Simple Entertainment on the Go
Do you remember any long road trips from your childhood? I have strong memories of summer holidays where my father would hire a vehicle large enough to take all the family to the south coast of England. Trying to keep a van-full of children content on such a long journey was no easy task, especially when we often became travel-sick. My mother was always the star in this regard, coming up with endless ideas for entertainment: we would tell stories, sing and play memory games.
One game I loved was spotting and counting same-coloured cars. My siblings and I would each choose a colour then count the vehicles of such we saw along the road. The one who spotted the most between one refreshment drive-break and the next won the round. A simple game, yet one that kept us excited, alert and occupied. I later played this with my own children on road journeys, even short ones. In addition to their enjoyment, I found it helped their numeracy, memory and concentration.
Times have moved on and there are some truly amazing and sophisticated travel games out there. It is good to stimulate the young mind with words, sounds and imagery. Whilst tablets do a sterling job of this, the simple act of looking out of the window at the colourful world passing by can do just as well; moreover, it helps abate the motion-sickness!
Whatever we choose, keeping children entertained during trips can help contribute to those great holiday memories. It certainly played a big part in mine and as for the vehicle counting game, I still play it with children travelling in my care … maybe with a spot of ‘red lorry, yellow lorry‘.