Children as back-seat companions can make for a less than peaceful car journey. Here’s Abu Dhabi Week’s guide to keeping them quiet without having to resort to bribery
It always seems like a good idea to stuff the car with toys to keep them quiet, but it never seems to quite work out. Ten minutes later half of the toys are lost under the seats, others have been dismembered, and the remainder are being thrust under your nose. Try some simpler ploys to keep them entertained without the need to bring along half of their toy box.
Learn the lingo
Sitting in traffic is a daily experience at the moment in Abu Dhabi, with ongoing road works and developments and it’s definitely not a lot of fun for kids (or adults, if we’re being honest).
We’re quickly learning Arabic numbers and a few words just by staring at number plates and road signs while waiting for traffic lights to change. Create some simple flash cards for the kids with words like ‘car’ (saieara), ‘palm tree’ (nakhla), and ‘camel’ (gamal) – or write the Arabic numerals 1 to 10. Get them looking out the window to see if they can spot the objects and match them to their cards. It’ll squeeze little extra learning for them, plus it should keep them distracted while you navigate around Salam Street!
Guess who?
Get their imagination whirring with a game of ‘Guess Who’. Take it turns coming up with a story for a person you spot on the street or in another car. For example, “The man in the red car is going to the supermarket.” The next person then has to come up with a follow on sentence, repeating the sentence before it. “The man in the red car is going to the supermarket. He’s going to buy some eggs.” As long as they can remember all the sentences, they’ll come up with a long and amusing story which should have everyone in giggles by the end of the journey.
Shh!
Save your sanity with a sly game of ‘Quiet Mouse’ and enjoy a peaceful journey while the kids battle it out to see who can keep quiet the longest. Reward the winner with a responsible task, like looking after the map or handing over the money at the petrol station. It will show them that good behaviour means they can be treated as a ‘grown-up’.
Something beginning with ...
OK, so it’s not the most original of games, and it’s not one to play if you’re heading out into the desert (there are only so many things that can begin with ‘s’) but a game of ‘I Spy’ will keep young ones entertained en route to most destinations. Taking it in turns, the ‘spy’ has to let everyone know what letter the thing they’ve seen begins with – for example, ‘c’ for a cloud. The first person to guess correctly then spies the next object.
Easy as one, two, three ...
Draw out a chart with boxes for different coloured cars, trucks and lorries. Assign points to them – for example, a white car gets two points but a white truck gets four. Get them marking how many they spot along the journey; whoever gets the highest score at the end of the trip is the winner. The winner of what? Well, maybe the winner gets to allocate the points for the next round ...
Where are we going, what will we see?
Draw out a mini map for each of the kids, complete with fun things to look out for en route. It doesn’t have to be at the same level of detail for the map you’re working from to get to your destination a simple outline will do. Include any major landmarks, roundabouts and bridges. Your kids will feel more involved with the journey and they will gain a better idea of how long the trip will take.
Back-seat bingo
Keep them entertained with a game of bingo. Come up with a chart with a number of different items they’re might see along the way – like camels, cranes or sand dunes. Draw a picture for each object and give each one a number of points. Then give each child a copy and a pencil. The first to spot one of the objects has to call out the name of the item and where they can see it (so there’s no cheating!) The first person to cross out all the items is the winner.
Did you remember to bring ...
Keeping the car stocked up is essential for any car journey with kids on board. Keep a handy box in the boot with these useful things to ensure a smooth ride.
Baby wipes
Sticky faces and fingers seem to appear the minute their seat belts are on, so baby wipes are a must-have in the car. Keep them fresh and grubfree after a long day’s travelling with a simple wipe over.
Paper and crayons
When all else fails, get them doodling the view out of the window or anything that inspires them. Just try not to fret too much about the car upholstery!
Little essentials
Plasters, travel sickness tablets and plenty of water are just a few of the things it’s always wise to include when packing up the car for a long trip.

[Writer] Charlie Kennedy

 

[Originally published in Abu Dhabi Week vol 2 issue 13]