“Back in my day, I had to just look out the window in the car,” I tell my toddler. She’s in her car seat asking for me to turn on Bluey on my iPhone. As I’m being very mindful about her screen time, I turn off the phone. Fortunately, my toddler is pretty compliant with my request. There are so many other things we can do during both a long or short road trip. And these things are much more meaningful than passively watching a show. The following are some no screen road trip ideas for parents.
No Screen Road Trips Ideas for Parents
Toy Games-There are a lot of compact and travel friendly toys that your child can play with that don’t involve screens.
Books-I have many memories of reading in the backseat of my parents’ Volkswagen on road trips. Some fond books I remember from the 80s/90s are Choose your Own Adventure and Mad Libs. I’ve always been a book worm so I think this is definitely one I hope my child gets into.
Homework/drawing-With the invention of the water color pen and invisible ink, there are so many options for kids to be able to color without the mess. There are a lot of portable car table trays nowadays as well.
No Screens Means Kids Pay Attention to the Road
There’s a story in the news lately of a 7th grader stopping a bus full of kids when the driver passed out behind the wheel. The boy’s father attributed his son’s ability to know how to stop the bus from “not owning a cell phone”. He said that the boy told him that he would watch the driver drive and therefore learned how to stop the bus.
I find this very a very interesting story. It has helped me to think deeper on road trips with my child.
In fact, I do notice when driving my now three year old notices the traffic signals. She points out that the light is “green and it means go” or the light is “red and it means stop”. This has really got me thinking the quality time and the teachable moments there are when in the car with kids.
Back in the day…We used Maps, Thomas Guides, and Mapquest
Back in the day, before the internet, we had to look at maps to find directions to places. As a kid, I would remember how to get to places by sight. Rarely, I would remember street names. Often, I would identify where to turn by landmarks (i.e. down the street and make a right after you see KFC).
It worries me that if my daughter’s face is always buried in a smart phone or iPad, she might miss these landmarks.
I actively endeavor to point out to her landmarks. We recently started to have a daily driving routine to preschool. I point out the landmarks such as stores or parks. And actually, I explain to her that it’s important to always be aware of her surroundings.
It’s important to pay attention to where she is.
No Screen Ideas Parents Can Do with Kids Together
Listening to music-I love listening to different types of music with my daughter. While she used to (and still is) be all about Baby Shark and Cocomelon, I know it’s important to expose her to a range of genres. The car is one of the best opportunities to do this.
Singing with them-Singing goes hand in hand with listening to music. I will sometimes sing not only the song playing but turn off the radio and sing her favorite kid’s songs as well. She’s very adept at 3.4 months at the Alphabet Song and Row, Row, Row Your Boat. I love how we Both are so un-embarrassed when singing at the top of our lungs. There’s just something about the safety of being enclosed in a vehicle driving at 60 miles per hour.
Talking-FYI for older kids (or when your kids get older): I read once that actually when talking to teenagers or pre teens, it’s actually very comfortable to talk in the car while driving. For whatever reason, this seems to be the case, even with my three year old. I think she’s more open and receptive and has no where to run. So all of her attention is on my words as I talk to her. Try it yourself-You just might be surprised.
Car Games-Remember old school car games we used to play as kids on road trips? Why not bring those back even for short rides to the store. Some ideas for toddler age would be looking for different colors in the scenery around us (i.e. I Spy with my little eye…something green). As they grow the car games can be more intricate (i.e. Starting with the letter A go down the alphabet naming something that starts with that letter).
Caution for the Safety of Eating while Driving
Recently I saw a picture of rapper Cardii Br’s daughter eating a full on meal with a fork while in the backseat of a car. Besides being messy there are serious safety issues of eating while driving for kids (and adults too).
Please remember that just braking suddenly (let alone a more serious accident) can lead to choking.
Of course, as parents we know that snacks are just a part of a child’s lifestyle and yes, sometimes they do in fact get hungry while we are driving.
Just a reminder to always cut up fruits/veggies/any other foods that might present as a choking hazard. I do not recommend using utensils while driving.
Some soft, small foods I give my toddler while driving might include:
- Squeezable yogurt packs (no spoon required)
- Squeezable apple sauce packs (again no spoon required)
- Protein shakes
- Cut up chicken nuggets or sandwiches
- French fries
Just some things for you to consider as you embark on your road trip. Always remember to buckle up, drive safe and of course Remember 2 Savor!
