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We live in a
world dominated by the motor car and that means car journeys
with children, usually on a daily basis. It's not so bad if
you're just popping down the road but long journeys can be a
real problem. |
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Many children
will suffer from motion sickness, and many others will
suffer from a feeling of complete and utter boredom. And
then of course, there is the safety issue to consider.
Travelling by car can be dangerous for everyone, but
children are particularly at risk. |
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There's
clearly a lot to think about when taking your kids in the
car. But the following points should help ensure your little
ones remain safe and comfortable when you're behind the
wheel. |
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Sitting
comfortably |
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In an
accident, your child’s seating position could be the
difference between life and death. It really is that
important. For babies you should always try to use the right
kind of seat for their weight. Rear facing baby seat are
designed for infants up to 28lb (13kg) which is usually 8-10
months. |
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Forward
facing seats are designed for babies from this weight up to
approximately 50lb (24kg) which is usually 5-6 years of age.
After which time, children can use normal adult seat belts,
although a booster seat may be needed for smaller children.
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Keep them
entertained |
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Many young
children absolutely love car journeys and will sit back and
relax all the way to your destination. However, not all kids
share this feeling, and as you would expect, they get bored
very quickly on a journey. So keep them entertained by
taking plenty puzzles and toys with you, particularly if
you’re going on a long drive. Play games such as I Spy to
make the time pass faster. But remember don't give young
children any pens or pencils to draw with because they can
do real damage if you brake sharply.
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Games you can play in the car |
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Many of the
games you can play in the car are games you probably played
as a kid, but have forgotten all about...such as 20
Questions and Geography. Below we have listed a few games
you may like to play. |
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20
Questions |
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20 Questions
is truly a classic game. It can be played by children of all
ages. One person thinks of something which falls under the
category of animal, mineral, or vegetable and then tells the
other players which category is correct. The players then
take turns asking questions which can be answered with a YES
or NO. For instance, if the category is animal a player
might ask "Can it fly?" or "Does it have four legs?" And
after 20 questions are asked, if the players have not
already guessed the answer, each player gets a last chance
to make a guess. Afterwards, a new player tries to stump the
group. |
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Geography |
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Geography is
another classic game. But Geography is not for younger
children. This game is best for children ages 8 and up. Not
only do they enjoy the game, they know enough locations to
be able to play the game well. Although the fine points of
the game may vary from place to place, this is how the basic
game is played.
Someone starts by naming a country such as Japan. The next
person must name a country whose name begins with the last
letter of the previously named country. In this case, Japan
ends in N, so a country which begins with N must be named
such as Nigeria. And then, since Nigeria ends in an A, the
next person's country must start with an A. And so on until
someone gets stumped.
Please note, some people play the game with city names;
names of rivers or other bodies of water; and in the United
States it is often played with state names. Set your own
rules and have fun! |
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Name Game |
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Simple, yet a
fun game. Perfect for children of all ages. Think of a name.
Then tell the group whether it is a boy's or girl's name,
and tell them the first letter of the name. The group then
tries to guess the name by calling out all the names they
can think of which start with the appropriate letter. That's
it. Simple, but fun! |
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Alphabet Memory Game |
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Great for
children of all ages. An excellent way to help reinforce a
preschooler's ABCs, yet fun for the elementary school aged
child too!
The first person starts with the letter A and say "A is for
---" filling in the blank with any word beginning with the
letter A such as APPLE, ARTICHOKE, AIRPLANE, etc. Let's use
APPLE. The second person then does the letter B, but must
also remember what A was! So, let's say the second person
decides to use the word BOOK for B, the second person would
say" A is for APPLE and B is for BOOK.
You continue your way through the alphabet. By the time you
get up to the letter Z the player will have to recite each
and every letter with its corresponding item. The game takes
a while and kids love it, particularly if you throw in some
silly words or phrases like S IS FOR SMELLY TOES. |
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Just A Minute |
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Talk on a given topic for 60
seconds without hesitation, repetition or deviation. One
point is awarded for a successful challenge, and the
challenger gets to take over the topic for the remainder of
the minute. When the time's up, the person speaking at wins
two points. You'll need a stopwatch for this one. |
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Silly
Stories |
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Start with 'Once upon a time...'
and build up a story where everybody takes turns to add a
word, or a sentence, at a time. |
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Memory Games |
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'I went to market and bought
some... apples.' 'I went to market and bought some apples,
and bananas.' 'I went to market and bought some apples, and
bananas, and cheese.' Take it in turns to repeat the list
and add an item - using alphabetical order makes it easier
on the memory but harder on the imagination. If going to
market seems boring, adapt it to your children's interests
e.g. 'I went to the Oscars and met...' or 'I went on safari
and spotted...' |
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I-Spy
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The classic car game! 'I spy
with my little eye, something beginning with 'C'... Everyone
takes turns to guess e.g. car, concrete, cows, Citroen, and
so on. |
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Counting Games |
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Who can be first to spot 20
dogs? 5 tractors? Or try Counting Cows which can be
played as individuals or in teams. First, decide on a
destination where you will stop counting. Then, count the
cows on your side of the road. The winner is the person with
the highest number of cows once the destination has been
reached. |
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Maths
Games |
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For slightly older children, see
who can add the digits on a car number plate the fastest or
find different ways of counting back from 100 - in 10s, 5s,
20s, 2s. Quick-fire times tables questions can be fun if you
disguise them in a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
format - promise 10p per correct answer so you don't break
the bank. Or pick a colour and see who can be the first to
spot 10 cars of that colour... you can make number games as
easy or as difficult as you like, depending on the ages of
your children. |
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Car Colours |
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Choose a time
limit such as 10 minutes or 30 minutes — depending on the
length of the drive. Have each child make a guess about how
many cars of a certain colour will be spotted during that
time. The closest guesser wins. You can also do this in
"sprint fashion" by using 3-minute intervals as your time
limit. Whoever is closest gets a point for that time
segment. The first one to 5 points wins. |
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Food and
drink |
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If you’re
only going on a short car journey it’s best not to give your
child anything to eat or drink. Young children can choke on
food at the best of times but in a moving vehicle there is a
much greater risk. Also, the time it takes you to pull over
and help you child can be precious seconds you may not have.
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