Mum of two Hannah Britt is a fan of a family road trip, but driving with young children in tow can be tough. Here she shares how to keep them entertained, not a screen in sight
I’m a mum of two, my children are six and one. And as a family we like to travel. One of the things we tend to do the most is hop in the car from our home in Manchester and drive to the Lake District, or Scotland. Having the car with us means we can lug all the things we need for the children and get to our destination under our own steam. But keeping my little ones entertained can be tricky.
On a recent trip to the Lake District, my good friends at Volvo were kind enough to lend us one of their cars to try – the XC60 Plus plug-in hybrid. It came with a promise: the children will love it. And it gave me an idea, could I entertain them the whole 90 minute journey without a screen or toy in sight?
READ MORE: We banned screens during our family trip away and the change was staggering
I SPY
Best for: my six year old. How it’s done… Select a Spy: One person is chosen to be the “spy”. Choose an Object: The spy selects an object in plain sight of all players but keeps it secret. Give a Clue: The spy says, “I spy with my little eye something…” followed by a hint. By Letter: “…beginning with the letter [letter]” (e.g.”B” for ball). By Colour: “…that is [colour]” (e.g. “Red”). By Description: “…that is [shape/size]” (e.g. “Round”). Guess the Object: Other players take turns guessing the object. Switch Roles: The person who correctly guesses the object becomes the new spy for the next round.
NURSERY RHYMES
Best for: both my one year old and my six year old. How it’s done… there couldn’t be more famous nursery rhymes to choose from, some even have actions to increase the fun and interactivity.
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: A soothing lullaby about a star.
- Humpty Dumpty: A classic rhyme about a fragile egg.
- Ba Ba Black Sheep: A rhythmic, repetitive poem.
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat: A gentle, interactive, and rhythmic song.
- Old MacDonald Had a Farm: A fun, interactive song for learning animal sounds.
- Jack and Jill: A well-known rhyme about a trip up a hill.
- Hickory Dickory Dock: A classic rhyme featuring a mouse and a clock.
- London Bridge Is Falling Down: A traditional game song.
- Mary Had a Little Lamb: A familiar tale about a loyal lamb.
- The Itsy Bitsy Spider: An action-based song
YELLOW CAR
Best for: my six year old, but my one year old did join in too. How it’s done… To play, simply see who is first to spot a yellow car. First to five or 10 wins. Once you’ve done yellow, move onto other colours. And then play spotting other things, like a helicopter, a tractor and a broken down car.
SPOT THE SHEEP
Best for: my one year old, but my six year old did enjoy. How it’s done… Choose an animal everyone recognises – and one you’re likely to see. There’s no point picking a zebra in Derbyshire! Then simply see who is the first to spot one. Once you get to the countryside you can elevate Spot the Sheep to Count the Sheep – and see who can be the first to spot 100.
WOULD YOU RATHER?
Best for: my six year old. How it’s done… This is a fun, thought-provoking question game to spark conversation. Choose age appropriate things to ask about, examples of which could be:
Food & Silly Choices
- Would you rather eat broccoli-flavoured ice cream or fish-flavoured cookies?
- Would you rather have a bath full of baked beans or mushy peas?
- Would you rather eat only pizza for a year or only tacos for a year?
- Would you rather drink hot chocolate or a milkshake?
- Would you rather swim in a pool of jelly or a pool of marshmallows?
Superpowers & Magic
- Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?
- Would you rather have the power to control time or control the weather?
- Would you rather have a magic carpet or a teleportation device?
- Would you rather be able to speak to ghosts or aliens?
- Would you rather have a pet unicorn or a dragon?
Animal & Nature
- Would you rather have a tail like a lemur or a trunk like an elephant?
- Would you rather roar like a lion or hiss like a snake?
- Would you rather have fur like a bear or scales like a fish?
- Would you rather be a tree or a flower for a day?
- Would you rather live in a jungle or a desert?
School & Daily Life
- Would you rather have as many toys as you wanted or as many books as you wanted?
- Would you rather go to the park or go to the zoo?
- Would you rather be a superhero or a super-villain?
- Would you rather live on land or under the sea?
- Would you rather build a treehouse or a go-kart?
NUMBER PLATE GAME
Best for: my six year old. How it’s done… See if you can spot number plates from different countries while on your journey. Or see if you can do the whole alphabet, A, B, C and so on. You can make up stories, prompted by the letters too.
*The Volvo XC60 Plus plug-in hybrid costs £63,850, find out more at volvocars.com
READ MORE: We went on an epic family road trip to France and holidays won’t be the same again
