How to keep your child engaged in the car

We’ve all been there. You’re in the car for a while and all your child wants to do is play on some device. You hate for him to be on the device but what else are you going to do? While I, too, have used electronics to keep my kids occupied in the car, it’s not my go-to solution for keeping my kids engaged in the car.

In this article I review four ways you can keep your child tuned in and engaged when you’re in the car for a while.

Call Grandma/Grandpa

My mom loves this solution! Both of my kids’ grandmas love when we call. We put the call through the bluetooth and let them know that our child is with us. Grandma then takes over! She asks questions and delights in hearing what our kids have been up to lately. Calling grandma serves several purposes: it helps keep the kids engaged, it builds their relationship with their grandparent, and it shows them them they have a wider spectrum of people who love and care about them.

On the grandparent side, these calls help them to feel connected, challenge their mental acuity, and allows them to share their knowledge and wisdom with your child(ren). There are benefits to both grandparents and grandchildren when you make this call!

No grandparents? No problem! Surely you have siblings, grand-friends, church friends, or other adults who would love to pour into your children’s lives. Give them a call, get hte ball rolling, and let them enjoy the time to talk.

Play Car Games

Car games are not just for long road trips. Yes, they’re helpful then, but they are also helpful when you’ll be in the car a while when driving around town.

We like the license plate game (find the license plate from the farthest state, most frequent state NOT the one you live in, or finding all 50 state plates) and the animal guessing game (give clues about an animal and everyone else has to guess what animal you’re thinking about). Want some more ideas? Buzzfeed has a great article for more car games.

Ask Questions

I love asking my kids questions! I’m blessed with kids who like to talk, but all kids can talk if you’re asking the right questions.

First, avoid yes/no and other closed questions (those that only require a one-word answer). If you ask, “How was your day?” You’ll get “Fine.” If you ask, “What did you love most about the day?” you are asking a more specific question that requires some thought.

Second, be interested. For this idea to work you have to really enjoy listening to your kids. They have a unique view of the world – embrace it! Ask what they think and why. Don’t feel like you need to weigh in – just get their perspective.

Thirs, here are some other ideas you can ask.

• If you were stranded on an island, what two foods would you bring?
• Would you rather…The link takes you to 200 would you rather questions appropriate for kids!
• What would you do if…(come up with various scenarios that require them to really think. Don’t do any with a “right” answer – just take what they say and ask follow up questions.
• Need more ideas? Check out this list of 115 questions you can ask your kids.

Make an Activity Bag to Keep Your Kids Engaged

We started this idea when our kids were toddlers and as teens they still make a bag before we’ll be gone a while!

An activity bag is just what it sounds like – activities to keep them engaged with something that is not an electronic device. In addition to those on the list below, we also have them bring a water bottle and a (non-melting, non-messy) snack.

• Lovey/blanket (for younger kids); we always had a special “travel lovey” for each child that stayed in the activity bag
• Travel tangoes
• A book
• Eye spy bottle
• Coloring books/crayons/colored pencils
• Travel board games (search at Amazon, there are plenty!)
• Download an audio book from your library or Audible
• Fidget toys

Keep the bag loaded and ready to go so they jsut have to grab it before you leave. This does require a small amount of planning, as you should check it when you get home. Clear out the trash and replenish what needs it.

Have fun!

The biggest key to a screen-free car ride is to have fun. When you enjoy being with your kids, they know it. They’re YOUR kids, find hte best in them, show an interest in them, and time will fly.

With love,

🌸 Andrea

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