First, I must admit that I am not a mother (yet). I can only use my experience as a child. Whether it be a long-drive vacation to YellowStone, running errands or the 20 minute trip to FatCats, kids have a tendency to misbehave in the car. I know because I was one of them.
So, as mothers, fathers, or siblings who have had enough, what can you do to keep the little ones entertained? Here are my favorites my mom used on me when I was a rowdy child.
1. Let each child choose a couple of their favorite songs to put onto a "Car CD". Shuffle each child's collection onto that CD and press play! (You can even add a few of your favorites to the list!) If your family's CD is like ours, you'll get to hear Britney Spears (when she was young and innocent), Donny Osmond (mom's pick), and a whole bunch of Disney classics. While singing & dancing, I'd completely forget to pull on sister's seat belt or poke brother's ear.
2. This one only works during the Holiday Season at night, but I still participate in this game even in my matured age of 20-something. Assign each child a side of the street and help them count the number of houses with holiday lights on them. This always kept us entertained on the drive to & from Grandma's house.
If it isn't the holiday season, you can count porch lights, houses with basketball hoops, etc... Counting not only keeps kids occupied, it's good for them to practice their numbers!
3. I saved the best for last! My mom would use this for vacations, errands, family outings...you name it! She used chalk on the back tire of our green mini van and sectioned it off into thirds (we have 3 kids in our family). She would write our name in our own section. Any time we would stop, she would announce a prize. "Winner gets $2 to spend at the FatCats' arcade" or "Winner gets to help push the cart in the grocery store!" We'd pile out of the car and run to see who was the winner.
If your section was touching the pavement, you are the winner! We loved going on errands because the more stops we made, the more chances to win! There was a stipulation though. You had to be on your best behavior. If you misbehaved you were ineligible for that round, but you can always earn your section back.
So, if your family still has that long drive vacation planned for this summer or you're taking that 20 minute drive to FatCats, I hope these ideas help. Make that long drive into a fun family memory. Taking the kids in the car doesn't have to be a chore!
Be a FatCat Treasure Hunt! Clue #7
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