quick clicks

preschoolers today articles

preschoolers today q&a

children today articles

children today q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Car Games for Kids

Games to Keep Children Occupied While on the Road

By Carma Haley Shoemaker

Preparing to Play:
To prepare to play the State Game takes a little more effort than the other car games. However, if traveling a long distance, especially across country, the effort is well worth it.

To play the State Game, make a list of all 50 states on a sheet of paper. Make as many copies of this list as may be needed while traveling. It is recommended to put the states in alphabetical order so that they can be found with ease.

To Play the Game:
Each player is given one list of the states and one writing utensil. The object is to find as many different states on the license plates of other vehicles as possible. Granted, Hawaii and Alaska are rarely seen, but it is not impossible. The game can either be given a time limit, such as one hour, or a number of different states, such as the first to find 15, to determine a winner. The game can be played once or, again, played until one person wins two games. Be sure to make plenty of copies of the state lists, as this game becomes popular fairly quickly.

Benefits:
The State Game aids the players in identifying each different state of the United States, as well as with reading skills. Another benefit of the game can be added by allowing the players to identify the state on a map before awarding points.

There are variations of each of the games listed, and feel free to make changes that will suit the needs of your traveling family. These games can be altered for younger children, as well as older children, to increase or decrease the difficulty level that will be of the most benefit to their age group.

Traveling with children does not have to be a stressful experience. Offering fun games that are only played in the car will have the children wanting to plan for the next "road trip," just when getting home from the last.