Keeping the kids amused on long journeys

Children are not very good at sitting still for long periods of time. As any parent knows, keeping them happy and entertained on long car journeys requires foresight, bundles of energy and a vivid imagination! All of this is thankfully a lot easier with the advent of the in-car entertainment system.

While once I-spy and endless miles of singing nursery rhymes were the main tools of distraction, these days the options are much wider. A few years ago it would have been almost unthinkable to have a DVD player fitted in your vehicle. But one now comes as standard in many family cars – and for a little bit more you can also get games consoles such as a PlayStation built in as well.

Avoid distraction to the driver

As a result of these technological advances, you may find your car has a number of screens that fold down from the roof or are built into the back of the front seat headrests. While driving, make sure these are only visible to back seat passengers and not the driver.

Recent tests have shown that portable DVD devices that strap on to the back of the front seat headrests can fly off in an accident and seriously injury back seat passengers, so try to get in-built screens if possible.

If you decide to get your kids a games console, make sure you select calm games for car journeys, so they don’t jump around too much in the back, potentially bumping or kicking the driver at an inopportune moment.

Positive effects

DVD players and games consoles can actually be good for road safety in one way, because they mean the driver does not have to be as engaged with the children and can concentrate on the road. Also, the children are less likely to get grumpy and stress the driver out.

If you’re still making do with CDs, tapes or just the radio, make sure that if the driver is changing the songs he can do it quickly and easily. It is best that the front seat passenger, if there is one, takes charge of these operations. And whatever the demands of your children, don't have the music on so loud that it distracts the driver.

Benefits of headphones

If your children’s taste in music drives you mad, you could try getting them to listen to it on an iPod or Walkman. As well as music, story tapes can be a winner for keeping young children happy.

Of course, the old methods will still work if you have the energy. As well as I-spy, you could try playing a spotting game, or a quiz. If you’re really sneaky, you could try the quiet game, where the one who sits quietly the longest is the winner – although most children will see through this pretty quickly!

If you’re really stuck for games to play, the website Mom’s Minivan has 101 car travel games and road trip ideas for kids, from in-car bingo and cow counting, to tips for preventing car sickness.

Also, bring lots of snacks, which will pass some time. Avoid food and drinks with a high sugar content, though. Not only is it bad for the children, but it will give them even more energy and make them even less able to sit still.

Driving through the night

Another alternative to all this food and entertaining is to travel at night so that your children sleep through the journey. Or you could try setting off in the early morning and letting your children sleep for a few hours and then stop for breakfast when they wake up. This will cut down the amount of “awake” journey time considerably.

With a little planning it may even be possible to put off the inevitable question, 'Are we there yet?' until the end of the journey!

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Click on the link below to download Direct Line’s ‘Are We There Yet?’ book of games to play in the car.