggestions to keep the family entertained.<\/p>\n

\"Entertain

Photo: @kidsareatrip<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

7. Have a sing along<\/h3>\n

It may sound silly, but a family sing along is a fun way to pass the time. Everyone has a chance to choose a song and everyone has to participate. Make a fake microphone and pass it around so everyone has a chance for a \u201csolo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Entertains

Photo: @kidsareatrip<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

8. Play cards<\/h3>\n

One thing to always pack on a road trip with kids is a lap desk. This helps them hold things in place on their lap and allows them to have room to spread things out. This is perfect for a deck of cards. Teach kids how to play a few games before the trip. Easy ones are Uno and Go Fish. Mom or dad can play from the front seat using the arm rest or siblings can play in the back seat. It\u2019s great to have a deck of cards on hand for any trip because they are great for killing time while waiting in line.<\/p>\n

9. Bring out the games<\/h3>\n

One of our all time favorites is \u201cMad Libs,\u201d the game where there are blanks in a story and everyone fills in the words with their favorite nouns, verbs and adjectives. Some of the silliest moments are spent laughing to stories written in the \u201cMad Libs\u201d tablet. Other travel-ready games include Etch-A-Sketch, Rubik\u2019s Cube and dominoes (perfect for those lap desks).<\/p>\n

10. Pack the coloring supplies<\/h3>\n

Bring coloring books, paper and colored pencils. DO NOT bring crayons (they melt), or markers (unless they are washable). Let kids and their imaginations run crazy as they create until their heart\u2019s content. If that\u2019s too much, bring a white board and dry erase marker. This is great for drawing or playing games like hangman. Even better, they can draw on the windows and erase it later!<\/p>\n

\"Entertain

Photo: @kidsareatrip<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

11. Teach them how to read a map<\/h3>\n

Sure the kids won\u2019t need to know how to read a map when they drive, but wouldn\u2019t it be great if they learned this skill? Print out maps of the places you\u2019ll be traveling and\/or the overall route. Have kids follow along and mark the spots on their map. What a fabulous skill to teach the future generation of travelers!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We know it sounds radical, but hear us out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":37113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[161],"tags":[299,303,424],"class_list":["post-17481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","tag-family-travel","tag-kids","tag-road-trip"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to entertain kids on a road trip without electronics - Inspire | Travelocity.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Instead of handing kids devices during a long car ride, use these tips to entertain kids on a road trip without electronics.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.travelocity.com\/inspire\/entertain-kids-road-trip-without-electronics\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to entertain kids on a road trip without electronics - 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