Have to agree with the DVD player - although too tempting when we actually arrive at our destination to continue watching. At one point we seemed to have the majority of the camp site squashed into our people carrier!!!
Kids wanted to know when the popcorn was coming round!!!
Last year it was so rainy in France that we gave in and let the kids have a 'film night' in the tent - normally we don't let them watch the DVD in the tent.
We even got popcorn from the campsite takeaway - we had about 6 kids all sitting in the tent with the rain lashing down so hard that the DVD was turned up to its loudest so they could hear.
I was worried that we would be disturbing the neighbours - and when I went out to check realised that above the noise of the rain you couldn't hear a thing!
One of the games my son (7) made up is that he gave a different animal name to each type of vehicle and then as it drives past he says the name - so a lorry might be an elephant and a car a mouse and a bus a hippo etc. then he sits and chants elephant, elephant, mouse, mouse,mouse, hippo, snake... it seemed to us to be a very boring game, but kept him amused from the M1 to the Dartford tunnel!
We usually get offered Sky Movies for 50% in May (have done for the last 3 years) so we sign up for a month, tape all the films they (and we) haven't seen and take those with us. We also buy at least one new release film that they haven't seen. As we are only 2-3 hrs from Dover we don't let them watch a film till we get to France and then because of the time we limit ourselves to driving its normally 2 films to our destination so they get to choose 1 each (saves the arguing).
Simple as spot the eddie stobart lorry. We have played it for years. Everytime you spot an Eddie stobart lorry - you get a point ( i am winning) it keeps the adults amused as well as the kids - even to the point where i text my husband when he is at work if i see one.
if not the idea of the game is to get say four in my family four pieces of paper write down on a piece of paper across the top boy/girl/fruit/flower so there in sections across the page and down the page then get mum to go through the alpherbet when the kids or who ever say stop ie say its p for excample you think of of a boys name beggining with p and you've got to think of a boys name that starts with a p a girls name with p and so on its really quite trying gets the brainworking anyway if you cant guess a name or fruit or flower then its no points for that section if you guess the same its 5 points if you guess different its ten points keep going on till everyone gets a turn children hubby and so on till you have all had a go then add on the points altogether who ever wins gets a prize (sweets) or what ever
as a family of four we went to lanzarote last year for a week well anyway got a little bored one night so decided to play this game anyway other holiday makers saw what we were doing and decided to join in i think ther was about 30 of us in the end grown ups and children well what a laugh something so simple but fun anyway hope this helps have fun and hope you understand the game if not contact me always popping on here love shylos
------------- TRUE FRIENDS ARE LIKE DIAMONDS MOST PRECIOUS AND VERY RARE FALSE FRIENDS ARE LIKE AUTUMN LEAVES CAN BE FOUND MOST ANYWHERE.
We play shopping list, as in 'i went to the shop and i bought.....' each person has to remember whats on the list already and then add something. Our holiday version is ' i went on holiday and in my caravan i packed....'
Also car bingo, just make some cards with different coloured squares or car shapes and mark one off each time you see the correct coloured car, that one can be over quite quickly on a busy motorway though!
Another one is to get them to look out for a particular landmark and see who can be the first to spot it.
They usually have their own bags with mp3 players, gameboys, colouring/puzzle/drawing books, pens, a reading book...and they have their own personal DVD players. For really long journeys they take a cushion & fleece blanket so they can have a sleep.
I try to take a couple of things they don't know about, like a magazine each, to produce if they start to get really fidgety & whingy. When they were younger i once made them a bag like a party bag, that kept them quiet for a while.
We don't do all this every journey, just depends on how far we're going and what time we're setting off.
Some great game suggestions on here. However we go for the 'leave at 4am' option or the DVD player (ours is built into the car - the little screen comes down from the ceiling - priceless!).
Luckily we have 3 boys and they are quite close together in age so 'Cars' does it for all of them, as does 'Star Wars'.
------------- I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken
how about suduko, battle ships, naught and crosses, activty books etc.
our current favs are 20 questions. (sometimes called animal, vegatable or mineral), also story tapes, were working through Roal Dhal collection at the mo which has us all laughing! Also books of quiz questions. Weve got a load called "where in the world" which seams appropriate for journeys.
I've avoided the DVD option as I would never get them out of the car again!
We play the number plate game - make a word from the letters on the plate. Longest one wins/
Last year I bought them both one of those desk-things that straps onto the seat in front. Worked a treat for the eldest one and gave littly somewhere to rest his feet!
Have to confess the best thing was a CD player and the entire works of Roald Dahl although it did tend to make me sleepy which was a pain. I got to the point of being word perfect at Esio Trot too!
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Remember a good wife always helps her husband with the dishes.
My girls are 11 and 14 so not too bad now. We like the same things on TV so if we are stuck in a traffic jam we play spot the celebrity - bald man with large glasses - Harry Hill etc. It always starts off sensibly but usually ends in laughter as everyone tries to get one. Before we know it half an hour has passed and they are happy to listen to their music again.
We used to love playing Cricket in the car. you count the legs of the pubs, say a pub called " The red lion " a lion has 4 legs so that gives you 4 points then the next pub you go pass is called " The Red Rose " that has no ponits so its the next players go until the next pub has no legs !!! my to loved playing that game.
Everytime you see the parking sign, you get a point. My daughter always wins against her brother, mainly because he's under three and doesn't understand it. I'm sure it will get more interesting when's he older!!
Talk about nanny culture!! We play a game on journeys called "the first one to annoy dad gets a whack!" lol
Just joking.... all the usuals work for us. DVD's nintendos DS, colouring books, the first one to spot a rabbitt gets a shilling (my dad used to play that with us when we were kids)
So long as we all get there in one piece it doesent really matter I spose!
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: keeping 6 children amused!!!!
