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

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We play eye spy and they take some toys with them

these days it would be ipads and videos. When I was growing up we sang songs often for several hours. with my children, we sang songs, pen and paper games, etc. If it was a really long journey I bought new car toys that they didnt seee until the journey

Portable DVD player, iPAD and headphones are a must on long journeys for our family, hours of entertainment and no ‘are we nearly there yet?’

We encourage the boys to take a book each but also take a selection of books, top trumps, activity books etc. We will also fire maths questions at them, they love it honest!! When all else fails we have dvd players they can watch films on but normally we get through the journey without needing them.

Eye Spy, Top Trumps, Tablet, Music, Snacks, anything to keep them quiet / entertained!

dvd players

We usually play I Spy but I end up getting bored really quickly so we take some colouring books and activity books too

Lots of playlists!

If we're going a long way and night travelling is out of the question we make up little bags with various things wrapped up and numbered, to start unwrapping we play various games like iSpy, spot 10 red cars. The parcels are a mix of little light snacks, mini colouring pads.

Books cause car sickness for us, so we use the iPad to pop a movie on - an easy way to keep them quiet and make the hours pass in no time!

Eddie Stobart Spotters Book! Has all the Eddie Stobart trucks listed in it, with their names. Our DD is desperate to see the one with her name on (I saw it on the way home from work a few weeks ago ha ha!)

I think gone are the days they need entertaining with all the technology nowadays they can do the same on the road as at home i.e watch movies listen to music play games on tablets etc

A clipboard with a list of things for them to spot and tick off.

I spy! Also sing alongs and ipads.

Kids Kindle is essential with a variety of videos and games downloaded, favourite songs loaded on to ipod and plenty of snacks/drinks.

My girls recently started competing to see who could remember the most words, in the right order, from one of their favourite rhyming books (The Gruffalo). There was much hilarity when one of them got the words or the order wrong, so it didn’t rhyme. On our journey home we shall be attempting another similar story, as it kept them happy for ages!

When it comes to a long journey, I always make sure the tablet is packed. There are some fantastic apps that help keep the kids entertained, whilst enabling them to learn at the same time. They watch films and listen to music, I've even made a family playlist on Spotify, which we've all added our favourite songs to. We love a sing song on our travels! When it's time to give technology a break, we enjoy a game of I-Spy. When we're travelling somewhere new, I like to give them a disposable camera each to take pictures of things we pass along the way. I also make sure I pack lots of snacks

Portable DVD player, simple games such as I spy, finding things and ticking off on lists, yes and no game, encourage a little nap!!

We play I-Spy, we read and we tell stories. The time often flies by!

We take snacks, drawing pads and crayons/pencils as well as a few comics they can flick through.

My kids usually fall asleep in the car, but I have found as long I keep loads of snacks and keep the tunes playing on the radio they are usually okay. I will report back when we have our 7.5 hr journey at the end of the holidays!

Tablet for the older one, emergency snacks so that even when the rest of the snacks are gone you can dig something out! For the 16 month old we have a big bag of toys in the front with us and pass a new one back every time he gets grumpy or has thrown one out of reach. Restock the bag in the front when we stop and pass them all back out to him again!!

We drive down to Spain for our holidays with currently 14, 12 & 10 year olds.
Of course devices have their place but we kill a load of miles playing 'just a minute' or 'who am I' (yes / no questions game).

Encourage a game in which all travelling people can participate and which allows them to use all 5 senses.

Also, ask them open questions about topics they particularly enjoy.

Alternatively, make sure they have some interesting stuff on their portable DVD!

On long journeys we always had portable DVD players, hand held game console and books. These we a great help keeping the kids busy. Singing and playing guessing games also really helped. Counting e.g. how many white lorries we could see or how many bridges we pass or who would see the sea first got the kids excited