Combating Cranky Car Chaos

During the holidays, we all seem to spend extra time in the car. There are errands to run, shopping to do, trips to see relatives, school and social events to attend and, even while the destination may be enjoyed by all, getting there can often lead to crankiness, for children and adults. At this point, all is definitely NOT calm! I remember the "she's breathing my air", "he's looking at me", "her leg's on my half of the seat", and the ever-popular "are we there yet?' "no" "are we there yet?" "no" "are we there yet?" "NO". Yes, my siblings and I were quite a handful! So, when I had my own children, I came up with little games to keep away the boredom.

1.  Pick 5 or 6 colors and have the children count how many cars they see of each color. The non-driving adult or an older child can keep track in a notebook and the results can be tallied at rides end.

2.  Look for license plates that begin with the letters of the alphabet in order (first plate A, second plate B, and so on). See how far into the alphabet you can get.

3. Watch for license plates from different states. This is easier if you are traveling a longer distance, but it still can work for short trips. Children can be given maps and color in the states that they spot.

4.  Count live Christmas trees attached to car tops. We do this every year for the entire Christmas season.

Hopefully, your travels will be uneventful, but if not, give one of these diversions a try for a Holly Jolly car ride and a Silent Night!

Thanks for reading! xo, Leena