'Are we there yet?': Gadget-free ways to keep kids comfy during long car rides

Pack your children's favourite food and snacks before you hit the road. -- 123RF

With the long Hari Raya Aidilfitri school break ending in a few days, families are now busy preparing for their journeys back to the city. Given the expected traffic congestion with a massive number of vehicles on the road, long travel time is almost a guarantee during this time of the year.

Long journeys are already stressful on adults, what more on young, restless children. Often, parents need to prepare in advance for their journeys to make the ride comfortable and (almost) stress-free for everyone.

While it’s easy to allow a digital device to “babysit” children during the journey, these electronics-free ideas also provide the necessary activities for children to kill time.

Put together a fun kit

Packing things like stickers, colouring books, activity books and children’s favourite toys will help kids entertain themselves during the journey.

Empower them to choose what they want for the trip, and they will be more likely to enjoy those activities. You can also add new books and stickers into the pack for novelty.

Ioli Communications chief executive officer Yan Lim says she always prepares fun car ride packs for her younger children, aged nine, five and two, before embarking on long car rides.

“I pack stickers, colouring books, crayons and small toys that they currently love so they can keep themselves busy. It’s important to make sure those items can last at least half of the ride. The other half of the ride is usually spent sleeping.” she says.

Yan (second from right) packs car ride fun kits for her younger children to get them occupied when the family travels.

Treat travel as bonding time

With all family members physically grouped together, a long car ride is the perfect opportunity to talk about many things – something urban families can’t do often given everyone’s hectic daily schedule.

Ask your young ones about their friends and their activities in school. Families can also have a car-aoke and sing-along together while in the car.

Clinic nurse Siti Sharmiza Abdul Razak, whose sons are nine and six, says she enjoys having conversations with them during car trips.

“We talk about their life and the journey’s surroundings and make up impromptu games. I also like having a sing-along with them. I think being creative during journeys makes the trip bearable – especially when you’re in the middle of a traffic congestion – and you get to bond with your children differently than when you are at home,”

Pack their favourite snacks

Travel-sized cookie packs, chocolates and snacks make great travelling companions for children. If you like your car to be squeaky clean, it may be time to lower your standards because well, children’s comfort matters too.

It’s best to keep beverage to water because spilt milk in a vehicle will leave an unpleasant odor that takes a while to clear. Also, always be ready with wet wipes to clean soiled fingers.

For accountant Nik Nurul Diyanah Nik Mohd Amin, whose children are ten, eight and four, having enough snacks for little ones is crucial.

“There’s not much space and activities that they can do, so bringing their favourite snacks is one of the things I do to keep them happy and occupied throughout the journey,” she says.

Nik Nurul Diyanah says having enough snacks for little ones is crucial during car rides.

Create your own games

Whether it is counting cars in a certain colour, adding or subtracting the cars’ plate numbers and naming an object within sight and asking the kids to find it, your creativity is the limit when it comes to inventing engaging games during a long drive.

These games are interactive and competitive, so children will find them enjoyable. To keep them engaged, time the games and start a new one before they are bored.

For older children, word search or Scrabble work too. Besides keeping them occupied, they help with children’s vocabulary too.

Listen to audiobooks

Parents can play toddlers or children’s audiobooks during their car trips to entertain little ones. It’s almost like reading to your children, but doing so in a moving vehicle may make you dizzy so audiobooks are the next best thing.

From fairy tales to modern stories, you can also expand on these tales and discuss the stories with your children if you want the session to be more interactive.

Travel during children’s nap time

This might not work all the time for all trips, but when you can, try to coincide the journey with children’s nap times.

You can also travel right after they have had a good swim or play. This guarantees that they will sleep throughout the journey, which gives children the necessary rest time and parents, some peace and quiet as you head to your destination.