I’m a mum of two, my children are six and one. And as a family we like to travel. One of the things we tend to do the most is hop in the car from our home in Manchester and drive to the Lake District, or Scotland. Having the car with us means we can lug all the things we need for the children and get to our destination under our own steam. But keeping my little ones entertained can be tricky.
On a recent trip to the Lake District, my good friends at Volvo were kind enough to lend us one of their cars to try - the XC60 Plus plug-in hybrid. It came with a promise: the children will love it. And it gave me an idea, could I entertain them the whole 90 minute journey without a screen or toy in sight?
Best for: my six year old. How it’s done... Select a Spy: One person is chosen to be the "spy". Choose an Object: The spy selects an object in plain sight of all players but keeps it secret. Give a Clue: The spy says, "I spy with my little eye something..." followed by a hint. By Letter: "...beginning with the letter [letter]" (e.g."B" for ball). By Colour: "...that is [colour]" (e.g. "Red"). By Description: "...that is [shape/size]" (e.g. "Round"). Guess the Object: Other players take turns guessing the object. Switch Roles: The person who correctly guesses the object becomes the new spy for the next round.
Best for: both my one year old and my six year old. How it’s done… there couldn’t be more famous nursery rhymes to choose from, some even have actions to increase the fun and interactivity.
Best for: my six year old, but my one year old did join in too. How it’s done… To play, simply see who is first to spot a yellow car. First to five or 10 wins. Once you’ve done yellow, move onto other colours. And then play spotting other things, like a helicopter, a tractor and a broken down car.
Best for: my one year old, but my six year old did enjoy. How it’s done… Choose an animal everyone recognises - and one you’re likely to see. There’s no point picking a zebra in Derbyshire! Then simply see who is the first to spot one. Once you get to the countryside you can elevate Spot the Sheep to Count the Sheep - and see who can be the first to spot 100.
Best for: my six year old. How it’s done… This is a fun, thought-provoking question game to spark conversation. Choose age appropriate things to ask about, examples of which could be:
Food & Silly Choices
Superpowers & Magic
Animal & Nature
School & Daily Life
NUMBER PLATE GAME
Best for: my six year old. How it’s done… See if you can spot number plates from different countries while on your journey. Or see if you can do the whole alphabet, A, B, C and so on. You can make up stories, prompted by the letters too.
