Waiting in Line? On a Road Trip? Some Ideas...

Okay, I know y'all are super smart & don't need these, but here are a few of the things we do with the boys when we have "ants in our pants" as the saying goes :)

- Play the ABC game. We play the ABC's of Christmas or Thanksgiving or our house or our family or history or anything really. Each letter of the alphabet has to begin a word that has to do with that particular subject. X does seem to always be eXcited or eXcellent something, but that's okay :) Try it, you'll be surprised what words your kids associate with events, holidays, etc. It also helps to remind them of the way things are properly spelled as well - but that's just a side bonus!

- Rhyming game. Just what it sounds like. Start with car & then each person has to add a word that rhymes with car. Then walk, kid, etc. Sounds simple, but I played this recently with the boys & it knocked 15 minutes off our card ride - I kid you not!

- Of course, the staple, I Spy. We put a twist on this & play "I spy something that rhymes with cheese" or "I spy something that Ian likes to read about" or whatever is particular to your location & family. Kind of gets them thinking b/c colors can get boring :)

- Spin the Utensils. At the table in a restaurant take a knife (because it's usually the heaviest & just seems to spin better) or the whole pack of utensils if still wrapped in a napkin. Choose a topic like your favorite food or place or book. Then spin the utensil. After each person has had a turn change the subject. Sometimes Mom or Dad has to inch a spin toward someone, but the boys really like this one. Of course, never mention that other popular game....unless you want to open a can of worms & confess to playing it when you were a teenager!

- License plate game - a different way. My Mom came up with this one - unusual, but great when you need a distraction & it gets them thinking. Let's say you spy a license plate with the letters G B L. You would say "the people in that car really like turkey" or somesuch & they have to figure out the word...gobble. Or S L Y. You could say "those people are really sneaky & then explain the meaning of 'sly as a fox' or that car must be filled with clowns...silly. You will be surprised how creative you can get. Ian gets the most out of this game, but Trevor is catching on.

- License plates on a map. One year I printed out a map of the US with just the state names on them & each time they saw a new state on a car's plate they shaded it in on the map. It was amazing how many different states are represented when you're on the road. Another take would be to place a tic on each state for how many times you saw that particular plate - omitting the state you're driving in, of course.

- When getting gas or taking a pit stop while on the road, ask the station on the interstate for directions to the nearest park - it's usually not too far & the dividends are amazing when you get back in the car & everyone has gotten the wiggles out in a fun way! It's also fun to explore a part of a city that you would normally have just driven through or purchased gas or SBX from :)

That's all for now, I've already taken up too much of your time. Share your thoughts - what is something unique to your family that really helps to pass the time when waiting?