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Home / Competitions / How to survive long car journeys with kids

How to survive long car journeys with kids

April 2, 2015 by Gretta Schifano 343 Comments

Car packed for journey. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Car packed for journey. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Long car journeys with young children can be tricky, but there are some things which you can do to help. My aim when travelling is to keep everyone warm, comfortable, fed and watered and then hopefully the journey will be fine. icarhireinsurance.com have asked me to share my tips for getting through long car journeys with children and they’re offering a TomTom Start 25 5-inch Sat Nav with lifetime maps of Europe for one Mums do travel reader. Here are my tips:

Before you set off

  • Plan your route and include time for stops so that you all have a chance to stretch your legs, have something to eat and drink and find a loo. Involve the kids in the plan so that they know where you’re going and how long the journey will be.
  • Think about starting your journey when the children are likely to sleep, even if it means travelling at night.
  • Charge your mobile phones and other gadgets and take car chargers with you.
  • Tire the kids out so that they’ll sleep in the car.
  • Make sure that everyone’s wearing comfortable clothes – onesies or pyjamas might help the kids to sleep more easily.
  • Make sure that everyone’s eaten, had something to drink and been to the toilet (or has a clean nappy).

Things to pack for the journey

  • An insulated cool bag containing non-sticky snacks and bottles of water. If it’s hot take frozen drinks which will gradually thaw as you travel.
  • Fleece blankets and small pillows to help kids feel comfortable and sleepy in the car.
  • A change of clothes for each child just in case they need them.
  • A bag of toys – but avoid small bits which could get lost and cause frustration.
  • A potty if you’re potty training and for times when your child is bursting for a wee and you’re nowhere near a toilet.
  • Plastic bags for rubbish, dirty clothes and in case anyone is travel sick.

Entertainment

  • Play games such as I Spy or car bingo. icarhireinsurance have some free, printable car games to entertain children on long journeys – you can download them here.
  • Load some kids’ films onto a tablet or a portable DVD player for the children to watch as you travel.
  • Listen to children’s stories and music on CDs, an MP3 player or a tablet.

Do you have any tips for getting through long car journeys with children?

How to enter

For a chance to win a TomTom Start 25 5-inch Sat Nav with lifetime maps of Europe just do this:

  1. Add your favourite tip from above (or your own tip) for for getting through long car journeys with children to the comments section below.
  2. Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

Good luck!

TomTom Sat Nav. Image courtesy of icarhireinsurance.com

TomTom Sat Nav. Image courtesy of icarhireinsurance.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Related

Categories: Competitions, The journey
Tags: Sat Nav

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

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Comments

  1. Tracey Quinn says

    April 29, 2015 at 8:03 pm

    Playing games, we always play i spy

    Reply
  2. Marie Evans says

    April 28, 2015 at 3:51 pm

    Watch films via the i pad.

    Reply
  3. Hannah Whitling says

    April 27, 2015 at 10:53 pm

    Playing car games is great as can be done as a family

    Reply
  4. Ellen Stafford says

    April 27, 2015 at 10:23 pm

    We write a list of things to look out for on the journey and tick them off.
    Ellen Stafford recently posted…Competition: Win Wordsearch Junior Board GameMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Kirsty Fox says

    April 27, 2015 at 10:17 pm

    We take a dvd player and a couple of dvds and by the time they have watched a film we are practically at our destination.

    Reply
  6. Karis says

    April 27, 2015 at 9:57 pm

    Play knock knock, ring ring.

    Reply
  7. Su Brett says

    April 27, 2015 at 9:55 pm

    Take fruit and veg as snacks, don’t give boiled sweets especially to younger children – one of ours started choking – it’s frightening at any time but especially on a busy motorway

    Reply
  8. Angie Pickering says

    April 27, 2015 at 9:51 pm

    My grandkids age 7 and 6 love reading so we just give them new books ( from the library) and also play I spy

    Reply
  9. Caroline Blaza says

    April 27, 2015 at 9:29 pm

    A good CD for singing along too.

    Reply
  10. Domestic Goddesque says

    April 27, 2015 at 9:19 pm

    We have a great game called Guess The DVD. It requires encyclopaedic knowledge of our large DVD collection and is based on 20 Questions. Keeps us busy for ages when we take a break from listening to audiobooks.
    Domestic Goddesque recently posted…Can do. Kano Computer kids can build themselves.My Profile

    Reply
  11. Wendy Smith says

    April 27, 2015 at 9:10 pm

    Sing along CDs work for us

    Reply
  12. Sylvia Paul says

    April 27, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    A Nintendo DS with a new game on it always works wonders x

    Reply
  13. Catherine Gregory says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:37 pm

    Eye spy, colouring books and singing songs

    Reply
  14. joe suttle says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:35 pm

    plenty of sweets and music!

    Reply
  15. jessica newman says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:33 pm

    snacks and an ipad always work with my 2 monkeys

    Reply
  16. Karen Froud says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:26 pm

    A favourite game we play is to spot Monkey Puzzle trees. I know it sounds odd but there aren’t loads about but enough to keep the game interesting.

    Travelling overnight otherwise is always best I have found – quieter roads as well as hopefully sleeping children.

    Reply
  17. Zoe Coen says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:20 pm

    Fleece blankets and small pillows to help kids feel comfortable and sleepy in the car.

    Reply
  18. jen lloyd says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:02 pm

    eye spy is always a winner

    Reply
  19. kristin burdsall says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:01 pm

    When possible i try to do really long journeys through the night so when my children were very little they would sleep most of the way. I also had a few successful trips leaving just after evening rush hour traffic, stopping half way for treats and arriving at my destination very late in the night. The children would usually stay asleep when taken inside so worked well for us 🙂

    Reply
  20. Amy Rennocks says

    April 27, 2015 at 7:56 pm

    Travel early morning so they can nap in the car and little games like I spy etc usually pass the time.

    Reply
  21. Damien Broom says

    April 27, 2015 at 7:52 pm

    Plenty of sweets!

    Reply
  22. Lynn Woodcock says

    April 27, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    Listen to children’s stories and music on CDs, an MP3 player or a tablet.

    Reply
  23. Sammy Fairman says

    April 27, 2015 at 7:43 pm

    Load some kids’ films onto a tablet or a portable DVD player for the children to watch as you travel

    Reply
  24. Debbie Preston says

    April 27, 2015 at 7:33 pm

    Definitely the entertainment tips – lots of different ideas. We play car bingo using colours

    Reply
  25. Karla Gold says

    April 27, 2015 at 7:18 pm

    Have some family sing songs

    Reply
  26. Rebecca Barnes says

    April 27, 2015 at 5:47 pm

    Have some drinks and healthy snacks on hand to stop any grumpy moments! And let them pick from a selection of books. If all else fails, spot the yellow car game is great!

    Reply
  27. Melanie Hill says

    April 27, 2015 at 5:35 pm

    I’ve always found a pillow and blankets have been good for my lad….if it doesn’t and he’s talking the life out of me I use them to and go to sleep 😀

    Reply
  28. Valerie Kay says

    April 27, 2015 at 5:24 pm

    Fleece blankets and small pillows to help kids feel comfortable and sleepy in the car 🙂

    Reply
  29. olivia Kirby says

    April 27, 2015 at 4:43 pm

    COmfy clothes are a must, and factor in a number of short stops

    Reply
  30. christine westlake says

    April 27, 2015 at 4:40 pm

    play games- my sons loved guessing how many emergency vehicles with blue lights we would see on the trip, adults also had to guess, so we would always make a wild way out guess so that they would win- didn’t always work though.

    Reply
  31. Margaret Glover says

    April 27, 2015 at 4:32 pm

    I-spy

    Reply
  32. Hannah Jayne Martin says

    April 27, 2015 at 2:59 pm

    Give them their own camera so they can log all their own special memories x

    Reply
  33. Alison Johnson says

    April 27, 2015 at 2:51 pm

    Depending on the age of your children – regular breaks, music & if possible something to watch cartoons or a film on. My son was never bothered on long journeys & used to just spend the time looking out the window or sleeping. We were very lucky!

    Reply
  34. Hazel Murphy says

    April 27, 2015 at 2:31 pm

    Frozen ice-pops are good because drinks get spilt.

    Reply
  35. I W says

    April 27, 2015 at 2:04 pm

    A journey would not be survivable without portable DVD players and Frozen (STILL!)

    Reply
  36. Jessica T says

    April 27, 2015 at 12:51 pm

    Drip Feed children food – make each snack interesting, healthy (no sugar in the car – from experience this leads to undesired high energy levels) and perhaps even a little interactive (i.e. stacking cheese and ham on a cracker).

    Reply
  37. chirag p says

    April 27, 2015 at 12:15 pm

    Ipad has become a must along with the car charger

    Reply
  38. liz ferguson says

    April 27, 2015 at 11:25 am

    keep them hydrated with small drinks and often .. this will keep their mood good.
    and a movie .. usually sends mine to sleep xx

    Reply
  39. Caroline B says

    April 27, 2015 at 11:19 am

    Plenty of healthy snacks and drinks, eye spy and an ‘eye witness’ type quiz where they have certain things they have to spot on journey (siblings and parents can compete), such as ‘yellow lorry’, ‘for sale sign’ ‘BP garage etc’ This is good for observation but also keeps their eyes outside which helps keep travel sickness at bay! 🙂

    Reply
  40. Jennifer B says

    April 27, 2015 at 11:12 am

    A good selection of the music he loves! Taylor Swift & The Cars Soundtrack keep him clapping his hands and singing along for a good while, just make sure it’s something you can cope with hearing many times in a row when the inevitable ‘again’ is heard

    Reply
  41. tamalyn roberts says

    April 27, 2015 at 11:05 am

    plenty of drinks and snacks and we play silly games – car colours etc

    Reply
  42. John Gunn says

    April 27, 2015 at 10:49 am

    An in-car DVD player is an absolute must! With 5 children the only problem then is the fight over which film to watch!

    Reply
  43. pamela gossage says

    April 27, 2015 at 10:15 am

    Have plenty of talking books / crayons and colouring books / snacks and drinks

    Reply
  44. Emma Fox says

    April 27, 2015 at 10:08 am

    We play eye spy the colour …… since my son does not know his letters yet.

    Reply
  45. Kathleen Bywaters says

    April 27, 2015 at 9:56 am

    Portable DVD players and a new movie usually keep them quiet!

    Reply
  46. soneailiami says

    April 27, 2015 at 9:43 am

    games, colouring books, smartphone with cartoons

    Reply
  47. Rebecca Powell says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:45 am

    Load lots of films on to the iPad and let the kids watch what they want while we’re on the move

    Reply
  48. Emily Knight says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:27 am

    Play car journey bingo – make a list of things that the kids need to spot on the journey (e.g. a yellow car, a cow in a field by the roadside etc.) and award prizes if they find everything on the list…
    Emily Knight recently posted…Gourmet Burger Kitchen via Deliveroo: ReviewMy Profile

    Reply
  49. Tina L-D says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:18 am

    we play car bingo. before we go we print out sheets with 9 different pictures on each of what we might see on our journey, a caravan, a pond, Duck, sheep etc , the first one to spot all their items wins =D

    Reply
  50. Anthony says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:14 am

    We play Guess a Character. One person thinks of a character in books or films and others ask questions to determine the identity of the character

    Reply
  51. Katherine Coldicott says

    April 27, 2015 at 8:04 am

    We always download childrens books to listen to.

    Reply
  52. samantha bolter says

    April 27, 2015 at 7:58 am

    some good singalong music – always a must on a long journey

    Reply
  53. Julia Linsley says

    April 27, 2015 at 7:27 am

    Lots of singing and I spy games also I make scrapbook quiz books up with questions and pictures

    Reply
  54. Jamie Millard says

    April 27, 2015 at 1:53 am

    STAGGER the schedule for snacks and entertainment. don’t go all in – you’ll regret it.

    Reply
  55. Jane Middleton says

    April 26, 2015 at 10:53 pm

    word games and stories

    Reply
  56. Patricia Avery says

    April 26, 2015 at 10:28 pm

    What is the answer Nan? My grandchildren enjoy testing me on maths problems, spellings and times tables. They are only allowed to ask ones that they know the answer to. If I get anything wrong they get an ice cream when we stop. Keeps them going for hours 🙂

    Reply
  57. L P Mulligan says

    April 26, 2015 at 10:14 pm

    Ipads very helpful

    Reply
  58. Minnie15 says

    April 26, 2015 at 9:53 pm

    Playing games – verbal guess who and ‘cucumber’ (think of an action and others have to guess by asking questions) ‘do you cucumber every day?’ etc – always passes the time very well! 🙂 x

    Reply
  59. Isabelle Smith says

    April 26, 2015 at 9:36 pm

    car songs xx

    Reply
  60. karen Howden says

    April 26, 2015 at 9:17 pm

    We play i-Spy

    Reply
  61. Kerry Kilmister says

    April 26, 2015 at 9:01 pm

    Be sure to take lots of easy to do travel games with you to entertain your children. Preventing boredom saves alot of whining

    Reply
  62. Kerry Lethbridge says

    April 26, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    We always try to travel in line with nap time but when the twins are awake we do a lot of singing and stop regularly

    Reply
  63. Karen Lloyd says

    April 26, 2015 at 8:26 pm

    Playing eye spy is my favourite.

    Reply
  64. rachael jones says

    April 26, 2015 at 8:25 pm

    Tire the kids out so that they’ll sleep in the car.

    Reply
  65. Steven Hartwright says

    April 26, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    Snacks and good music to listen to always works for me

    Reply
  66. Wendy Tolhurst says

    April 26, 2015 at 7:48 pm

    When we drove to France on holiday a couple of times, my husband and I would plan the journey ahead. Then, I would make activity sheets for the children, based on the route – eg, if we were going through somewhere with a cathedral, I would put that on a list. I would make some easier than others, eg the ferry, so everyone could join in. It taught the children a little about the journey and kept them occupied.

    Reply
  67. steph lovatt says

    April 26, 2015 at 7:30 pm

    We play first to spot, a bit like eye spy (e.g. first to spot a blue car)

    Reply
  68. Sarah Buckley says

    April 26, 2015 at 7:24 pm

    Think about starting your journey when the children are likely to sleep, even if it means travelling at night – This is a great trip, I’d never normally plan on starting a journey at night but it makes so much sense!!

    Reply
  69. Allison says

    April 26, 2015 at 7:12 pm

    I SPY, BOOKS AND IF A LONG JOURNEY THE TABLET!

    Reply
  70. sarah says

    April 26, 2015 at 7:10 pm

    playing games, listen to music they know and like and take planty of snacks and drinks for them.

    Reply
  71. jen jackson says

    April 26, 2015 at 7:00 pm

    Take puzzle books

    Reply
  72. Selina says

    April 26, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    iPad or books!

    Reply
  73. Laura Cooper says

    April 26, 2015 at 6:30 pm

    My 19 month old daughter really doesn’t like travelling very far so if we have to go on a long journey we time it so she is due for a nap. Then she will (hopefully) sleep through it.

    Reply
  74. Julie Booth says

    April 26, 2015 at 6:19 pm

    plenty of games, colouring books, dvds and snacks

    Reply
  75. Ellie P says

    April 26, 2015 at 5:39 pm

    Play “I Spy” 🙂

    Reply
  76. Mia Clarke says

    April 26, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    Drinks and snacks, whilst watching their DVD player

    Reply
  77. Alison says

    April 26, 2015 at 4:27 pm

    Pack a box with treats, puzzles, small toys and let them have something at intervals along the route
    Alison recently posted…Sparkling Matcha – A Cooling Summer DrinkMy Profile

    Reply
  78. Linda Hill says

    April 26, 2015 at 4:26 pm

    Playing simple games with pennies for prizes (nowadays I think sweets are preferred but not by me) which can be used for spending money when you arrive at your destination. We used to play ‘I spy’, first to see a bus, a policeman, a fire engine, a sheep etc and alphabet games as the kiddies get older such as countries, rivers, flowers, animals etc beginning with A C etc. My own children really loved and now my grandchildren do. It certainly works and can be educational as well as fun!

    Reply
  79. Kate Jones says

    April 26, 2015 at 4:18 pm

    karoke style playlist so I can belt out the songs 🙂

    Reply
  80. Amanda Goldston says

    April 26, 2015 at 3:54 pm

    We have always made sure that we have our Snack Bag with us, that consists of a mixture of sweet and savoury snacks,as well as fruit, sandwiches, water and wipes!

    Reply
  81. Kay Broomfield says

    April 26, 2015 at 3:53 pm

    My son watches DVDs on a long journey!

    Reply
  82. Allan Fullarton says

    April 26, 2015 at 2:53 pm

    Plenty of games.

    Reply
  83. Maureen Quinnell says

    April 26, 2015 at 2:12 pm

    Definitely plenty of sick bags and changes of clothes

    Reply
  84. Sarah Heath says

    April 26, 2015 at 2:04 pm

    Dress children in a onesie and give them a blanket and a night time toy, helps them sleep.

    Reply
  85. Jenny Jones says

    April 26, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    check places to stop on your route in advance to be able to stop for neccessary breaks with young children in the car. We also play a game and count all the ediie stobart trucks on the road, kids love it

    Reply
  86. barbara madden says

    April 26, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    i have two boys and we travel on the motorway some times and when we go out we count Eddie stobart lorries up to there ages then our bithdays then our door numbers that way they dont forget what number they where at its great fun when im on my own i still seem to do it

    Reply
  87. Margaret Nokling says

    April 26, 2015 at 12:48 pm

    I spy is a great game also sing along!

    Reply
  88. Claire Denise York says

    April 26, 2015 at 11:24 am

    Play music and all sing along!!

    Reply
  89. Kristy Brown says

    April 26, 2015 at 10:41 am

    Portable DVD players the whole way for me

    Reply
  90. Elisa Trueman says

    April 26, 2015 at 9:58 am

    Play making words out of the letters in car registration plates. Take prizes for coming up with the best words.

    Reply
  91. lucia m says

    April 26, 2015 at 9:51 am

    spot the car makes/badges!

    Reply
  92. bridie summersgill says

    April 26, 2015 at 9:41 am

    make car bingo cards before we set off – lots of things to look for and it keeps them interested

    Reply
  93. Pam Francis Gregory says

    April 26, 2015 at 9:27 am

    •Listen to children’s stories and music on CDs, an MP3 player or a tablet.

    Reply
  94. Karen R says

    April 26, 2015 at 8:15 am

    My best tip is to have a child that sleeps in the car like our dd1 🙂 Other than that electronic devices with games and a film are really good 🙂

    Reply
  95. Greig spencer says

    April 26, 2015 at 8:05 am

    play i spy and other car game classics

    Reply
  96. Frances Heaton says

    April 26, 2015 at 3:56 am

    Playing I Spy can be fun, or other games.

    Reply
  97. Julie Easby says

    April 25, 2015 at 11:33 pm

    Load some kids’ films onto a tablet or a portable DVD player for the children to watch as you travel.

    Carry Spare Nappy Bags if your child dosent travel well and keep windows open a little to allow cool air to flow in

    Reply
  98. Nicola says

    April 25, 2015 at 9:49 pm

    My toddler twins have a DVD player with a screen each so they can watch Peppa Pig while we drive! They love it and it makes for a peaceful journey! x

    Reply
  99. teresa sheldon says

    April 25, 2015 at 8:57 pm

    we all have a sing along and play different games

    Reply
  100. cyril rowlands says

    April 25, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    cheacks passing cars, to see if their number plates match our initials

    Reply
  101. Elle Warwick says

    April 25, 2015 at 6:49 pm

    Playing games

    Reply
  102. Helen Allan says

    April 25, 2015 at 6:48 pm

    •Fleece blankets and small pillows to help kids feel comfortable and sleepy in the car.

    Reply
  103. Gina Camacho says

    April 25, 2015 at 6:31 pm

    i always take drinks and snacks for the trip xx they always want it xx
    Gina Camacho recently posted…Dubrovnik Off-Road Buggy SafarisMy Profile

    Reply
  104. Diana says

    April 25, 2015 at 5:50 pm

    Their favourite songs 🙂

    Reply
  105. lesley smith says

    April 25, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    Before we set off we make a chart of things to look for i.e. yellow car, car with a bike rack,blue van, and the one who spots the most at the end of the journey wins.

    Reply
  106. Sarah Mills says

    April 25, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    •Play games such as I Spy or car bingo

    Reply
  107. Angela McDonald says

    April 25, 2015 at 2:06 pm

    Kids stories and music on cd is a brilliant idea!

    Reply
  108. stephen holman says

    April 25, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    get them a cheap tablet or nintendo ds ! keeps them quiet for hours!

    Reply
  109. sandra ralph says

    April 25, 2015 at 11:47 am

    we play eyespy but we use colors for the younger children so they can join in too

    Reply
  110. Paul Walsh says

    April 25, 2015 at 11:03 am

    Put a portable dvd player on for them

    Reply
  111. Suzy M says

    April 25, 2015 at 7:36 am

    We listen to stories on cd, usually Roald Dahl

    Reply
  112. Charlene Keddy says

    April 24, 2015 at 10:28 pm

    Listen to children’s stories and music on CDs, an MP3 player or a tablet – or tell your own stories!

    Reply
  113. claire little says

    April 24, 2015 at 9:51 pm

    entertainment is essential 🙂

    Reply
  114. Keshia Esgate says

    April 24, 2015 at 8:18 pm

    Lots of games like eye-spy

    Reply
  115. shirley anne adams says

    April 24, 2015 at 8:12 pm

    always take along stuff the children like such as books or colouring in or little handheld games and also make sure you have food and drinks for them then you,ll always have happy kids on a long journey also play the music they like 🙂

    Reply
  116. Kat Allinson says

    April 24, 2015 at 7:58 pm

    We play a game where we each have to shout out a certain type of vehicle, usually my daughter has lorry, me motorbikes and my daughter always gives vans to my husband and then argues that they are mini buses or small lorries. whoever misses the first one loses

    Reply
  117. Sarah Franks says

    April 24, 2015 at 6:58 pm

    This is my favourite tip, because kids will fall asleep anywhere if they’re tired enough but no one wants to deal with a really cranky kid because they’ve got cold or stiff falling asleep in an awkward position. Worse still is the dreaded car-sleep-headache if they fall asleep with their head against the window and wake up with a headache from the vibrations! “Fleece blankets and small pillows to help kids feel comfortable and sleepy in the car”

    Reply
  118. nicola james says

    April 24, 2015 at 5:43 pm

    travel at night…..they sleep!!

    Reply
  119. Sarah S says

    April 24, 2015 at 5:38 pm

    Pack pillows for a long journey so at least the children have somewhere comfortable to lay their heads if they get sleepy. I also pack a couple of blankets because it can get very chilly if you are driving through the night

    Reply
  120. susan Trubey says

    April 24, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    Play games such as I Spy or car bingo

    Reply
  121. James Donaghy says

    April 24, 2015 at 7:51 am

    No matter where we go its first one to spot blackpool tower

    Reply
  122. HELEN BOOTH says

    April 23, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    Make sure ipads/ipods etc are fully charged!!

    Reply
  123. angela sandhu says

    April 23, 2015 at 8:40 pm

    games

    Reply
  124. katie bennett says

    April 23, 2015 at 8:01 pm

    Both my boys have trouble in the car so when we were going on a long trip i made sure we packed lots of activities to make the trip go better … we played games and counted how many cars …. the only trouble we had was when we were getting near to where we were going i had to help daddy navigate … and has soon as we pulled up and parked both boys were sick … but least we got them out the car first ….

    Reply
  125. jamie banks says

    April 23, 2015 at 6:46 pm

    games and snacks x

    Reply
  126. kirsty mills says

    April 23, 2015 at 2:13 pm

    we always set off middle of night about 12/1am and its 6 hours drive to cornwall and thats when people are fallen asleep!

    Reply
  127. Sarah Archibald says

    April 23, 2015 at 12:40 pm

    We play who can spot the red cars first, and eye spy with colours, something pink something blue etc.

    Reply
  128. elaine stokes says

    April 23, 2015 at 10:37 am

    get the kids to pack a bag each of the things they want to do in the car on the trip……….. also pack one yourself

    Reply
  129. Donata says

    April 23, 2015 at 8:31 am

    We play games like I spy, take a lot of toys and games like Rubik’s Cube, Nintendo console etc for the kids to play with, plenty of snacks and drinks ( but not too much drink to avoid endless toilet breaks), and the most important lots and lots of wet wipes and a hand sanitizing gel!

    Reply
  130. Corinne Peat says

    April 22, 2015 at 8:13 pm

    Lots of kids music to entertain them.

    Reply
  131. Tracey Gwynne says

    April 22, 2015 at 8:04 pm

    I like a talking book…its amazing what the imagination can do on a long car journey

    Reply
  132. Becky Cowley says

    April 22, 2015 at 2:21 pm

    Great tips! We always make sure that gadgets are charged and that we have in car chargers. We do family storys, so each of us makes up a sentence to the stroy, they usually get very silly but it passes the time

    Reply
  133. leanne weir says

    April 22, 2015 at 10:40 am

    We play eye spy – simple but it works a treat

    Reply
  134. bobbie says

    April 21, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    DVD players are a wonderful invention for keeping even toddlers amused

    Reply
  135. Michael Clarke says

    April 21, 2015 at 10:53 am

    Gag them

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      April 21, 2015 at 12:05 pm

      Harsh!

      Reply
  136. Nicola Lynch says

    April 21, 2015 at 10:31 am

    We always play the Eddie Stobart game. First to shout Eddie Stobart whenever you spot one gets a point. Keep count, it’s surprising how many there are!!! Not sure this will help us with our 2 year old on a journey to France this summer though. Think I’ll be refering to your tips above! Thanks.

    Reply
  137. joanne thomas says

    April 21, 2015 at 7:31 am

    if you have time take them swimming first, they will be tired and sleep for quite a while

    Reply
  138. Jade Walsh says

    April 21, 2015 at 12:16 am

    Having a sing-a-long or playing I -Spy! My little sisters are very quiet in the car and prefer to just listen to music or sleep (they’re 2 and 7), so I suppose we’re quite lucky haha =) x

    Reply
  139. Rebecca Howe says

    April 20, 2015 at 10:03 pm

    Play games and take a few breaks for leg stretches and toilet breaks

    Reply
  140. Kerry Bennett says

    April 20, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    Play games such as I spy

    Reply
  141. Kirsty N says

    April 20, 2015 at 5:05 pm

    I love the car bingo tip…a good way to break up long journeys, especially with the promise of a prize!

    Reply
  142. Alison Clark says

    April 20, 2015 at 8:54 am

    Look for Eddie Stobarts trucks – they all have a different name on them – we started as kids and we still look now.

    Reply
  143. Brian Cheney says

    April 19, 2015 at 7:56 pm

    Get them involved in navigating with their own map – just make sure you already know the way!

    Reply
  144. donna l jones says

    April 19, 2015 at 7:34 pm

    i spy

    Reply
  145. Lisa Everaert says

    April 19, 2015 at 6:30 pm

    We play alot of i-spy and play chas n dave songs on the long journeys. The kids love singing `Rabbit rabbit`.

    Reply
  146. Claire Toplis says

    April 19, 2015 at 3:16 pm

    I spy always
    Claire Toplis recently posted…Un Comfortable Being MeMy Profile

    Reply
  147. Sharon Arnott says

    April 19, 2015 at 1:34 pm

    I like the idea of listening to stories on CD, MP3 player etc

    Reply
  148. lynn heath says

    April 19, 2015 at 12:30 pm

    My Favourite tip is to remember to charge ipads and Nintendo DS… I recently set out on a three hour trip with my three and realised after about 20 minutes that I had failed to charge them…. Complete fail! my oldest two proceeded to moan all the way!

    Reply
  149. Allan Wilson says

    April 19, 2015 at 10:15 am

    We get them to pick a car colour and the first to spot 20 in that colour wins. Invariably they pick obscure colours so it keeps them going for miles.

    Reply
  150. Jennifer Heard says

    April 19, 2015 at 10:06 am

    Load some kids movies on to a tablet

    Reply
  151. russell hutton says

    April 19, 2015 at 3:13 am

    i spy

    Reply
  152. Linda McGarrigle says

    April 18, 2015 at 7:49 pm

    Has to be the childrens music, much prefer those irritating songs to the sound of my children trying to kill each other 😛

    Reply
  153. James Wright says

    April 18, 2015 at 10:02 am

    tablets with games and movies on

    Reply
  154. lyn burgess says

    April 17, 2015 at 11:41 pm

    Think about starting your journey when the children are likely to sleep, even if it means travelling at night.

    Reply
  155. sally brown says

    April 17, 2015 at 9:05 pm

    Make sure they are fed, watered and have been to loo before even getting in car, Ensure you have snacks and drnks for journey, Also take pillows and blankets, and toys to keep them occupied, Make sure you take plenty of stops to break journey up xxx

    Reply
  156. Angela Hedley says

    April 17, 2015 at 12:55 pm

    hi, I have 4 sons and trips can be a pain! I found that wrapping a small present, that can be opened along the way works well. Ie – colouring book & pencils

    Reply
  157. Tracey Morgan says

    April 17, 2015 at 9:16 am

    We sing along to songs in the car

    Reply
  158. Teresa Lee says

    April 16, 2015 at 10:52 pm

    Tire the kids out so that they’ll sleep in the car

    Reply
  159. Tammy Tudor says

    April 16, 2015 at 9:56 pm

    Planning is key! Pack entertainment like books, music and then plan activities when these fail, eye spy, bingo, travel games, etc.

    Reply
  160. Rebecca Nisbet says

    April 16, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    we play a game called yellow punch, but we took away the punching and just say it, everytime we saw a yellow vehicle, be it a tractor or a car we have to shout punch, the kids usually sleep though.

    Reply
  161. kayleigh white says

    April 16, 2015 at 9:06 pm

    We print off eye spy sheets – with things for the kids to tick off on the journey!
    We leave a space for them to draw a picture of something they saw on the journey too!

    Reply
  162. Paul Witney says

    April 16, 2015 at 9:03 pm

    Keep them entertained with tablets and other handheld devices.

    Reply
  163. Jennifer Toal says

    April 16, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    Make individual activity packs with magazines games and puzzle coloring books and Ted to cuddle when tired.

    Reply
  164. Sheila Shepheard says

    April 16, 2015 at 1:30 pm

    I buy small toys (lego/playmobile mini figs, maze puzzles, etc) and comics and wrap them individually. I then give one out to each child every hour or so. They love the anticipation and actually appreciate long journeys as they get more gifts!

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      April 16, 2015 at 4:43 pm

      Wow! That’s impressive – lucky children!

      Reply
  165. James McKenna says

    April 16, 2015 at 12:04 pm

    A ‘things to look out for’ on the journey game or similar. Good to keep referring back to at difficult times!

    Reply
  166. Monica Gilbert says

    April 15, 2015 at 9:19 pm

    I find that having a selection of music my daughter likes works really well. Also, having a window to look out of is great for her.

    Reply
  167. Michelle Ferguson says

    April 15, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    Keep stopping so they can stretch their legs.

    Reply
  168. Laura S says

    April 15, 2015 at 4:29 pm

    Agree with the entertainment – films.

    Reply
  169. Anne Leitch says

    April 14, 2015 at 7:49 pm

    Car sickness has at times been a problem for one of my kids and always need to be prepared in advance with plastic bags ready at hand in just in case!

    Reply
  170. Paula Phillips says

    April 14, 2015 at 6:38 pm

    Load some kids’ films onto a tablet or a portable DVD player for the children to watch as you travel.
    We play I spy.

    Reply
  171. Claire B says

    April 14, 2015 at 3:26 pm

    We’ve always found ” Load some kids’ films onto a tablet or a portable DVD player for the children to watch as you travel. ” worked great or my son now has an ipad which is great too

    Reply
  172. Andrew Hindley says

    April 14, 2015 at 12:42 pm

    Play games such as I Spy or car bingo

    Reply
  173. Stephanie Whitehouse says

    April 14, 2015 at 9:52 am

    I take a big tub of crudites – not sticky, and lots of entertainment picking what to have next

    Reply
  174. vicki hennie says

    April 14, 2015 at 9:25 am

    we always play spot the red car, green car, dog walker my son loves to win

    Reply
  175. Lydia Frew says

    April 14, 2015 at 7:42 am

    Get out some free audiobooks from your library.

    Reply
  176. Andy Kadir-Buxton says

    April 14, 2015 at 4:50 am

    I used to be happy collecting car colours, now it has to be IPads and smartphones.

    Reply
  177. Adele Jarrett-Kerr says

    April 13, 2015 at 10:20 pm

    If you’re going on a particularly long journey, try driving during naptime or nighttime if you can.
    Adele Jarrett-Kerr recently posted…Figuring out the storage in our homeMy Profile

    Reply
  178. Suzanne Cooke says

    April 13, 2015 at 5:08 pm

    we write a story to tell when we get to the end, we both write a sentence each

    Reply
  179. Emma Campbell says

    April 12, 2015 at 6:16 pm

    Having a sing a long. Think me and my girls got through most of the Disney songs once!

    Reply
  180. Izzy says

    April 12, 2015 at 5:40 pm

    We bring an insulated cool bag containing non-sticky snacks and bottles of water. If it’s hot take frozen drinks which will gradually thaw as you travel.

    Reply
  181. anthony martin says

    April 12, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    play in car games like i spy, spot the… and have a list of things to tivk off, the A-Z game where you fo, animals, boys/girls names, birds. countries, cities, fruit n veg etc going each letter in a circle doing the next letter on your turn

    Reply
  182. Sara JaneG says

    April 12, 2015 at 10:21 am

    they play games on the tablet

    Reply
  183. Natalie Crossan says

    April 11, 2015 at 10:34 pm

    We play eye spy 🙂 xx

    Reply
  184. jackie rushton says

    April 11, 2015 at 6:26 pm

    Portable DVD players for the kids to use to watch movies!

    Reply
  185. Harriet says

    April 11, 2015 at 2:42 pm

    colouring books

    Reply
  186. Lauren Old says

    April 11, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    Tiring the kids out one is very accurate!

    Reply
  187. Lucia Critchley says

    April 10, 2015 at 3:36 pm

    wrap a toy in lots of layers of paper so it takes them a long to unwrap it 🙂

    Reply
  188. Bob Clark says

    April 10, 2015 at 11:18 am

    We each choose a colour then score a point for each bus or coach of that colour we see

    Reply
  189. marie says

    April 9, 2015 at 7:52 pm

    Tire them out! first

    Reply
  190. Will Triscott says

    April 9, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    We play eye spy

    Reply
  191. Michelle Banks says

    April 9, 2015 at 5:44 pm

    the ipad lol

    Reply
  192. Spencer Broadle)y says

    April 9, 2015 at 4:05 pm

    We travel overnight – then they are asleep

    Reply
  193. JB says

    April 9, 2015 at 10:03 am

    Stop often

    Reply
  194. Susan Ellins says

    April 9, 2015 at 9:01 am

    Colouring books

    Reply
  195. Chris Elston says

    April 9, 2015 at 8:42 am

    Games based around number plates of other vehicles on the roads, we did it when I was a kid and now I do it with my own.

    That and setting off ridiculously early so they sleep through most of it.

    Reply
  196. Jenna Parrington says

    April 8, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    Snacks, toys, ipad and patience!! 🙂
    Jenna Parrington recently posted…My Gaming EssentialsMy Profile

    Reply
  197. lynn heath says

    April 8, 2015 at 2:41 pm

    This is my favourite tip… A change of clothes for each child just in case they need them. As I have been caught out many times with my kids!!!

    Reply
  198. ROSE JANES says

    April 8, 2015 at 1:45 pm

    Take story books so you can read to them.

    Reply
  199. charlotte says

    April 8, 2015 at 10:08 am

    have a list of things for them to spot. if you find one you get a point!

    Reply
  200. Kasia says

    April 8, 2015 at 8:19 am

    Play games such as I Spy or car bingo!

    Reply
  201. Kat Glynn says

    April 7, 2015 at 10:47 pm

    We always take frozen drinks for long joureys especially if its hot, that my top tip too! x

    Reply
  202. Ema J Lowe says

    April 7, 2015 at 10:11 pm

    Take plenty of snack and drinks with you on, your journey.

    Reply
  203. Leanne V Mckenna says

    April 7, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    We look out for Eddie Stobart lorries, and write down the names of them

    Reply
  204. Sarah Lee says

    April 7, 2015 at 6:41 pm

    Load some kids’ films onto a tablet or a portable DVD player for the children to watch as you travel

    Reply
  205. Gavin says

    April 7, 2015 at 9:55 am

    Charge your mobile phones and other gadgets and take car chargers with you.

    Reply
  206. Sue Hutchins says

    April 7, 2015 at 6:48 am

    I Spy, truck spotting and sing a long to the radio/cds.

    Reply
  207. Richard Rowley says

    April 7, 2015 at 12:29 am

    Making sure you are wearing comfortable clothes

    Reply
  208. Kym Robson says

    April 6, 2015 at 11:34 pm

    A tablet with plenty of games or portable dvd player with several films and always plan to take a few stops to break the journey

    Reply
  209. Harley says

    April 6, 2015 at 10:12 pm

    Good old fashion eye spy

    Reply
  210. Geoff Dagger says

    April 6, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    Plenty of the child’s preferred music.

    Reply
  211. Louise Asekokhai says

    April 6, 2015 at 7:24 pm

    Lots of apps and audio books on the ipod and stick on their earphones!

    Reply
  212. Aggie says

    April 6, 2015 at 2:19 pm

    I buy a bag of children’s books from a charity shop for my little one to read on our way.

    Reply
  213. aaron broad says

    April 6, 2015 at 12:29 pm

    Nintendo DS3 is perfect equipment, keeps my little sister quiet!

    Reply
  214. roley martin says

    April 6, 2015 at 11:21 am

    Entertainment a MUST!!!

    Reply
  215. Jackie Chapman says

    April 6, 2015 at 10:04 am

    We play car colours, we each choose a colour car and count all of the cars we see in our colour. We also like to try and make words from car registration plates.

    Reply
  216. Kim Styles says

    April 6, 2015 at 9:39 am

    We do spot the pub but we have two teams and one is people and things, one is animals and birds , so for example the kings head would come under the people team and they would score 1. The spread eagle being for the birds team and so on.

    Reply
  217. Richard Tyler says

    April 6, 2015 at 12:57 am

    Load some kids’ films onto a tablet or a portable DVD player for the children to watch as you travel.

    Reply
  218. Emma Silvester says

    April 5, 2015 at 9:24 pm

    Our favourite is singing along to songs (Particularly bohemian Rhapsody) very loudly! We also look out for Pirates (cars with only one light working).

    Reply
  219. Tony says

    April 5, 2015 at 9:02 pm

    Play some games

    Reply
  220. Gillian McLeod says

    April 5, 2015 at 7:13 pm

    DVDs work well

    Reply
  221. laura stewart says

    April 5, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    we play our own games xx

    Reply
  222. Kaci Soderstrom says

    April 5, 2015 at 6:17 pm

    Break up the journey a bit with stops.. especially to places they’ll enjoy

    Reply
  223. Kevin Eley says

    April 5, 2015 at 5:47 pm

    Tire the kids out so that they’ll sleep in the car.

    Reply
  224. jon morris says

    April 5, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    we play travel scrabble

    Reply
  225. katherine s says

    April 5, 2015 at 3:25 pm

    Make sure all gadgets like DVD players and Ipads are fully charged and have earphones attached.

    Reply
  226. Susan Sargent says

    April 5, 2015 at 2:12 pm

    Play I spy, when bored go to count red cars, and so on

    Reply
  227. Doreen Mccarthy says

    April 5, 2015 at 2:03 pm

    Always make sure that they have plenty to do, for example pens and paper, a board game or 2, and 3Ds etc for my son especially

    Reply
  228. Abbie says

    April 5, 2015 at 1:30 pm

    Playing games with the kids, keeps the entertained and can be educational

    Reply
  229. Simon Tinsley says

    April 5, 2015 at 1:21 pm

    I tell them their brother Phil used to make a lot of noise on road trips. When they say, “We haven’t got a brother called Phil” I just smile and say, “I said he USED to make a lot of noise!”

    Works every time. Failing that – duct tape.

    Kidding. I have Frozen on DVD and a laptop. What else would you need?

    Reply
  230. jessica cook says

    April 5, 2015 at 12:35 pm

    we play the car colour game…before we set off everyone picks a colour of a car…on our travels we add up how many we see in each picked colour n the most spotted colour wins!

    Reply
  231. lorraine rogers says

    April 5, 2015 at 10:58 am

    plenty of food and drink and a portable dvd player and the frozen dvd. my grandchildren love frozen and will watch and sing without moving apart from dancing to the music mesmerised by the whole film

    Reply
  232. Kate Cass says

    April 5, 2015 at 9:47 am

    We play so many games, make up stories, always have wipes, bottled water, rubbish bags etc My favourite tip is ‘be prepared!’ Mints to suck if anyone feels travel sick, knowing places to stop on the way so a TomTom would be great for that. Sometimes I feel like I’m packing for a short holiday just for the journey! All great tips above which collectively come under the biggest tip, ‘be prepared!’

    Reply
  233. sandy calico says

    April 5, 2015 at 7:28 am

    We play car cricket on the motorway. Every bridge you go under, each support column counts as a run, go under a footbridge and you’re out.
    sandy calico recently posted…100 Pounds LighterMy Profile

    Reply
  234. Erica Price says

    April 5, 2015 at 6:22 am

    I take an empty icecream tub for travel sickness. Reusable and no sneaky holes.
    Erica Price recently posted…Junior Language Challenge 2015My Profile

    Reply
  235. Cheryl says

    April 4, 2015 at 11:28 pm

    Think you’ve said it best – tire the kids out so that they’ll sleep in the car.

    Reply
  236. Angela wilson says

    April 4, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    We make words from the last 3 letters of number plates

    Reply
  237. Karen Usher says

    April 4, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    Always always always bring their comfort toy if they have one

    Reply
  238. Jay Scales says

    April 4, 2015 at 9:45 pm

    Love the tip about plastic bags – we always end up with rubbish strewn in the footwells! I may put a small roll of bin liners in the glove box so I always have some

    Reply
  239. sarah-dawn pope says

    April 4, 2015 at 9:35 pm

    We listen to audiobooks and play “first one to see” games, and some other word games that we have made up

    Reply
  240. kathy says

    April 4, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    we like to sing what we can see

    Reply
  241. Lorraine Tinsley says

    April 4, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    I always try to travel just before nap times (when they were younger) so they would sleep part way, I also make sure we leave with plenty of time so we can stop at least once for a leg stretch and it’s fun to explore services

    Reply
  242. Margaret Lee-Roberts says

    April 4, 2015 at 8:43 pm

    Give an anti-sickness med in good time and bring a change of clothes, just in case!

    Reply
  243. tiggerific1973 says

    April 4, 2015 at 8:39 pm

    When my children were younger we played making words from number plates. The one with the best one won…..but they are twins so they both won or there was arguments and sulks lol

    Reply
  244. Keith Hunt says

    April 4, 2015 at 8:34 pm

    Tire the kids out so that they’ll sleep in the car.

    Reply
  245. laura jayne bates says

    April 4, 2015 at 7:50 pm

    lots of travel games

    Reply
  246. Julie Davies says

    April 4, 2015 at 7:50 pm

    I spy always passes the time

    Reply
  247. olga carpenter says

    April 4, 2015 at 7:15 pm

    i play looking out for a certain colour car

    Reply
  248. Jay says

    April 4, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    Give the kids the tablets/mobiles and hope for the best – our oldest is Autistic (like us) so without something to focus all his attention we hear never-ending facts about every other car on the road.

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      April 4, 2015 at 7:31 pm

      Have you seen the car number plate guide book? My son used to have one and loved it. It explains the meaning of all the different numbers and letters in car number plates. Maybe your son would like it too.

      Reply
  249. Kathleen Thomson says

    April 4, 2015 at 6:44 pm

    We play yellow car, orange car, pink car. You get 1 point for every yellow 2 for every orange and 5 points for every pink car whoever has most points at end of journey wins

    Reply
  250. Henry says

    April 4, 2015 at 5:54 pm

    Favourite tip is to tire the kids out!

    Reply
  251. jen morgan says

    April 4, 2015 at 5:41 pm

    lots of games/activities to keep them occupied. Also take regular stops

    Reply
  252. Simon Benson says

    April 4, 2015 at 4:21 pm

    play the car colour bingo with prewritten cards with different colours on

    Reply
  253. Laura Marshall says

    April 4, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    an Ipad to watch movies on!

    Reply
  254. Nikki Stewart says

    April 4, 2015 at 4:03 pm

    On very long journeys I wrap a few little gifts (colouring book, travel game, sweets etc) for them to open every so many miles x

    Reply
  255. andrea tinkler says

    April 4, 2015 at 3:47 pm

    I always make sure they have a small pillow in case they want to sleep through the journey. i once caught them playing a game, then realised when they shouted “seen one” what they were actually doing is shouting when they saw roadkill…yuk

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      April 4, 2015 at 7:33 pm

      No! That’s horrible! But I guess at least they were communicating and working as a team!

      Reply
  256. Julie D says

    April 4, 2015 at 2:25 pm

    ispy was our favourite but kids got phones and tablets with games on now!

    Reply
  257. jen says

    April 4, 2015 at 2:19 pm

    Some good sing along music playing

    Reply
  258. Hayley Evans says

    April 4, 2015 at 2:13 pm

    We love playing eye spy, spot the red car and we have the radio on and change the lyrics to funny ones and sing along

    Reply
  259. Mark Palmer says

    April 4, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    Games and films on tablets

    Reply
  260. Hekna says

    April 4, 2015 at 1:39 pm

    I like the idea of involving the kids in planning the stops. you could make up a list of places names in between each stop for them to watch out for so they know when you’re getting near.

    Reply
  261. Sarah rees says

    April 4, 2015 at 1:17 pm

    We play I-spy, listen to music, each hunt for different colour cars and see how many we can count

    Reply
  262. karen cowley says

    April 4, 2015 at 12:45 pm

    A good old sing song always does the trick x

    Reply
  263. Jim Kerr says

    April 4, 2015 at 12:45 pm

    Listen to children’s stories and music on CDs, an MP3 player or a tablet.

    Reply
  264. iain maciver says

    April 4, 2015 at 11:47 am

    good music and eye spy

    Reply
  265. jayne hall says

    April 4, 2015 at 11:28 am

    play i soy games and sing

    Reply
  266. Michelle Smith says

    April 4, 2015 at 10:57 am

    Looking for certain cars/colours

    Reply
  267. Neil Pearson says

    April 4, 2015 at 10:26 am

    I Spy Books – I had them as well when I was a kid

    Reply
  268. Rita Hutton says

    April 4, 2015 at 9:58 am

    be prepared to play loads of games of I SPY, COUNTING CARS, SINGING and if all fails, there is always the DS Game.

    Reply
  269. Steven Lane says

    April 4, 2015 at 9:45 am

    A good dvd seems to do the trick.

    Reply
  270. Pam Hubbard says

    April 4, 2015 at 8:15 am

    We play first to spot a certain colour car xx

    Reply
  271. Dawn Henson says

    April 4, 2015 at 7:32 am

    Picking out a car colour and asking them to see how many they can see and plenty of snacks to keep them going

    Reply
  272. Laura Jeffs says

    April 4, 2015 at 6:08 am

    My favourite from the tips above:
    Play games such as I Spy or car bingo. icarhireinsurance have some free, printable car games to entertain children on long journeys – you can download them here.

    Reply
  273. Jessica Powell says

    April 3, 2015 at 11:40 pm

    Singing. Lots of singing.

    Reply
  274. Siobhan Davis says

    April 3, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    Lots of patience and laughter, A good old game of eye spy and singing music 🙂

    Reply
  275. Amanda Walsh says

    April 3, 2015 at 8:00 pm

    We have a lot of car games ready to play, eye spy, spot the car, boy girl animal food etc
    Amanda Walsh recently posted…Peppa Pig Holiday Time Sunshine VillaMy Profile

    Reply
  276. leigh boyle says

    April 3, 2015 at 7:25 pm

    for little ones if you can plan around nap time so they sleep on the way x

    Reply
  277. crystal williamson says

    April 3, 2015 at 7:23 pm

    send them with Grandma

    Reply
  278. Fiona S says

    April 3, 2015 at 4:23 pm

    I like these tips a lot, we have a long journey to Holland planned! Mine is like your first one, make sure you leave lots of time so you don’t feel like you have to rush.

    Reply
  279. Louise A says

    April 3, 2015 at 4:02 pm

    Try not to let them drink fizzy drinks or loads or sweets/choc etc either before or during the journey

    Reply
  280. Wendy Becker says

    April 3, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    leave em at home peace

    Reply
  281. Sarah Pybus says

    April 3, 2015 at 2:51 pm

    An insulated cool bag containing non-sticky snacks and bottles of water. If it’s hot take frozen drinks which will gradually thaw as you travel.

    Reply
  282. Tania Atfield says

    April 3, 2015 at 12:20 pm

    We write down different objects/things the children have to find.

    Reply
  283. Maureen findley says

    April 3, 2015 at 12:07 pm

    play games in the car. first one to spot a yellow car etc

    Reply
  284. Ann Robinson says

    April 3, 2015 at 12:00 pm

    A tablet is good for playing games or watching films with a mixture of good old fashioned car games such as i-spy

    Reply
  285. Hilda Hazel Wright says

    April 3, 2015 at 11:24 am

    Any kind of made up I spy games are good to keep them looking out of the window and avoiding car sickness. Good for me too since I’m terrible with it!

    Reply
  286. Caroline Clarke says

    April 3, 2015 at 9:28 am

    Make up some Car Bingo cards and give them to the kids before setting off. The cards can have anything on them that you would expect to see on your drive, such as an aeroplane or tractor. 🙂

    Reply
  287. Kerry Charlesworth says

    April 3, 2015 at 8:47 am

    We sit with the kids the night before and line up all the music they want to play in the car so they are entertained and singing along on our trip!!

    Reply
  288. Richard Randall says

    April 3, 2015 at 8:21 am

    An iPad loaded with movies and games.
    Richard Randall recently posted…Marina soa.marina@yandex.com = ScamMy Profile

    Reply
  289. Maxine G says

    April 3, 2015 at 8:16 am

    Break up the journey with frequent stops – it makes the journey longer, but it gives everybody the opportunity to see differently things, stretch our legs and wear the children out! We play lots of games and sing songs to keep the journey entertaining such as spot the pub name, guess what is on the lorry and eye spy

    Reply
  290. Edward Guerreiro says

    April 3, 2015 at 6:21 am

    I feel the following is an essential tip:

    Load some kids’ films onto a tablet or a portable DVD player for the children to watch as you travel.

    Reply
  291. Scott Walliss says

    April 3, 2015 at 4:37 am

    We guess the colour of the next car coming towards us if the roads are quiet.

    Reply
  292. Allan Smith says

    April 3, 2015 at 2:32 am

    iPad and 3DS!

    Reply
  293. Cat Culmer says

    April 2, 2015 at 10:48 pm

    We make words from partial number plates

    Reply
  294. Karl Borowy says

    April 2, 2015 at 10:47 pm

    films on tablet

    Reply
  295. Kat Lucas says

    April 2, 2015 at 10:45 pm

    Allow for time to stop and burn off some energy whether running in a park or just running in a shop to get bottles of water so it breaks up the trips

    Reply
  296. Rob Haxell says

    April 2, 2015 at 10:19 pm

    A portable dvd player and a choice of films always in the car for long journeys.

    Reply
  297. Richard Turner says

    April 2, 2015 at 10:02 pm

    take lots of games for them to play & have a few stops to break the journey

    Reply
  298. Pm liu says

    April 2, 2015 at 9:25 pm

    I bring my iPad, which is loaded with toddler, games, interactive story books, songs and toddler movies

    Reply
  299. Zoe G says

    April 2, 2015 at 9:20 pm

    I find travelling while they are asleep is the best option, we leave early morning, and they are just waking up when we reach our destination

    Reply
  300. laura banks says

    April 2, 2015 at 9:01 pm

    we play i spy but it ends up being things we passed a bout a mile back which does make it a bit hard

    Reply
  301. Georgia Norton says

    April 2, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    I make a road sign/vehicle/street furniture bingo…Keeps them entertained for a while! 🙂

    Reply
  302. sal says

    April 2, 2015 at 8:49 pm

    leave the kids behind!

    Reply
  303. Jane Davies says

    April 2, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    Fun educational games, such as counting cars, counting car colours, name the car etc
    If that fails then get the iPad out ! 😀

    Reply
  304. Mary Farrar says

    April 2, 2015 at 8:37 pm

    Roald dahl CDs are my kids favourite

    Reply
  305. Victoria N says

    April 2, 2015 at 8:35 pm

    I always have a few cheap, quiet toys that are new for my daughter to play with on very long trips

    Reply
  306. Anthony Harrington says

    April 2, 2015 at 8:33 pm

    we play “the first one to spot a black van/dog/bike/police car” etc also memory games if that gets exhausted then we result to listing to audio book stories.

    Reply
  307. Katrina Goatly says

    April 2, 2015 at 8:03 pm

    DVD players have been the best purchase ever – no more arguing kids

    Reply
  308. fozia Akhtar says

    April 2, 2015 at 7:58 pm

    Organise lots of games

    Reply
  309. M.R Amin says

    April 2, 2015 at 7:54 pm

    We play guess the song in the car. We play 30 seconds of a song and there’s a point each for guessing the name of the song and the name of the artist. Doesn’t always go well without a buzzer lol. The kids end up squabbling over who shouted it out first.

    Reply
  310. Ruth says

    April 2, 2015 at 7:54 pm

    lots of singing and variations of ‘I went to the shop and bought…’

    Reply
  311. Marycarol says

    April 2, 2015 at 7:41 pm

    Spare clothes is a must and a portable dvd players helps pass the time too.

    Reply
  312. Johan Ellermann says

    April 2, 2015 at 7:36 pm

    I found the best way is to play a game where they look at number plates and try to spot the ones that look like actual words, you’d be amazed at how many words can be spotted and how funny some of these can be.

    Reply
  313. winnie says

    April 2, 2015 at 7:35 pm

    we play lots of nursery rhyme cds

    Reply
  314. Julie Henderson says

    April 2, 2015 at 7:15 pm

    we play guess who ie name a footballer with surname T and the question maker thinks of one then others have to guess . the winner then makes up next question

    Reply
  315. Mrs Rachel Heap says

    April 2, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    A fully charged IPAD, Iphone, lots of snacks and that normally works!

    Reply
  316. kayleigh Bates says

    April 2, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    Ipads are a must

    Reply
  317. Lynsey Buchanan says

    April 2, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    We play eye spy

    Reply
  318. Paula Burnside says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:47 pm

    Earplugs!

    Reply
  319. Maxine Owen says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    Playing games keeps adults and kids entertained 🙂

    Reply
  320. Phil says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:37 pm

    A new pack of sweets every couple of hours gets my lot through

    Reply
  321. justine meyer says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    We have a preprepared list with all the supermarkets on it and then we play spot the supermarket lorry, the one with the most at the end of the travel wins a small prize x

    Reply
  322. Victoria Wale says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:17 pm

    At the moment it’s singing – fortunately my ipod playlist is good and I enjoy it and we belt everything out x

    Reply
  323. ashleigh allan says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    Have lots of things to keep the kids occupied and take breaks!

    Reply
  324. Lorna Kennedy says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    “Listen to children’s stories and music on CDs, an MP3 player or a tablet.” – This is something that we always do – needs a little prep to make sure the current faves are on but well worth it!

    Reply
  325. Heather Haigh says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:13 pm

    Play lots of games like I-spy, and have a good singalong with some CDs

    Reply
  326. Andrew Petrie says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    Load some kids’ films onto a tablet or a portable DVD player for the children to watch as you travel.

    Reply
  327. Kerry Gray says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    Portable DVD player for kids or tablets to play on

    Reply
  328. Leanne moore says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:06 pm

    Plan how to keep the kids entertained in advance such as activity books and things such as I spy etc .

    Reply
  329. Tracey Peach says

    April 2, 2015 at 5:57 pm

    Play games such as I Spy or car bingo.

    Reply
  330. kim neville says

    April 2, 2015 at 4:57 pm

    We play eye spy, spot the yellow car, some snacks and catchy tunes

    Reply
  331. Tracy Nixon says

    April 2, 2015 at 3:37 pm

    We play the memory game….’when I went on holiday, in my case I took…..’ and other games such as ‘eye spy’ and ‘The Nixon’s dog’ (adaptation of ‘The Parson’s cat’! I like these sorts of games as everyone can join in!

    Reply
  332. Andrew Finlay says

    April 2, 2015 at 3:21 pm

    Have a good singalong CD on hand

    Reply
  333. gemma brown says

    April 2, 2015 at 3:20 pm

    Tire the kids out so that they’ll sleep in the car.

    Reply
  334. BECCA STAPLES says

    April 2, 2015 at 2:49 pm

    Playing games, we always play i spy and counting certain coloured cars aswell as Stobart truck spotting x

    Reply
  335. clair downham says

    April 2, 2015 at 2:19 pm

    take lots for them to do or those i spy books and also lots of snacks

    Reply
  336. Elizabeth (Liz) Briggs says

    April 2, 2015 at 1:58 pm

    We make our own songs up 🙂 we have had such classics as the Peanut Butter Song and Let it Glow x

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      April 2, 2015 at 4:39 pm

      Excellent song choices!

      Reply
  337. kim plant says

    April 2, 2015 at 12:32 pm

    we play spot the pub …the first person to see a pub and say what its called wins … both my kids are 7 (twins) x

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      April 2, 2015 at 12:42 pm

      Good tip – sounds fun!

      Reply

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