Seaview Auto Repair

Its that time of year we may be planning a road trip. Rather than having the kids plugged in the whole trip how about some car games.

Tell them that this money is for snacks, treats, souvenirs etc... but when it is gone, that is all there is. Help them learn to budget their money and make good choices.

Give your kids an opportunity to have their own copy of a map of where you are going. Show them how far you have come, how much further there is to go and let them mark it with a crayon. Every time they ask "How much further?” have them take out their map and see for themselves. You might also like to get a compass and show them how it works along with the map.

Also kids who are old enough to read can help navigate with Travmatix. You can use this site to print driving directions along with a list of all the food, fuel and hotel options at every exit along your route. When they start getting hungry or need a break, have them check the list of what is available at upcoming exits!

Draw your own that has the major stops and cities, and a nice happy drawing for your final destination. Throw in a few simple drawings of landmarks you'll see along the way, such as a big bridge you'll or a mountain tunnel. A home made map is easy for kids to follow and gives them a clearer picture of how much further there is to go. If your kids are old enough and it's a trip that you take frequently, have the kids make their own map!

The weirder the gum the better. Get it at the rest areas and try all the different flavors.

Print a U.S. map off the computer and color in the states as you see license plates from each one. See if you can get all 50 states between Memorial Day and Labor Day. You might even record the time and date and the state where you saw it. This can be a family project as you build your "collection" of license plates together. Here's a collection of printable maps you can use for this game, or a simple List of the States to check off. Check out my article on the License Plate Game

Game for two players - Have each child guess if there are more license plates that end in an odd or even number. (plates that end in a letter do not count)

1. Give each child a blank sheet of paper and a pencil, or something to mark with.
2. Set a time limit, usually 10-15 minutes.
3. Have one child look for plates that end in an odd number, and the other look for an even number.
4. A tick mark or dash should be marked for each car they find. (For extra learning, have them group the marks in sets of 5)
5. At the end of the time limit, have the children add up their marks. (Counting by 5's if grouping was used)

Start this game out by saying, "I'm going on a trip and I'm bringing...". The first player should name an item that starts with the letter "A". After "A", the next player will say the same thing but with the letter "B", and so on.