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Original poster

Screen-free car entertainment for teen

53 replies

LongTermLurker · 03/08/2023 14:48

We're trying to break DC13's screen addiction / have a bit of a dopamine reset. We've offered a financial bribe to go 10 days without a screen, and are combining this with a trip to stay with the in-laws (I'm hoping this will ease the process as the in-laws are great fun, and there's always plenty of non-screen stuff to do). However, it entails an approx 10 hour journey there and back again.

I'm brainstorming with DC about car entertainment. Reading is tricky as they get car-sick when reading. I was thinking a pack of cards for solitaire, some embroidery thread for making friendship bracelets, playing audio-books / podcasts, maybe a puzzle book if car-sickness allows...

Any other ideas?

OP posts:
Original poster
LongTermLurker · 03/08/2023 14:49

I should add that I don't want to be the in-car entertainment for 10 hours! So will only be offering short interludes of eg the yellow car game.

OP posts:
MonsterCalling · 03/08/2023 14:51

Speaking as someone who gets car-sick when reading, in my case this extends to anything which requires looking down, so I’m afraid that likely rules out card games, friendship bracelets, and puzzle books. I would stick to audio. Music, audiobooks, radio plays, stand-up comedy recordings, really gripping podcast series, maybe quizzes.

InterferingOutsider · 03/08/2023 14:53

If car sick anything that requires focus will make it worse (reading, craft etc). We use long audiobooks and regular breaks.

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YippieKayakOtherBuckets · 03/08/2023 14:56

I can tell that you have the good fortune not to get travel-sick! Sorry OP but almost all of that list is going to make them sick. Intricate craft like friendship bracelets will be worse than reading. PP is right, it will have to be all audio. What are they interested in? What did they do on their screens?

MarmiteRoll · 03/08/2023 14:58

Audiobooks and podcasts and looking out the window. It's not the worst thing in the world to be bored while travelling. We listen to a lot of podcasts on long journeys, I recommend Your Dead To Me and The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry, both from the BBC but you'll get them on any podcast app.

dahliadazed · 03/08/2023 14:58

Music, audiobooks, looking out the window, napping.

Hihihihihihihihihi · 03/08/2023 15:15

I would just give the iPad for the car

HonoriaLucastaDelagardie · 03/08/2023 15:25

Music, audiobooks, looking out the window, napping.

I see no-one has suggested having a conversation with the other people in the car. Don't people talk any more?

Soontobe60 · 03/08/2023 15:34

10 hours!!! That’s a hell of a journey. But I agree with others - a teen doesn’t need to be entertained on a car!

Summertime109 · 03/08/2023 15:36

Audiobook is the only suggestion I can think of. My two get car sick if they have to concentrate

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 03/08/2023 15:43

Music, podcasts, audiobooks, the radio, a quiz. Try and do some of the above as a family so it can prompt discussion and they aren't just sitting with headphones in.

Look at the schedule for radio four, they have some great content, plays, books, comedy, drama and documentary. Well worth breaking things up with some live radio.

Games things like Animal/Vegetable/Mineral or Who Am I? The shopping list game etc. A modified version of Town and Country.

Turn off the sat nav and get them to map read if they can manage enough looking down.

Screens wouldn't be any use if they are travel sick so what do you normally do?

Original poster
LongTermLurker · 03/08/2023 16:26

I actually do get car-sick! But I personally can handle short stints of eg craft stuff. Even 10 mins of friendship bracelets and then half an hour of staring out the window would make the whole journey less boring!

Lol at "do people not talk anymore". DC has ADHD and is an absolute motor mouth unless glued to a screen. Which is probably why we're in this situation in the first pace (me not having the strength to listen for hours and hours at a time).

DC usually spends a lot of time on Roblox making houses, or chatting to friends on snapchat. We've got a dumb phone for regular phone calls, but I can't think of a good "anologue" version of Roblox.

OP posts:
cocksstrideintheevening · 03/08/2023 16:27

Presumably you won't look at your phone for the whole 10 hours?

What time of day are you travelling?

Original poster
LongTermLurker · 03/08/2023 16:29

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 03/08/2023 15:43

Music, podcasts, audiobooks, the radio, a quiz. Try and do some of the above as a family so it can prompt discussion and they aren't just sitting with headphones in.

Look at the schedule for radio four, they have some great content, plays, books, comedy, drama and documentary. Well worth breaking things up with some live radio.

Games things like Animal/Vegetable/Mineral or Who Am I? The shopping list game etc. A modified version of Town and Country.

Turn off the sat nav and get them to map read if they can manage enough looking down.

Screens wouldn't be any use if they are travel sick so what do you normally do?

Screens were definitely not a a problem with car-sickness, unless we were on small twisty roads, hence my optimism that something "crafty" might be okay. I have a feeling that the likelihood of car-sickness increases when you're focusing on something smaller (like text).

OP posts:
Original poster
LongTermLurker · 03/08/2023 16:30

cocksstrideintheevening · 03/08/2023 16:27

Presumably you won't look at your phone for the whole 10 hours?

What time of day are you travelling?

I can tell you that this kid can and has looked at their screen for a full 10 hours on a journey! (with food/toilet breaks)

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 03/08/2023 16:42

What are you/DH (whoever isn't driving) going to be doing for 10 hours? Can the teen do that?

Looking out the window and thinking about things would be my suggestion, very meditative! Audio books/plays/stand up a good suggestion though.

NuffSaidSam · 03/08/2023 16:42

Hihihihihihihihihi · 03/08/2023 15:15

I would just give the iPad for the car

Why?

Original poster
LongTermLurker · 03/08/2023 17:49

NuffSaidSam · 03/08/2023 16:42

What are you/DH (whoever isn't driving) going to be doing for 10 hours? Can the teen do that?

Looking out the window and thinking about things would be my suggestion, very meditative! Audio books/plays/stand up a good suggestion though.

I find long journeys a doddle! I love looking out the window and daydreaming, listening to music or podcasts, and chatting to DH.

I think DC's ADHD makes it much harder to tolerate long periods of doing anything that's not exciting. Plus the fidgetiness makes it even harder!

OP posts:
SensitiveB · 03/08/2023 17:56

We play quite a mundane game where everyone chooses a make of car and you get a point every time someone sees their own. Eg Ford, Nissan etc. Our Dc are 16 and 12 and still seem to quite like it! That might solve about 10 mins of the journey…!

Highlyflavouredgravy · 04/08/2023 10:24

Iis 10 hours one way?
What on earth is the journey

My young adult kids always fall asleep on long journeys

mylittleyumyum · 04/08/2023 10:28

Food and sleep. Caraoke.

horseymum · 04/08/2023 10:36

Rubix cube, crochet/ finger knitting. Fidget spinner? Podcasts- cabin pressure with Benedict Cumberbatch is great. Quizzes, get a book of car games from the library! An eye spy on the motorway book.

MonsterCalling · 04/08/2023 10:54

Highlyflavouredgravy · 04/08/2023 10:24

Iis 10 hours one way?
What on earth is the journey

My young adult kids always fall asleep on long journeys

No, 10 hour round trip.

EvenlyDetermined · 04/08/2023 10:59

Although DH and I chat on long journeys, we find it hard to chat with the teen DCs purely because of them being behind us and it can be hard to hear each other, especially on motorways, we do a bit though. Mine mainly listen to audio books/music, as we did when I was growing up (we drove several hundred miles to see my grandparents, and had a cassette player plugged into the cigarette lighter).

As for car-sickness, I get it on winding roads unless I am looking out at the window the entire time but on a motorway or similar I’m fine and I crochet or read while DH is driving.

UnfunnyJester · 04/08/2023 12:05

Audiobooks and music
Car karaoke
Just chatting and looking at things