Our Top Ten Tips:

1. I spy with my little eye – we know it’s an old one but it never fails to get the whole family involved, can be particularly entertaining if you have a small child travelling with you and they happened to see a bicycle half a mile ago and you are still guessing!
2. Family Storytelling – each member of the family takes their turn in telling the next part of the story. Alternatively bring some audio stories – your library will probably have some for you to borrow.(or of course you can download them onto your mp3)
3. Make sure you plan lots of breaks, giving everyone a chance to stretch their legs, use the toilet and have one of the healthy snacks and drinks you packed!  Roadside service stations tend to charge extortionate prices and in my experience long car journeys, fast food and fizzy drinks don’t tend to mix too well and can end up quite messy…do I need to go any further? (This would be a good point to suggest that you have an easily accessible bag with a change of clothes and a packet of baby wipes - just in case!)
4. The ABC Game – starting with 'A' everyone in the car has to come up with a person’s name, an animal or perhaps a place name? This for some reason is an all-time favourite in our house and seems to span the age differences in the car; Toddlers through to teenagers.
5. IPods, iPads and all the wonderful technology that is on offer today does need to be mentioned. They can be expensive but may be worth the investment to keep everyone occupied. I was particularly thrilled to find the audio button on my recently purchased Kobo. My four year old loves to hear his favourite books read to him when I’m too busy trying to drive(Yes I know I’m a mother and I should be multi-tasking but driving and reading really doesn’t blend well, so he can listen happily and look at the illustrations without me feeling one iota of guilt)
6. The Guessing Game – 20 questions about what the person is thinking with only yes and no answers, It could be a celebrity or a well-known place.
7. Plan your journey. It may be much more direct and probably save lots of time charging down the motorway however why not make the journey part of the holiday or visit to Grandmas. Stop somewhere of interest for the whole family. As the kids run around snapping happily away and stretching their legs you may find yourself enjoying a decent cup of coffee, a little bit of peace and quiet and even discover a new little gem which you would have missed!
8. Cameras – whether you have a digital camera or phone that they can use or whether you include a disposable one in their goodie bag (see number 10) most children love taking photographs and it will be fun to see the journey from their camera view!
9. Yellow car. Sometimes known as the Banana Game. Whoever sees the yellow car first gets the point, 2 points for a van and 3 points for a lorry.
10. Goodie Bags – colouring books pens, comics, stickers, disposable cameras, surprise presents wrapped in paper for them to unwrap.