by April

Even with a light saber, would Mickey Mouse stand a chance against Batman?

As I’ve posted before, whether you are traveling by plane or by car, it always pays to prepare for down time when traveling with kids.  When you’ve exhausted the classic games and songs, here a few more fun (and free!) ideas for keeping everyone entertained on road trip – no extra packing required!

Car DJ – yep, now that everybody has smart phone or tablet and every car is compatible with the technology you can easily blast your favorite tunes through the speakers to liven up the mood or calm everyone down.  Let each passenger take turns playing DJ for a set amount of time, “spinning” tunes from their mobile device (or a fellow traveler’s).  It’s a great way to introduce the kids to your favorite music and vice-versa.  Does that mean your pop loving kid will have to listen to your classic rock faves?  Yes!  Does that mean your kid may pick up a love for international music from his world traveling aunt?  Yes!  And will mom be surprised at the catchy soundtrack to latest animated movie?  Yes!  Take out those ear buds and let each person entertain the car for your own road trip dance party and sing along.

Versus – This is a great little game or conversation starter for a long car trip or a wait for a table at a restaurant.  Pick two characters and decide who would win in a battle.  Sounds simple and it is, but the possibilities are endless!  Take characters (heroes or villains) from movies, comic books, even Greek mythology and imagine them going head to head in battle and debate who would win and why.  Examples: Ursula from the Little Mermaid vs. Medusa, Batman vs. Luke Skywalker, Queen Elsa vs. Harry Potter.  Get the idea?  It’s a silly but fun game that allows the kids to engage with the grown ups.

Do you have some fun ideas to occupy kids during travel down time or other ideas to help you enjoy the journey?