BACKSEAT BOREDOMbusters

Before you set off It can be a good idea to do a little forward planning. Not only can this give you great ideas of where to stop for lunch, but you’ll also be able to spot any interesting attractions or scenic areas worth visiting along the way, even if it’s just to stretch the legs. Make sure to have some snacks and water on hand to help keep the kids from getting cranky. It’s also important to set some ground rules. So, let the kids know the first person who asks, ‘are we there yet?’ or starts singing ‘10 Green Bottles’ will have to walk to the next town. We’ll start things off with some games for toddlers and younger kids. After the sixteenth rendition of whatever nerve-shattering song has replaced Baby Shark, you could try…

Colour I Spy / Alphabet Game A twist on an old favourite that’s perfect for little ones who can’t yet spell. Instead of asking fellow passengers to spot something start-ing with a letter, you ask them to name something that’s a specific colour e.g. “I spy with my little eye, something that’s green”. Bear in mind, green can be a surprisingly recurring theme in this game when driving in Ireland. Similarly to I Spy, Alphabet Game asks kids to find an object begin-ning with each letter of the alphabet and has the benefit of broad-ening kids’ vocabularies.

Copy the Driver Good for their co-ordination, motor, and observational skills, as the name suggests this activity simply requires kids to copy the driver’s movements. However, it’s probably best for the more urban or twisty sections of road as there might not be much to mimic on motorway driving. For kids who are a little older, a Spelling Bee or Rhyming Game is a great way to kill a few minutes, or at least until the kids figure out its actually learning disguised as fun and refuse to take part. If you’re determined to continue with an educational theme, when the Spelling Bee and Rhyming Game run out of steam, you can move on other word association and memory games like…

The Classics Toddlers & younger kids:

Something more challenging -

Older kids and early teens:

Going on a PicnicThis game starts with one person saying, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m taking ____”. The next person must remember the first player’s item and add one of their own and so on.

People WatchingThis is a great option if you’d like something a little more open-ended that’s going to spark your kids’ imaginations. Here everyone takes turns picking a person from another car and making up a name, occupation, life story, and destination for them.

The Name GameTo start, one person says a name, e.g. Justin Bieber, the next person must say a name that begins with the first letter of the second name stated, so we go from Justin Bieber to Billie Eilish and the next person has to name someone starting with E. With a little preparation, you can also try games like…

Number Plate / Car BingoHere players use their observational skills to spot details of other cars on the road and tick them off their list. These could include as many different county registrations as possible, registration years, or even makes of car. For small kids, you could stick to the Alphabet Game until someone gets all 26. Check out the back section of this booklet, where we’ve included some handy bingo sheets!

Extra tip:

Having paper and pencils for your little ones opens up many possibilities, and can give parents a welcome break while keeping the kids busy. If you’re feeling really brave, how about asking the

kids to draw your portrait?

Make it musical

Fun for all ages:

Name that Song Here you listen out for the next song on the car stereo and the first person to guess the title and performer earns a point. Another fun aspect of this game is observing the generational gaps in each other’s musical knowledge..

Sing the next lineIdeal for anyone of the X-Factor generation, in this game you take turns singing the next line of whatever song is on your radio or playlist. Simply turn off the volume for the line in question, with points being awarded for getting the lyrics right and stay-ing in tune. Sing the next line can also lead to fun debates as to what the singer was actually singing.

family fun-

20 QuestionsThis simple activity is lots of fun for young minds that love a challenge. In case you’re not familiar with it, here’s a refresher. One person picks a famous singer, ac-tor, politician, or historical figure etc. The other players have 20 ‘yes or no’ questions, to figure out who their mystery person is. Remember, as well as a chance to stretch your legs, rest stops are the perfect op-portunity to tire the kids out with some physical activities like…

Stretch the legs with a Mini Olympics:Appeal to kids’ competitive nature with some Jumping Jacks, laps of the picnic area or tumbles on the grass. Just make sure they’re not too close to the road if they are running around. If all else fails, make sure to have a playlist with some of their favourite songs and yours so you can start a family sing-along.

Remember these activities are supposed to reduce the monotony of long journeys. You want to arrive at your destination in the best of spirits, so only play them for as long as they’re fun (and we’re including parents here). We hope you have a safe journey and a wonderful trip wherever you’re going.

Spot the difference

calming classics

Can you spot the 6 differences between the pictures below?

When you’re tired out from all the guessing, singing and eye-spying, take a moment with these calming classics: Spot the Difference, Colouring Time and Bingo.

Colouring time

Ambulance

Runner

Blue Car

Motorcycle

Street Lamp

Traffic Light

Silver Car

Two Storey House Lorry

Builder Pram

Cyclist