Month: July 2013

Long car rides with the family can go one of two ways. Either they can be the most boring thing since the invention of boredom itself, or they can be fun times that you and your children will remember forever. It all depends on what you do. With a little imagination, you can come up with lots of family activity ideas for long road trips… without ever having to resort to the portable DVD player.%3Cbr%3E

• Predesigned Fun. Luckily, the danger of boring car rides has been around a long time. Long enough that capitalism has taken notice and tried to do something about it. So now there are many games, toys, and activities available in stores and online. Age appropriate audio books can be a fun shared experience. Or try your luck at one of the many interstate bingo games, whose cards include pictures of 18 wheelers, rest areas, and even cows.

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• DIY Activities. Not all road trip family activities need to come in a fancy box. Sometimes a pad of paper and pencil are all you need. Keeping track of state license plates has long been a favorite traveling game. In fact, tallying anything can be great way to involve everyone, increase observational skills, and ultimately pass the time.

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• No Props Required. Never forget the classics. Games like 20 Questions, I Spy, and The Movie Game (depending on the age of the players) have been keeping road warriors entertained for decades. And cap it all off with a carwide singalong, worthy of Clark W. Griswold himself.

How do you keep YOUR family entertained on the road? Share your best family activity ideas for road trips in the comments below. Safe and happy travels!

In this busy world, family time is more important than ever. But many people mistakenly think that quality family time is limited to elaborately planned and expensive vacations. The fact is, you may not even have to leave the house to have a great family adventure, and the television can stay off the entire time. Here are a few family activity ideas that anyone can do, using only the things you can find around your own house.

1. “Indoor Camping Trip.” Got a table and chairs? Got a broom? Got blankets? Got sleeping bags and flashlights? Then you have everything you need to go camping, right in your own living room. Building a “tent” is easy enough, but you can even arrange for extensive tunnels and passageways from room to room. Run out of blankets? Use some sheets! Tell ghost stories, pop popcorn (in the nearby microwave, obviously), and sing silly songs well into the night, then cuddle up in your sleeping bags and drift off to sleep.

2. “Science Night.” If you can get your hands on some safety goggles, you can probably find everything else you would need for a fantastic foray in to the world of scientific experiments. Turn your kitchen into your laboratory. Experiments can be devised for any age, from “Does it float?” or “Different Sounds” for younger scientists, to a classic baking soda and vinegar volcano for your more adventurous older students. Adult supervision is obviously required, but that is hardly a drawback, since you get to participate in the fun too. This is one of those family activities that can entertain you just as easily as your young ones, and who knows what you might learn?

3. “Scavenger Hunt.” Test your clue leaving mettle using your own house as the backdrop! Expand problem solving skills, enhance creative thinking, and have an overall amazing time searching for items and clues in the comfort of your own home. The only limit is your own imagination. Take the time before the kids get home from school to plan out a doozy, then dive in after dinner!

There are many sources for fun family activity ideas online and in parenting magazines. But never doubt your own creativity, and always look to your immediate surroundings for ideas and activities that might stimulate young minds, spark new interests, and inspire creativity in that most comfortable of environments… your own home.