Share the ways you keep your children entertained on long journeys with Vodafone

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Every parent has their own special way of keeping long journeys fun – whether it’s through using devices to watch videos, or involving the whole family through songs and games. As the summer holiday season is in full swing, Vodafone want to know how you keep your children occupied on long trips.

Here’s what Vodafone has to say:
“It’s a glorious summer’s day. You’re stuck in the car and there’s 100 miles still to go. The kids are getting restless. But you know the perfect way to keep them entertained. A sure-fire way to keep them distracted just a little bit longer. That back-pocket ace card that you can play during times like these.

We want to know your secret!”

What’s your trick to keeping your children entertained for most of the journey? Are you a key part of the entertainment (think a family game of ‘I Spy’), or do you let them get on with it and hope for the best? Are there any particularly memorable journeys you’d like to share?

From young children to teens, what are your tips and tricks in keeping them entertained? Share on the thread below and everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where 1 MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight Terms and Conditions apply

Flash cards, playing eye spy and 'spot the car coloured....'
I also keep my fingers crossed that they'll fall asleep (eventually!)

sing a longs , colouring and ispy are my youngest favourite games on a long car journey

We have a 16 month old which I find can be a bit trickier than having an older child who you can interact more with! We have an organiser with pockets in that is filled with small toys and also a mirror that keeps DD amused. We also keep little snack pots and plenty of fluids as well as always having our phone on us for the odd YouTube video when she gets particularly restless 😁

We tend to time our long journeys around her afternoon nap as she sleeps two hours! After she wakes up, we use snacks, toys and iPad!! Always work!

We play a family game like I spy, listening to the radio. I make up a snap box filled with various treats and allow them to eat a certain interval, so that they have something to look forward too.

we play alphabet thinking games, so choosing a category, ie animals, and everyone needs to say one beginning with a and the more you get on your turn then the more points you get, then b etc and all the points are added at the end of the alphabet. Another one is visual noise, if we see a tractor we go 'Oi's a farmer' a truck is 'honk honk' animals are various sounds etc. More funny than it sounds

My 10 year old only needs headphones and an ipad full of movies and music!

My 8 month old sleeps but when hes awake on a train, bus or plane, he loves to be bounced or looking and shiny things!

With magnetic games. Failing that - valium

We play audio books, listen to music and play I spy

We can’t do tablets due to travel sickness so I read aloud or we listen to toddler fave songs or stories. We talk about what we can see. I sit in the back if necessary. Lots of slow to eat snacks like Cheerios and apples. Sticker books sometimes work. Play “hide the x”. Play loud music to drown out the moaning! Hope they sleep!

Well..... its all these tablets, portable dvd players and phones these days!! I used to keep our son well entertained with lots of little things to do with little fingers - but bear in mind while in the back of a car its not as easy for some kids to read or draw! He used to like stretchy toys, his bear to sleep with and an annoying ocarina!

We found the best way to travel was to take him on a long walk before even getting in the car - wear his little legs out so he slept most of the way (which was best anyway as kids find travelling soooooo boring) and then we would talk a lot of the way about lots and lots of things and plan ahead toilet stops and stocking up the tuck shop!

We don’t do many long journeys, but one game we played which spanned a 2 hour journey there and back was ‘name as many characters from the Lord of the Rings’ taking it in turns to name while one of them wrote them down.
We’re driving to an event 3 hours away the first weekend in September and the dc are already planning a Marvel version.

Scavenger hunts are a hit! And really good for kids who get car sick, as it keeps them looking out the window.

Card games, Lego figures to put on shows, alphabet games, music, and when all else fails, a movie on the iPad!

Classic I spy / lots of sing songs and snacks and stops

Eye-Spy is a brilliant game for old + young! HOURS of fun!

we play the traditional games like counting how many red cars we see, and I spy. If they get bored of that we have downloaded films on the ipad or audio books on the cd player to keep them entertained

iPad preloaded with some films or cartoons is a must, but also the apps that allow colouring in of pictures are great. No clutter or pens or paper to deal with. No felt tip marks on the back of seats. It’s the way forward

Tablets and portable DVD players, singalongs.

We have animal hunts, we all have competitions to see how many animals we spot and who sees them first. It's great fun.

We have found that audiobooks are a real winner. We choose a story that the whole family is interested in, and we listen to that on the journey.

Now our children are getting older, reading and music are their passions, so kindled and a set of headphones are invaluable. Audio books are a good way to rest your eyes and your thoughts and still broaden your mind, and our children love them. For long journeys on planes and the like, we have card games that we also all love and don't take up a lot of room, and are easily played on a tray table. We recently discovered Dobble and we can't get enough of it! We're a competitive bunch!!

To be honest I avoid them. Tablets, audio tapes, word games, on really long trips I wrap silly gifts to open every hour.

Travel scrabble! My son was obsessed with it lol

An audio book is great for everyone to listen too

I spy books, good cds that they like singing along with, audio cd of stories, movie on the ipad and snacks!