5 Things For Kids To Do When Traveling In The Car On Thanksgiving

In case grandma doesn't just live down the street and you have a road trip with kids for Thanksgiving, here are 5 things to help keep the kiddos busy.

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Road Trip For Thanksgiving

Nothing like a good old road trip with the family but sometimes it gets a little rough when the kids in the back seat start saying are we there yet, I'm bored, I'm hungry, I don't have anything to do, I think you get the drift. Rather than rely on everyone starring at their phones, why not do things together as a family?

5 Things For Kids To Do On A Thanksgiving Road Trip

Below are some simple inexpensive ideas to keep toddlers, little kids, teenagers and anything in between occupied while making the trip to grandma's for Thanksgiving. You can put these ideas in a bag or box and they won't take up much room, before the kids know it they will be pulling up to grandma's house for big hugs.

1. Talk To One Another

Talking may seem a bit easy and obvious but in a world of digital devices and cell phones that are like laptops, many families don't talk to one another like they used to. This is a great time to share memories and funny family stories. Have the kids talk about what they are thankful for. Parents should also join in on all these ideas. Get Christmas gift ideas, tell some holiday jokes and feel free to use your phone to look some of this stuff up if you need to.

2. Sing Together

I know, call me crazy but some of the most popular shows on TV are singing shows and you can't tell me that most everyone has some sort of playlist of their favorite songs. So instead of everyone traveling with their earbuds on and listening to something different, unplug and sing along to a favorite song. You don't have to be a great singer, it's all about having fun as a family. You can also let everyone pick their favorite songs and then share why it's your favorite and not have to sing if you don't want to. There are plenty of Christmas songs to get everyone in the holiday spirit.

3. Play Games Together

It is easy to make a little folder and print some easy games to play off the internet before you hit the road this Thanksgiving. No unlike in the photo above, the driver should be paying attention to the road but that doesn't mean the driver can't jump into the conversation, for the most part, keep those hands at 10 and 2.

Kids have a blast when they do Mad Libs and if you don't know what those are click here. Kids will also think it's funny if the parents participate too, trust me on this one, my son laughs even harder when it's me doing the things he's much better at.

Car Bingo can be a big hit, just print off a ton of sheets for the kids and you can find what you need here and more.

4. Puzzles, Coloring Books, and Brain Teasers

If you want to keep those smiles on the kid's faces and your face too, coloring books for the little ones can be magic on a road trip and you can find those in any dime store.

Crossword puzzles and brain teasers can also be fun for the kids who are a little bigger and the parents can easily join in too. The internet is full of brain teasers, just type those two words into Google and you can spend hours entertaining the family on your trip.

5. Listen to Audiobooks and Podcasts

No matter how old you are or how young you are, everyone loves a great story. Find audiobooks for toddlers, little kids, and teenagers. Depending on how far your trip is, have audiobooks that offer something for each age of the family. Maybe podcasts might work better since they are shorter and everyone gets a turn picking a topic. You can get a lot of this type of stuff from your local library too and there is plenty of free stuff on the internet as well.

Have a fun safe drive on your road trip for Thanksgiving.