With the school semester ending and mostly sunny skies ahead, it’s the perfect time to take the whole family on a road trip. However, it can be a challenge to keep young kids happy and entertained during the ride. The team at A Rising Star Children’s Center has been providing children’s day care services to parents throughout the Cortlandt Manor, NY, area for over 13 years. They have experience keeping restless kids engaged and excited for long stretches of time and recommend the following tips for your next excursion.

Children’s Day Care on How to Entertain Kids on Car Rides

1. Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt game is a classic choice for long car rides. Although printable lists are readily available online, it’s often more fun for the kids if you make it personal whenever possible. If you know the destination, consider tailoring it to the objects that could be found on the journey.

2. Songs

Singing songs is a favorite activity at nearly every children’s day care center—and for good reason. In 2011, The Guardian reported that “singing along with rhymes and songs uses and develops both sides of the brain.” It’s essential for early childhood learning beyond simple language acquisition.

3. Silly Selfies

Picture-taking is a time-honored tradition for every road trip and thanks to smartphones and tablets you can make them as silly as you’d like without worrying about conserving the film rolls. Make funny faces, invent narratives, and download apps that let you customize images with playful stickers and text.

4. Mad Libs®

Mad Libs are best for kids nearing the end of elementary or who are already in middle school. Most bookstores and drugstores carry these, so it’s easy to stock up on the booklets and a few pens. Come up with silly words to plug into the blank spaces of stories. It’s also a fun way to teach kids the different parts of speech.

5. Fiber Crafts

If you and your kids enjoy knitting or crocheting, have them bring along a project. It'll keep both their heads and hands busy. Although it depends on their age and skill level, a simple task with bigger yarn is usually best because it's easy to pick up regardless of interruptions.

Looking for another way to enrich your kid’s mind outside of a road trip? If you’re in the Cortlandt Manor area and interested in educational or enrichment programs, call A Rising Star Children’s Center at (914) 788-4582. They offer a variety of options for multiple age groups from infants to 12-year-old kids. To learn more about the children’s day care and learning center, visit the website.