Google maps tells me the trip to Devon takes five hours. HA! Never in a month of traffic jams. Sixteen trips tells me that five hours is hopelessly optimistic regardless of how fast we drive on the clear sections of the motorway. Nine hours is far more likely.
That’s a long time for anyone, nevermind two restless children to cope with. Now I’ve never created a nine sing-along of joy and happiness, but I’ve also stopped short of frisbee-ing a certain Nursery Rhymes CD out of the car window too (five CDs of rhymes and they only wanted the twenty seconds of humpty dumpty on endless repeat!). I have however learnt a few things to make the time pass more amicably and happily.
Break It Up
Roughly divide the time into chunks – never more than an hour, more like thirty minutes by the ninth hour of the trip. Those chunks might then be one of the following:
- Radio or music (sometimes adults’ choice, sometimes the kids’ favourite tracks or a movie soundtrack)
- Audio books (from Roahl Dahl, David Walliams, The Giggler Treatment, Groosham Grange)
- Tablet time – either games or movies we’ve downloaded in advance (and tested that they work without WIFI!)
- Drawing or reading (whilst the adults chat)
In between these big chunks, are puzzles, prizes and snacks.
Puzzles Win Prizes
I print out a range of eye-spy or car-trip-related puzzles for both the outgoing and return journeys. Searching “road trip printables” online will generate plenty of options – just beware the American versions that have the kids pulling their hair out trying to find cars that don’t exist in the UK (like Buick or Acura)
The favourite ones for our kids are eye-spy bingo types (plenty of versions from car colours, brands, road signs, things to spot in the air), word searches, a traffic jam game where you move forward based on finding cars you coloured in earlier. You might also have travel games such as battleships or scrabble or fishing games to suit (there are some cool little games-in-a-tin you can make).
These might only last five to ten minutes before the kids get bored (and blatantly cheat just to finish the game, which is fine). They provide a bit more variety and we award prizes every time to every child.
Prizes? Surprises!
When they complete the puzzle (or quit), I pass over a wrapped present for each child. I tend to buy six to eight presents per child per trip (about one an hour).
One of the first ones will be chewing gum (for regulation) and then a sticker book, colouring book and pens. That gives them things to do as well as something to chew. The rests will be anything from a packet of raisins to sweets, a mini figure or a puzzle. The surprise and the unwrapping both create a frisson of joy to break up the journey.
Snacks Snack and More Snacks
I am hungry!
This is my kids favourite refrain on a car journey. Yes I know they are mostly bored, but sometimes it’s just easier to give them a few grapes. Providing the snacks are healthy, not too sticky, don’t shred into tiny bits that stick to the car seats, then a few treats to break up the journey isn’t going to hurt. Snacks like:
- Grapes – providing the child is old enough not to choke
- Carrot sticks/ cucumber/ cherry tomatoes (the latter tend to explode)
- Oat cakes or other high fibre crackers
- Dried apricots (less sticky than prunes, less sweet than dates)
- Brazil nuts (seeds tend to get dropped and lost)
- Dry cereal
And however many snacks the kids have consumed, it won’t stop them wanting meals – we tend to pack two picnics with plenty of variety and more than enough food to eat. But where to stop?
Choose Your Pit Stops
There are service stations that are endless concrete, no outside space and dingy loos, and there are ones with play parks, views, grass, walks, ponds and a farm shop. On a trip to Devon, where we know it will take around eight to nine hours, we will have two long (hour) breaks to break up the travel, get fresh air, stretch our legs, runaround, eat a meal and so on.
The kids need to run and jump and play and chase and more. So pick the sort of pit stops that will make your breaks more fun (Tebay at Westmorland, Gloucester Services are both fabulous).
It Never Goes To Plan
Sometimes I drive, just to hand over the “in-car entertainment” reins to my husband, who hasn’t a clue what I have planned or how to run the games. So that works brilliantly.
The key is to keep your cool and have a sense of humour about it all. Things won’t go to plan, they never do. Someone will need a loo break seconds after you pull back onto the motorway (probably my husband!). Someone may have a sulk because their favourite game will not work without WIFI and they won’t play anything else. There will be arguments about which audiobook to listen to, or which playlist. But that’s all okay.
That’s when you secret back-up piece of chocolate or extra present come in handy. Or you just wind the window down and scream at the scenery.
