Travelling with the children can be a stressful exercise. But try these helpful tips and see how enjoyable a family holiday can really be!

Keeping the Kids Happy = Keeping Them Busy

• Infants and smaller children get bored and frustrated when travelling in a car. As a parent, you can help by bringing along a variety of interesting objects and toys which can keep your infant or toddler entertained for long stretches of time in the car, and by initiating imaginative play when your child needs some inspiration.

• Consider tying small, soft toys onto your child’s car seat. (Make sure the string is shorter than six inches so she can’t wrap it around her neck.) Toys that don’t get lost or drop to the floor will possibly avoid a small crying bout and save you from having to stop or try a dangerous search while driving for the toy. Buy or make a pocketed slipcover to hang over the back of the front seat. This will save space in the car and keep toys, games, and books in one easily accessible place.

Good Ideas To Entertain Kids:

• Cards are compact, easy to carry in a pocket, handbag or backpack, and are incredibly versatile.

• Take an empty scrapbook and build a memory for the whole family! Compiling and organising post cards, brochures and news clippings in the scrapbook will keep kids involved in the trip, while it teaches them about where they’re going and where they’ve been along the way.

• Another way to keep kids interested and involved in the journey, and to teach them map-reading skills at the same time, is to let them help to plan the route. Even the youngest can follow a major highway route with a little help. Talk about the time it takes to travel certain distances at certain speeds, and let your navigator calculate the ETA to your various destinations.

• Make up words from the letters seen on other cars’ license plates (e.g. BAG - Bananas Are Good). Make it a game with a prize for the most inventive/interesting effort.

• Puppets are great take-along items that can be good for hours of entertainment.

• Books and stories on tape are an excellent way to keep children entertained. Pick books or read stories on to tape to play during the trip to keep children entertained and give parents a rest from chatter or questions. Pick out books that tell stories and involve characters. Younger kids will be much more interested if the protagonist is a child.

• Sing a song. Kids love to sing, and face it, sometimes it’s easier to join them than listen to them. Children’s songbooks often come with accompanying tapes, and tips for parents on playing finger and movement games to accompany the songs. These activities can help release some of that pent up energy in a positive way. Join in with your children and have a great time!

Lastly, JUST USE YOUR IMAGINATION. A little imagination goes a long way with kids and anything can become a great game or source of entertainment.