Long car rides with children can be either a plod through the ages, or a series of surprise guffaws and unexpectedly good discussions. For us, it’s the latter most of the time. And no, it’s not because we hand them a screen and wish for the best. We’ve opted (sometimes despite our better judgment) for screen-free travel during our road trips. It’s one of our favourite small traditions, and strangely, the children enjoy it more than we ever anticipated they would.
The Unintended Creation of a New Habit
We didn’t do this because we’re tech fundamentalists or because we hate screens. Not at all. It started when our car charger malfunctioned one weekend, and the iPads ran out of juice in an hour. We prepared ourselves for a meltdown. What ensued instead? An impromptu game of ‘Would You Rather’ became a two-hour belly-laugh fest. We knew then that they don’t always require a screen to be entertained. They simply need a spark.
What We Actually Pack
We now pack with purpose. Not just snacks and spare trousers, but a few essentials: a notebook and pencil for every kid, a container of reusable stickers, and our guilty pleasure, a family story-starting game. One person begins with a line, and we take turns adding our own as we travel. By our stop, we’ve usually created a completely absurd plot involving dragons in supermarkets or penguins with mobile phones.
Our Road Trip Playlist Rules
We’ve also got a collaborative playlist with a little bit of everything, Queen, Moana, The Beatles, and whatever nursery rhyme phase we’re currently stuck in. The rule is simple: everyone gets a turn and no skipping songs. It sparks a surprising amount of sibling cooperation and the occasional family sing-along that teeters somewhere between harmony and enthusiastic shouting.
Turning the Outside into a Game
We also direct our focus outward. Spotting unusual houses, animals, or number plates becomes a pastime in itself. There’s a kind of comfort in staring out the window without an agenda. It creates the sort of quiet connection you don’t always get at home. When someone sees a sheep with gloriously dramatic fleece or a house shaped like a triangle, it sets something off observation, imagination, or just a well-timed one-liner.
When It Doesn’t Go to Plan
Of course, not every drive is a doddle. There are arguments, dropped snacks, and moments when we genuinely consider scrapping the whole thing. But a bit of structure keeps the chaos in check. And it’s amazing how much smoother things run when the car’s in good shape. Yes, we’ve learned the hard way to check tire pressure, oil, and to prevent DPF-related issues before setting off.
What They’ll Remember
The truth is, our children probably won’t remember every destination. But they’ll definitely remember the car rides, the songs, the squabbles, the noise, and the laughs. And, most likely, so will we. Those silly moments, the shared snacks, the eye-rolls, and the made-up stories stitched across miles, they’re what quietly build our family’s favourite kind of memories.