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Dad Field Manual · Field card 187 · Indoor & Rainy Day

Thanksgiving travel day with kids: car bag, stops and car games

The long drive goes better with a packed bag, a stop plan and a few games ready to go. Here's the whole travel day on one page.

Time
A travel day, 30 min prep
Cost
About $10
Ages
3 to 12
Where
The car

What you need

  • A car bag or box for each kid: books, a small toy, a pencil and paper
  • Water bottles and snacks
  • A list of planned stops, written on paper
  • Wipes, a bag for trash and a change of clothes

Before you start

  • Never leave a child alone in the car. AAP says it is not safe for any length of time; a cracked window, shade or the air conditioner does little to cool the car.
  • Check the back seat before you lock up. AAP says to always look in the back seat before you walk away, and keep the car locked when it's parked.
  • Stop about every two hours. AAP says to plan to stop driving and give yourself and your child a break about every two hours.
  • Right seat, back seat. AAP says kids use a harnessed car seat until they outgrow it, then a booster until the belt fits (about 4 feet 9 inches). Under 13 rides in back.

Steps

  1. Pack the car bag. Each kid packs books, a toy, paper, crayons and a snack; you add water, wipes, a trash bag and clothes. Bags on the floor.
  2. Plan the stops. Write down a stop about every two hours and tell the kids where the first one is.
  3. Buckle up and set the rules. Check every belt and seat, then say the rules: buckled all the way, games by voice, everyone out at stops.
  4. Play the car games. Pick a game from the card, play until it fades, then pick another; the driver plays by voice only.
  5. Stop and stretch. At each stop, everyone out, check every seat, lock the car, then stretch, drink and use the bathroom.
  6. Arrive and unpack. Check every seat before locking up, bring in the bags and trash, and ask for the favorite game.

If it stalls

  • If the same game gets old, switch, or let the youngest pick the next one.
  • If a kid gets restless, point out sights outside, or sing along to music.
Stops made
Favorite game
Car games (pick any, play by voice)
  1. I spy: pick something you can see, say its color, and everyone guesses.
  2. License plate game: find plates from as many states as you can.
  3. 20 questions: think of a thing; the others ask yes-or-no questions.
  4. Alphabet hunt: find A to Z on signs, in order.
  5. Would you rather: choose between two silly choices and say why.
  6. Count the color: pick a color and count cars that match.
  7. Story chain: each person adds one sentence to the story.
  8. Quiet game: the first one to talk loses. Use sparingly.
Back seat checked at every stop: Signed by Date