The ABCs of Car Games: Part Three

“This is June, the month of grass and leaves . . . and a new summer is offered me.”

 – Henry David Thoreau

There’s something magical about summertime: new adventures, freedom and beauty that one can almost sip from a straw.

Summer clips the tethers that hold us tight the rest of the year. We stay outside longer, we stop for impromptu ice cream cones, and we get up early on Saturday morning and consider it fun because we are headed to the farmers’ market.

And then, there are the vacations! Off we go to the beach, the lake, the amusement park or to the mountains to camp.

Unfortunately there’s usually some significant travel time involved on vacations, and that can be tricky with little ones in tow. But, that’s part of life, so early on I decided to embrace the inevitable car rides, seeing them as opportunities – rather than something one step above rubbing sunscreen in my eyes.

So, I came up with a kid-friendly strategy that made trips both fun and educational. In my two previous blogs I detailed tips to make long trips easier, including a packing list and some car game suggestions to make the time go faster and to exercise brain cells.

Here are a few more car games to boost your children’s language skills and minimize irritability and whining.

Who Am I?

One child says, “Who am I?” The second child asks, “Are you a person, place or thing?” The first child answers, and then the question-answer volley proceeds until the mystery item or person is guessed. (Are you smaller than a car? Do you make noise? Can you be eaten? Are you scary? Are you soft? This models conversation patterns, teaches critical thinking skills and sharpens listening aptitude.

License Plate Game

If you have a long road trip planned, print copies listing the 50 states. As your child spies license plates from different states, have him check the state off his list. Or, give him some crayons and a black and white map of the United States and let him color in each state that he sees. Reading, geography and small motor skills wrapped into one.

Rhyme Time

Language is made of sounds, and making rhymes is an early literacy milestone. This game involves parent-child interaction, which builds communication bridges as well as a wide vocabulary base. Some of the rhymes will be silly or nonsensical, but that’s OK. Language has its serious side, but words can be a delight, too.

Give a noun in a phrase, pausing so your child can fill in the blank. Start by example:

   The dog and a  ___. (hog, log, frog)

   A star with a  ___.(car, jar, or a nonsense word like “dar”)

   Jack Sprat and his ___. (cat, rat, mat, bat)

Fortunately, Unfortunately

Older kids will love this word play game. It encourages the imagination and a sense of humor. One person starts a scenario by say, “Fortunately…” The second person responds by saying, “Unfortunately…” You alternate between fortunate and unfortunate things. It’ll get the laughter going. For example:

   “Fortunately, we are stopping for lunch soon.”

   “Unfortunately, Mom left your sandwich at home.”

   “Fortunately, I have a bag of peanuts in my pocket.”

   “Unfortunately, the park we are going to is infested with aggressive squirrels.”

   “Fortunately, I speak ‘squirrel’ fluently and will be able to talk my way out of trouble.”

   “Unfortunately, the park is a wildlife refuge and kids aren’t allowed to speak out loud there.”

   “Fortunately…”

And so on.

Would You Rather?

This game is as simple as they come. Start by example, then let the kids have a turn.

   “Would you rather go to the pool or go to the zoo?

   “Would you rather eat lima beans or eat spinach?”

   “Would you rather pet a bear or pet a lion?

   “Would you rather have 12 toes or 12 fingers?”

These are just a few of the many games that can be played in the car. I shared “Horse on Wheels” in my first blog in this series and three other car games in my second posting: “The Great Race from A to Z,” “Sack on My Back” and “Name Game.” They foster communication, build literacy skills and boost family bonding. Check them out.

• The ABCs of Car Games: Part One
• The ABCs of Car Games: Part Two

I’d love to hear about some of the word games your family plays in the car to pass the time. Feel free to post a comment.

Have a great summer.

***NOTE: If you are taking a laptop with you on your road trip and have a 3G Internet card or have Internet hookup at your vacation lodging, Big Universe provides a portable library for children at your fingertips. With thousands of beautiful picture books available 24/7, there is no reason for your kids to experience “summer setback” in reading. Maintain or even improve their literacy skills with a wide assortment of fiction and non-fiction stories.