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| Fun Summer Traveling Tips: Something to Talk About
By Cindy Sumner
 Facing a long car trip with your child? Keeping preschoolers happily occupied is one of the biggest challenges of traveling as a family. Of course, trips are easier with two adults and two sets of hands, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go solo. Here are some ways to develop your toddler or preschooler’s emerging listening and language skills on your next trip. These games give you all something to talk about.
Guess My Tune — Take turns humming songs from Sunday school or from your child’s favorite movies or TV shows. Whoever correctly guesses where the tune comes from, gets to hum next.
Color Categories — Choose a color and have everyone help name as many different items as possible in that color.
Mistaken Nursery Rhymes — Recite nursery rhymes and encourage your child to join in. After he or she is comfortable with the rhyme, change one word and see if they can tell what’s different. (Example: “…Yankee Doodle keep it up, Yankee Doodle Bambi…”)
Simon Says — You may want to introduce your children to this game before you travel so they understand the concept. Tell them to do tasks like “Simon says point to your nose” or “Reach down and touch your feet.” Players should follow only instructions that begin with “Simon says.” Even if you’re driving and can’t watch their every move, kids do a great job of policing each other!
Opposites — Call out an adjective or adverb and have your child respond with the opposite. (Examples: tall-short, hot-cold, quickly-slowly)
Finish the Story — Start telling a story. With your child, take turns adding onto the story line. Tape your story as you tell it (on a kiddie cassette recorder) so you can listen again together.
“The Category Is…” — Choose something your preschooler is familiar with like fruit, parts of the body, or shapes, and see how many he or she can name.
20 Questions — How much do you really know about your children’s likes and dislikes? About what they are thinking? Use this time to get to know them better by asking questions like:
- What’s the best thing I’ve ever done for you?
- Do you remember your dreams? What are they about?
- What is your favorite food? What food would you rather not eat again?
- What makes you mad, sad, and glad?
Who You Gonna Call? — Provide an inexpensive toy telephone, and have your child call you, dad, grandma, or the family cat. Encourage him to talk about what he’s seen on your trip.
The Quiet Game — If all else fails, try this old standby for a few minutes of peace and quiet. The one who stays quiet the longest should receive a small surprise or their first choice of a snack.
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 Cindy Sumner is an author and a former contributing editor for MOMSense magazine. Her book, Dollars & Sense, is a practical, easy-to-understand guide that will help moms discuss and handle finances more effectively. She has written several other books including – Planes, Trains, and Automobiles… for Kids; Time Out for Mom… Aaahh Moments; Mommy’s Locked in the Bathroom: Surviving Your Child’s Early Years with Your Sanity and Salvation Intact; Family Vacations Made Simple; and Mommy’s Trapped in the Minivan: Surviving Your Child’s Middle Years with Your Sanity and Salvation Intact. Cindy lives in Sheldon, Illinois, with her husband John and their three children.
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