9 yr old boy - long car trip

[beautifulwhiskers]

We are taking our nephew on a trip and would like to make it more interesting for him.

He'll be sitting on the back seat and he will have his phone and nintendo with him but it would be nice to put a few things in the back to interest him and hopefullly, tempt him, away from the screen for a while.

Any ideas?

How long are we talking? I'd be wary of allowing too much (if any) screen time in case he starts to feel sick, but that probably depends on the child and kind of driving you're doing. My DS has always enjoyed listening to talking books in the car, either on headphones or through the normal car speakers if we all like the story. Or we make a playlist beforehand of music we like. He also likes episodes of Just a Minute and that kind of thing, but is nearly 11 now so 9 might be a bit young to enjoy those.

Hiw long??
We have audiobooks playing so we can all listen to them.

Sorry - about three hours.

Audiobooks

3 hours isn’t long , talk to him and play some car games if you really don’t want him on his screens .

3 hours isn't that long though!

3 hrs is not long at all. Radio (let him choose the station for a bit) & a nap?

There are Ispy books for car trips. Depends on the child but some kids love it!

Eye spy
Pub cricket
The next car to over take us will be...?
Colour count race
Print out some road signs (or buy highway code) and cross off as many as you can see
Make words from the letters in the number plates
If he is ok looking inside the car, a shoe box containing... his phone and Nintendo, drawing pad, pens or pencils, reading book
Snack and drinks (and wipes and bag for rubbish!)
At 9, my ds had a ball of wool, pair of knitting needles and a pattern.
We had a few long journeys. By the time he summer holiday was finished, he had made himself a t-rex!
Completely on his own, apart from the occasional "what is k2tog" question from the back.
But I guess my ds is unusual

It's long for us, the trips we normally do with him are no more than an hour.

If he has access to internet, he can plan or watch the journey on his phone.
My kids love playing satnav.

Audiobooks and podcasts of R4 panel games for us too.
The dc are 8 and 11 and we do a 6 hour journey about 10 times a year.

That's really not that long. My 9yo DS regularly does more time than that in the car over the course of a day for sports events.

My DS usually passes out eventually if it's early morning or after a day of sport.

Other than that he plays games on his phone, listens to music or we play 'car games' (things to spot etc).

We’ve got some “50 things to do on a car journey” type cards. Forget the make, but they’re not as babyish as they sound.
(DP is 48 and quite likes I-spy books on longer journeys too 😂)

Three hours is nothing! Half an hour of chat to start off with, watch a downloaded movie, finish the journey discussing the movie. Easy peasy!

We play guess the animal... You think of an animal, don't tell him, he can ask you 20 questions 'yes or no' answers only, he has to guess the animal you're thinking of. Can play same game with people/places.

But with a book, screen, snacks 3 hours will pass quickly.

We used to do eight-hour drives down to the south of England and always had an audiobook on the go. I remember once we arrived and sat in the car for another 20 mins so we could hear the end

I spy books are good.

Screens makes my eldest dc travel sick.

3 hours is fine. Download a film on an iPad and a bit of chat before and after and it will be over.

Also look at podcasts you can all listen to, particularly funny ones.

My 2 have done 8/9/10 hour drives fairly regularly since they were weeks old and they have always been fine.

We use audio book cds on long drives to France for our two (9 and 12), I'd recommend How to Train Your Dragon or Harry Potter. Or Audible?

Or we had a David Walliams which went down well- Midnight Gang.

3 hours isn’t long at all . Can’t he look out the window ?

We made it to italy in one go last year with a 7, 10 and 11 year old. They read, played games, looked at the window. We let them on screens for 2 hours a day max as tbh they turn into fuckheads if on screens too long. Games they enjoyed were the alphabet game (go in turns naming an animal or sport or singer etc with each letter of the alphabet, or play 20 questions or would you rather). 3 hours will be fine.

Yes, he loves David Walliams, thanks for all your answers.

I know it seems odd to ask but you get out of the loop with these things and it just helps to know what the 'general' thing is to do sometimes.

We drive a lot (including down to the south of France etc) and have never had screens in the car. I'm not anti screen generally, just never started using them in the car and have never felt the need. Music, audio books, word games, panel games and other radio comedy, chatting, and lots of looking out of the window. Kids 9 and 12. For three hours you'll be fine!