Tips for long car journey with kids?

[Wunjo]

Never done this before - what can I do to make a 6 hour car journey with a 5 and 3 year old bearable? They can't do activity books because I think they'll be sick and I'm honestly stumped! I know if there are any magic tricks Mumsnet can tell me! Thanks in advance

Story CDs
Spot cars / I spy
Regular stops & Snacks

If you can, start the journey very early morning or at night so they are asleep for some of it.

Start early then stop for breakfast an hour later. Stop again after 1h30/2h. Stop at places where they can run around and have food.

I hadn't actually thought of leaving really early, only night but maybe that could work!

Portable dvd player?

First half hour leave them to it. Only start entertainment when they get cranky.

Looking out windows trying to spot lorries, blue cars etc.

I spy with colours instead of letters eg I spy something yellow

Lollipops because they take a long time to eat but are relatively small

plan regular breaks at parks and get them running around

playlist of kids songs
playlist of disco type popular songs that everyone likes

expect to have to entertain them - a lot. I managed to make the last half hour of a trip bearable by making up words to one of their favourite songs

Generally no matter what you do the last 40 minutes are hell. Make sure you are organised when you get to your destination - avoid driving round trying to find it, make sure you have easy dinner ready to go, keys sorted etc.

An in car DVD player and screens.

We got a system where each child has their own screen attached to the seat in front and their own control so they can be watching different DVDs. They watch with their headphones on.

Originally we thought we'd bough a system where they both had to watch the same DVD and thought the 2 different controls a bit of a faff. However, in hindsight, the ability for them to choose different films has probably saved about a thousand arguments about what to watch.

We bought the system when they were a similar age to your children. They're now a teenager and a preteen and the in car DVD still comes out for every long trip and has been an absolute life saver.

One of the best buys we ever made.

We have the same as @Lindy2 it’s a life saver

At night so they sleep?

We use an phone holder that goes onto head rest so he's looking forward and download Netflix etc to be used offline.

Would that work?

Car bingo!

Write out a 'bingo' board of things they can spot out the window and cross off.

Ie - bus, person walking dog, person riding bike, flags, lakes, etc etc

Depending on where you are going, I know Tebay services has a soft play and it's a nicer services in general so might be worth a stop if you are on the M6. I remember as a child having those vinyl sticker books which didn't cause me to be carsick. Also vividly remember playing with baby wipes and having a great time. Audiobooks are very good, though my parents preferred the longer ones as they did;t have to hear them as often!

My dad lives 5 hours away so we have always done long car journey. They are now 8 and 10.
Here is what works for us;

• leave early (use to be late when they were younger) so they sleep half the journey


• car picnic (I make them regular pack up)


• I use to play them videos / tv series on kindles


• my oldest gets sick so takes anti sickness tablets and she mostly chills out but can manage a bit of tv


• youngest can play his switch.


• weve played lots of eye spy using. Colours when they were younger!

These are so useful I could cry! Thanks so much! I will be doing All Of It. Car bingo is a fantastic idea

Not lollipops... chocking hazard!

We look for various landmarks... so first one to see a church, or a bridge or a horse etc.
Clouds... what they look like
Eye spy

Do they actually get sick with activity books or are you assuming? I’m not being goady - I suffer with motion sickness and assumed similar but my dc are fine.

I like sticker books for long journeys - but peel away the negative space for little ones as it makes it easier.

I made lap trays from cardboard boxes with a good high side and a bit of foam glued underneath to sit on the knees and a Velcro strap. They looked rough but I should have patented the design because they were brilliant.

We always left a box of snacks and drinks between them.

We've always left super early to do long journeys like 3 or 4 in the morning! We'd get everything in the car and literally ready to leave then bundle them in the car and sometimes not all the time they'd go back to sleep. Would mean we could do a good chunk of the journey then stop for breakfast. If the didn't sleep then iPad to watch films on the back of the headrest!

Pile pillows between them so that if they drop something in that direction, it stays at hand level and they can retrieve it themselves.

I got a small, soft photo album and put photos in of people and occasions in our lives. Dd would spend ages over this turning pages at her own pace thinking about things. That lasted for a few years, actually.

keep activities with you by your feet. Then as one thing gets discarded, pass them another. Some familiar and some new. When you stop for a break, just shovel them all back into the bag ready to go through it all again.

DD’s tummy could never do spinning things in playgrounds then back into the car. Sometimes she could not even do too many roundabouts.

Books might not be safe for tummies but an activity like Barbies needing clothes changing or Duplo might work fine.

Yes yes to bowls, cloths, water bottles, change of clothes, wipes, plastic bags.

We had a brilliant set of slide window 'auto bingo' cards picked up on a USA road trip, but I can't find a uk stockist.

I did find this though, which has printable bingo cards and some other suggestions:

www.holidaycottages.co.uk/blog/5-car-games

Audio books are great. Depending on ages, ours always enjoyed the Mr Men. They're quite short and amusing.

Favourite game when older was the number plate game - make up a phrase from the letters.

And a big lidded plastic box for the inevitable sickness is handy. Plus wipes, plastic bags and a change of clothes!

Definitely leave early, your kids will be too tired and dozy to do much for the first hour and you’ll beat traffic. Do everything you possibly can to avoid busy times on the road as sitting stuck in traffic in a stuffy car is the absolute worst. Stop and have dinner if need be and carry on into the evening if your not leaving very early.

We bought seat back organisers and filled them with drink bottles and snacks and fidgety toys.

You can buy an iPad holder that attaches to the back of the front seats and holds the iPad in the middle of the two front seats at the kids eye level. This is the most useful thing as it stops them getting as travel sick as they would with looking down at an iPad on their knee. We have one iPad with films downloaded that they haven’t watched yet or old favourites and headphones and a headphone splitter. Two movies = 3/4 hours of peace.

We also have audiobooks on audible ready to go for a change and Playlists of songs they like to sing along to. We have made up many car games over the years but save those for emergencies as they hurt my head 😀

Save the best snacks for when they are getting grumpy and don’t give them too much to drink or you’ll have to go to the toilet too often.

If you leave early enough you could plan an extended break to somewhere fun at some point on your journey, a big park just off the road or something like that. If I’m doing that Id do it about four hours into the journey if possible so you’ve got past the worst of the journey.

I don't get how iPads on back of seats dont make kids sick vs looking down

Looking down is worse yes but the issue comes from the brain seeing one thing and feeling another. I find those seat back screens horrendous and a guaranteed puke!

Another thing we've found, we're members of both national trust and David lloyd. We tend to plan our routes around stopping at one of these. Better facilities than services and usually either a soft play or space to run around.

Alternatively there's a website called 'just off the motorway' so something like that. It has places that are just off the motorway that are good for stopping.

@FirstAidKitNowPlease there’s nothing for you to get, is there?
we all just offer ideas based on what works for our own children. If your children are sick when watching something, you obviously don’t do it.

Mine aren’t, so I do.

Some sort of audio book player eg a tony box or a yoto? We have a yoto and it’s brilliant, 3 year old can operate it entirely by herself and it keeps her well entertained in the car (and at home).

If you are a National Trust member find somewhere on the way to stop, eat your picnic and have a good run around . There will be toilets and coffee and much more space to run off some energy than at motorway services! Garden centres can also be good for this.

Set off at 7pm. They’ll likely sleep for most of it.