Later this month we are driving through the UK, taking the Eurotunnel to France and then driving on through Belgium to the Netherlands. We are so excited about our week away and have been planning and packing for what feels like weeks. Our holiday involves a long car journey so we will be packing items to keep the kids occupied in the car. They are 6 and 8 and we’ve done quite a few long car journeys so I thought I would share my top tips for keeping kids occupied on car journeys. Read on for an i-SPY giveaway too.
Top tips for keeping kids occupied on car journeys
It’s obvious but pack plenty of water and snacks. One of my children has a healthy appetite the other prefers smaller meals throughout the day. I make sure to have a variety of fruit, snacks, crisps and BEAR YoYos to prevent them getting hangry.
Make sure to take regular breaks for the driver to rest and everyone to have toilet breaks. Sometimes it feels like we’re forever stopping for a toilet break!
Make a scavenger list or use i-SPY books. We’re big fans of i-SPY books, little books where you can score points by ticking off things you see. They are great value little books which you can find in Smiths or at service stations but you can also find free printable scavenger hunts on Pinterest or make up your own.
Build in some screen time. My children love their screen time but they turn into monsters if they get too much. We try to balance it out with time spent on activity books, reading magazines and playing games as a family.
Play games as a family. So I spy is the easiest game to play but my children made up a similar version where we look for a certain colour. You can also play this with types of car or vehicles on the road, the list is endless!
Win a bundle of i-SPY books for kids
This year i-SPY are celebrating their 70th Anniversary. The iconic spotting guides, beloved by children and parents were first published in 1948 when creator, Charles Warrell, began selling small paperbacks versions in his local Woolworths. The simple, enduring formula remains unchanged – look around you, tick off what you see and once completed send off to receive a certificate and a badge.
To celebrate 70 years of i-SPY Collins are giving away limited editions of i-SPY badges to customers who complete their i-SPY guides. This is an exclusive limited run of 500 collector’s edition badges.
There are currently over 50 i-SPY books, including new guides for 2018 – i-SPY at the shops, i-SPY garden birds, i-SPY butterflies and moths and i-SPY In the city. i-SPY books are co-published by Collins and Michelin and are available at £2.99 from collins.co.uk and all good booksellers.
I have a bundle of 4 i-SPY books to giveaway to one winner, these are great boredom busters for kids! To enter my giveaway you must answer the question via the Rafflecopter widget below, there are some bonus entries too. The giveaway is open to those with a UK postal address only and ends on 8th August. The winners name will appear on this post. Good luck!
Don’t forget to check out my other giveaways on my competition page.
135 Comments
Tracy Nixon
August 9, 2018 at 9:22 ami-SPY are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year!
sandy
August 9, 2018 at 9:57 am70!
The graphics have changed but the concept is as good as ever.
Rhia P
August 9, 2018 at 10:18 am70th. I’d forgotten about these- had some when I was a kid!
Lorraine Stone
August 9, 2018 at 10:24 am70th Anniversary this year. These look great!
Jen A
August 9, 2018 at 10:38 amLoved these when I was younger, had the fact about Rosebay Willowherb drilled into me from the wild flowers book as I had to ask for help to get the 50 points! 😂 70th Anniversary this year.
Kirsty
August 9, 2018 at 10:53 amloved these when I was a kid and I think my boys will too. 70th anniversary
Kate Coldicott
August 9, 2018 at 10:56 am70th
dorothy merrett
August 9, 2018 at 11:06 ami-SPY are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year
k dunn
August 9, 2018 at 11:16 am70th anniversary
Suzanne Jackson
August 9, 2018 at 12:20 pm70th
Ashleigh Allan
August 9, 2018 at 12:37 pmTheir 70th anniversary
Zoe C
August 9, 2018 at 1:23 pm70th
Louise
August 9, 2018 at 1:33 pm70th I believe
Fozia Akhtar
August 9, 2018 at 1:38 pm70th
amy bondoc
August 9, 2018 at 1:45 pm70th 🙂
Emily Henley
August 9, 2018 at 2:22 pm70th! 🙂
Kim Neville
August 9, 2018 at 3:34 pm70th Anniversary this year
Sarah Rees
August 9, 2018 at 4:47 pmIts the 70th Anniversary
Simon Tutthill
August 9, 2018 at 5:40 pmIt’s their 70th great giveaway liked and shared
iain maciver
August 9, 2018 at 7:29 pm70th anniversary
Angela Treadway
August 9, 2018 at 7:40 pm70th anniversary x
Gillian Massey
August 9, 2018 at 7:48 pmtheir 70th Anniversary.
Gina M
August 9, 2018 at 8:24 pm70th anniversary
melanie stirling
August 9, 2018 at 8:25 pm70th anniversary
Mel Turner
August 9, 2018 at 9:05 pm70th anniversary
Solange
August 9, 2018 at 9:12 pm70th
susan lloyd
August 9, 2018 at 9:19 pm70 x
Sean Eccles
August 9, 2018 at 9:28 pm70 years!
Reminds me of my own childhood but updated!
Mark R
August 9, 2018 at 9:34 pm70th anniversary
Sadiyya Maryam
August 9, 2018 at 9:57 pm70th anniversary
Natalie Crossan
August 9, 2018 at 10:21 pm70th (wow) I had no idea – my daughter loves these books
Margaret Gallagher
August 9, 2018 at 10:56 pmThe 70th
Great fun for all our adventures
Stephanie Tsang
August 9, 2018 at 11:05 pm70th anniversary
Rich Tyler
August 9, 2018 at 11:59 pm70th Anniversary
Karen R
August 10, 2018 at 6:07 am70th xx
michelle o'neill
August 10, 2018 at 7:17 am70th
leanne weir
August 10, 2018 at 9:34 am70th.
Keith Hunt
August 10, 2018 at 12:24 pm70th
Dale Dow
August 10, 2018 at 1:04 pmTheir 70th Anniversary! Wow, that’s a long time
Susan B
August 10, 2018 at 1:51 pmThey are celebrating their 70th anniversary. It’s lovely that they have endured so long.
Kim Murray
August 10, 2018 at 1:58 pm70 years x
Maria blythin
August 10, 2018 at 2:43 pm70th
Elzbieta Znyk
August 10, 2018 at 4:23 pm70th Anniversary
Laura Banks
August 10, 2018 at 4:28 pm70th anniversary
Lorna Ledger
August 10, 2018 at 5:01 pm70th! 🙂
Margaret Clarkson
August 10, 2018 at 6:51 pm70th
Jade Hewlett
August 10, 2018 at 7:08 pm70th
Tracy Newton
August 10, 2018 at 7:53 pmISpy are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year
Kristy Brown
August 11, 2018 at 9:45 am70th
Sally Collingwood
August 11, 2018 at 11:33 am70th Anniversary
Christina Palmer
August 11, 2018 at 2:29 pm70th Anniversary. Happy Anniversary iSpy
Jo Fowler
August 11, 2018 at 4:28 pmI spy are celebrating their 70th anniversary
Mel Brolly
August 11, 2018 at 6:24 pmThey are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year!
Claire Woods
August 12, 2018 at 10:02 am70th
Laura Pritchard
August 12, 2018 at 3:40 pm70th Anniversary
Susie Wilkinson
August 12, 2018 at 9:23 pmThey’re celebrating their 70th anniversary!
Samantha O'D
August 13, 2018 at 8:41 am70th
Charlotte G
August 13, 2018 at 1:29 pmThey are celebrating their 70th anniversary!
Darren Jacobs
August 13, 2018 at 1:36 pm70th
jo liddement
August 13, 2018 at 5:03 pmi-SPY books are celebrating their 70th anniversary
SARAH GOODMAN
August 13, 2018 at 5:42 pm70th anniversary
Chris Andrews
August 13, 2018 at 7:29 pmTell me which anniversary the i-SPY books are celebrating this year?
their 70th
Ruth Harwood
August 14, 2018 at 9:48 am70 years!
Chris Wright
August 14, 2018 at 5:19 pm70
emil walker
August 14, 2018 at 8:24 pm70th x
Gary Topley
August 15, 2018 at 1:52 pm’70th anniversary’, thankyou for the competition x
Jackie
August 15, 2018 at 5:54 pm70th
Emily Hutchinson
August 16, 2018 at 3:23 pm70th
Holly Edmundson
August 16, 2018 at 9:11 pm70th, fab giveaway would love to win these for my daughters 😀
Tee Simpson
August 16, 2018 at 10:03 pm70th anniversary
Kim Carberry
August 18, 2018 at 5:51 pmi-SPY are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year
John Tingay
August 19, 2018 at 11:08 amIt’s the 70th Anniversary of i-SPY.
Lisa
August 19, 2018 at 11:55 am70th
Leanne Newsome
August 20, 2018 at 2:04 pm70th
Margaret Mccaffery
August 21, 2018 at 4:01 am70th anniversary
Rachael obrien
August 21, 2018 at 7:51 am70 🙂 Thankyou for this chance x
Marie Rungapadiachy
August 21, 2018 at 9:52 amThe answer is that they are celebrating their 70th anniversary.
sheri Darby
August 21, 2018 at 5:20 pm70 years
Susan Willshee
August 21, 2018 at 9:17 pm70th anniversary
Sam Parkes
August 21, 2018 at 10:31 pm70th
Lorraine Kirk
August 22, 2018 at 8:48 am70 years
Julie Edwards
August 22, 2018 at 1:29 pm70th anniversary
Dianne Parrinder
August 22, 2018 at 1:55 pm70th
kayleigh robinson
August 22, 2018 at 4:10 pm70 years!
paula cheadle
August 22, 2018 at 11:33 pm70th Anniversary
Mark Mccaffery
August 23, 2018 at 1:27 am70th anniversary
lauren carrett
August 23, 2018 at 8:16 am70th
Karen Howden
August 23, 2018 at 8:21 amI loved I Spy books while growing up, they are 70 years old this year
Laura Jones
August 23, 2018 at 9:32 amthe 70th anniversary
Sarah Mccaffery
August 23, 2018 at 12:11 pm70th anniversary
Erica Hughes
August 23, 2018 at 7:20 pm70th anniversary
Christine Lockley
August 23, 2018 at 8:57 pm70th anniversary
Emma Howard
August 23, 2018 at 8:57 pmTheir 70th anniversary
Danielle Spencer
August 24, 2018 at 6:11 ami-SPY are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year.
Lydia Graham
August 24, 2018 at 10:30 am70th
Natalie Gray
August 24, 2018 at 10:51 am70 th anniversary 🙂
steph lovatt
August 24, 2018 at 10:59 amTheir 70th anniversary
Karen Barrett
August 24, 2018 at 1:51 pmTheir 70th anniversary
Lisa Chappell
August 24, 2018 at 2:47 pm70th anniversary
Donna Caldwell
August 24, 2018 at 4:46 pm70th anniversary
janine atkin
August 24, 2018 at 8:46 pm70th Anniversary 🙂
Aaron Milne
August 24, 2018 at 10:18 pm70th Anniversary – WOW !!
Lisa Pond
August 24, 2018 at 11:45 pm70th anniversary
Robyn Clarke
August 25, 2018 at 12:03 am70th
A.E. ADKINS
August 25, 2018 at 5:57 am70th anniversary – so glad that these have made a comeback, I was given a couple of these as a child & loved them
Jules page
August 25, 2018 at 7:13 am70 anniversary.
Geoff Hibbert
August 25, 2018 at 7:35 am70th anniversary and still a cracking idea
Hayley Berwick
August 25, 2018 at 7:53 amOoh Happy 70th!!
Clare Hubbard
August 25, 2018 at 8:01 am70th
Yvette D
August 25, 2018 at 8:11 am70th
Sandra Fortune
August 25, 2018 at 8:27 amCelebrating their 70th Anniversary
Sophie Marie Cartwright
August 25, 2018 at 8:29 am70th Anniversary!
Michelle Ferguson
August 25, 2018 at 10:06 am70th anniversary
Rosie
August 25, 2018 at 10:10 am70th anniversary 🙂
zoe brown
August 25, 2018 at 10:45 am70th anniversary
Adrian Bold
August 25, 2018 at 11:30 am70th Anniversary
Pamela Murray
August 25, 2018 at 12:34 pm70th Anniversary this year.
Jeanette Leighton
August 25, 2018 at 1:02 pm70th
Charlotte Hoskins
August 25, 2018 at 2:29 pm70th Anniversary
Kate Davies
August 25, 2018 at 2:40 pm70th anniversary.
samantha brown
August 25, 2018 at 2:49 pm70th
Caroline Smith
August 25, 2018 at 3:36 pm70th anniversary
Angela Kelly
August 25, 2018 at 4:01 pmTheir 70th anniversary.
Maria Jane Knight
August 25, 2018 at 5:42 pm70th anniversary.
Emma Whittaker
August 25, 2018 at 6:13 pm70th Anniversary this year
Sheena Read
August 25, 2018 at 7:42 pm70th Anniversary
Laura Pyper
August 25, 2018 at 7:52 pm70 years
Shelley Steggles
August 25, 2018 at 7:54 pm70 AMAZING YEARS!!
tyree spicer
August 25, 2018 at 8:13 pm70th 🙂
Alison Macdonald
August 25, 2018 at 8:48 pm70th
Simone Griffin
August 25, 2018 at 9:05 pm70th
sharon stanley
August 25, 2018 at 9:06 pmThey are celebrating their 70th Anniversary. Will have to pick some up for the kids, didn’t know they were still about.
Danielle graves
August 25, 2018 at 9:19 pm70th
Lucinda Fortune
August 25, 2018 at 9:24 pm70th
Claire Little
August 25, 2018 at 10:41 pm70th anniversary