Car Games with a baby
Here are some tips for entertaining a baby using travel games and car games when travelling with a baby in the car.
Read a book with good picture out loud
Even very young babies will respond to a good book. You do not have to read the book in full but they will enjoy hearing your voice as you point out objects in the pictures and it will make you feel as if you are communicating with baby. The best books to hold their attention are books with bright colours and photos of everyday objects, such as ABC Books, counting books and those with pictures of human faces in them.
Peek-a-Boo
What baby does not delight is this classic. You can disappear behind a book or your head rest and pop out or cover baby's eyes for a moment and let them pop out to see you.
Sing to Baby
Whether they are old time nursery rhymes or your favourite ones babied always love a good song and the sound of your voice can generally be very soothing for a baby.
Where is your nose
Teach a toddler or older baby to learn the parts of the body starting with the nose and working down the body.
Do a puppet show
Pick a soft and cuddly toy to use as a puppet to talk and play with your baby. Babies will love to cuddle puppets too and interact with them.
Play classical music or some nursery rhymes
We have all read that classical music may help boost baby's intelligence babies and grownups can both enjoy some Beethoven or Mozart. Less high brow but just as effective are the multitude of nursery rhymes that you can get on CD which all children will love and it may well put them to sleep.
Travel Toys
Travel toys for babies are generally similar to those that you would use at home. They need to be safe, easy to keep clean, dispensable, impossible to swallow, safe, without sharp corners and attention grabbing. Anything that plays music can be a help in distracting children if they are distressed and help getting them to sleep. Things that are interesting to look at will always be great for babies as well as teething toys and toys that they can hold and rattle. A mobile or interesting play mat to distract either over the cot or in the car may also be a good investment. Remember that young babies tend to drop things on a regular basis and where possible you should try to attach them in a safe and secure way.
Top tips for toys to entertaining your baby when travelling
Toys with sound effects
Teething rings
Mirrors and rattles
Shape sorters
Wrist and sock rattles
A puppet for your hands or fingers
Spoons for chewing
A play mat
A mobile
The difference preparation will make when you are travelling in a car with a baby is immense and proper timing, appropriate stocks and good in-car entertainment will make a huge difference to this experience. We have provided a long list of top tips for car journeys with kids and hope that you will find them useful. We also have a long list of top car games and travel games to play with older children and downloadable colouring links all of which are free.
You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday.
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