Travel with Kids - Five Stuff-free Games for Long Car Trips

It's almost the end of the school year, and, despite thecombinations of things to quiz people on their inner
soaring cost of gas, you likely have some travel inselves and true desires. "What would you rather be: a
store for you and the family during the coming months.whale or a shark? A theater usher or a candy counter
Here are five ideas you can keep at the back of yourattendant? A professional singer or a librarian? A dog
mind when the "how much longer?" questions startor a cat?" The list goes on and on, only limited by your
coming fast and furious.imagination and curiosity. You might actually learn
1. Twins and triplets - Use "twins" to have everyonesomething about your kids or spouse!
name one thing that comes in twins. Think "mom and4. License plates - This is an old chestnut, but can
dad," "soup and salad," "stop and go." When it's yourkeep kids busy for a few minutes at least while they
turn, you can shout out an answer. If the next personrealize that license plates come on cars from all over
doesn't have an answer in three seconds, the followingthe country. Some kids wait years before seeing one
person can fill in. Players keep score by how manyfrom Hawaii or Alaska.
they have come up with. It's obviously easy at first, but5. Alphabet soup - I almost hit a truck looking for an R
gets harder after a few times around. "Triplets" isduring a recent car trip so I'm cautious about this game.
even more challenging.In this game, each player has to find letters of the
2. Horse - The first player says a letter and thealphabet in alphabetical order starting with A. Each
following players have to add letters until a word isplayer keeps track and tries to avoid cheating. Little
formed. The player who adds a letter that forms anykids love to hunt for letters while they ride, and this
word loses. The trick is that players must have a wordgame can be safely played from the back seat.
in mind that could be created as they add a letter. SoThat should be enough to keep them at bay for at
spelling H-O-R and adding an S might lead to formingleast ten miles. Long travel gives dads the added
"Horse" for the next player unless they could form aconcern of keeping kids from getting bored on the
word that starts with H-O-R-S but does not have an Ejourney. Read more about tips for dads traveling with
next.kids.
3. Which would you rather be? - Choose odd