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Top tips for keeping kids occupied on car journeys

Top tips for keeping kids occupied on car journeys {i-SPY giveaway}

Posted on August 9, 2018 by jenny

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.

how much screen time on a car journey

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.

summer holiday boredom busters for kids

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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Category: competition, Family Life, parenting

135 thoughts on “Top tips for keeping kids occupied on car journeys {i-SPY giveaway}”

  1. Tracy Nixon says:
    August 9, 2018 at 9:22 am

    i-SPY are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year!

    Reply
  2. sandy says:
    August 9, 2018 at 9:57 am

    70!
    The graphics have changed but the concept is as good as ever.

    Reply
  3. Rhia P says:
    August 9, 2018 at 10:18 am

    70th. I’d forgotten about these- had some when I was a kid!

    Reply
  4. Lorraine Stone says:
    August 9, 2018 at 10:24 am

    70th Anniversary this year. These look great!

    Reply
  5. Jen A says:
    August 9, 2018 at 10:38 am

    Loved 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.

    Reply
  6. Kirsty says:
    August 9, 2018 at 10:53 am

    loved these when I was a kid and I think my boys will too. 70th anniversary

    Reply
  7. Kate Coldicott says:
    August 9, 2018 at 10:56 am

    70th

    Reply
  8. dorothy merrett says:
    August 9, 2018 at 11:06 am

    i-SPY are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year

    Reply
  9. k dunn says:
    August 9, 2018 at 11:16 am

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  10. Suzanne Jackson says:
    August 9, 2018 at 12:20 pm

    70th

    Reply
  11. Ashleigh Allan says:
    August 9, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    Their 70th anniversary

    Reply
  12. Zoe C says:
    August 9, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    70th

    Reply
  13. Louise says:
    August 9, 2018 at 1:33 pm

    70th I believe

    Reply
  14. Fozia Akhtar says:
    August 9, 2018 at 1:38 pm

    70th

    Reply
  15. amy bondoc says:
    August 9, 2018 at 1:45 pm

    70th 🙂

    Reply
  16. Emily Henley says:
    August 9, 2018 at 2:22 pm

    70th! 🙂

    Reply
  17. Kim Neville says:
    August 9, 2018 at 3:34 pm

    70th Anniversary this year

    Reply
  18. Sarah Rees says:
    August 9, 2018 at 4:47 pm

    Its the 70th Anniversary

    Reply
  19. Simon Tutthill says:
    August 9, 2018 at 5:40 pm

    It’s their 70th great giveaway liked and shared

    Reply
  20. iain maciver says:
    August 9, 2018 at 7:29 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  21. Angela Treadway says:
    August 9, 2018 at 7:40 pm

    70th anniversary x

    Reply
  22. Gillian Massey says:
    August 9, 2018 at 7:48 pm

    their 70th Anniversary.

    Reply
  23. Gina M says:
    August 9, 2018 at 8:24 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  24. melanie stirling says:
    August 9, 2018 at 8:25 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  25. Mel Turner says:
    August 9, 2018 at 9:05 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  26. Solange says:
    August 9, 2018 at 9:12 pm

    70th

    Reply
  27. susan lloyd says:
    August 9, 2018 at 9:19 pm

    70 x

    Reply
  28. Sean Eccles says:
    August 9, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    70 years!
    Reminds me of my own childhood but updated!

    Reply
  29. Mark R says:
    August 9, 2018 at 9:34 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  30. Sadiyya Maryam says:
    August 9, 2018 at 9:57 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  31. Natalie Crossan says:
    August 9, 2018 at 10:21 pm

    70th (wow) I had no idea – my daughter loves these books

    Reply
  32. Margaret Gallagher says:
    August 9, 2018 at 10:56 pm

    The 70th
    Great fun for all our adventures

    Reply
  33. Stephanie Tsang says:
    August 9, 2018 at 11:05 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  34. Rich Tyler says:
    August 9, 2018 at 11:59 pm

    70th Anniversary

    Reply
  35. Karen R says:
    August 10, 2018 at 6:07 am

    70th xx

    Reply
  36. michelle o'neill says:
    August 10, 2018 at 7:17 am

    70th

    Reply
  37. leanne weir says:
    August 10, 2018 at 9:34 am

    70th.

    Reply
  38. Keith Hunt says:
    August 10, 2018 at 12:24 pm

    70th

    Reply
  39. Dale Dow says:
    August 10, 2018 at 1:04 pm

    Their 70th Anniversary! Wow, that’s a long time

    Reply
  40. Susan B says:
    August 10, 2018 at 1:51 pm

    They are celebrating their 70th anniversary. It’s lovely that they have endured so long.

    Reply
  41. Kim Murray says:
    August 10, 2018 at 1:58 pm

    70 years x

    Reply
  42. Maria blythin says:
    August 10, 2018 at 2:43 pm

    70th

    Reply
  43. Elzbieta Znyk says:
    August 10, 2018 at 4:23 pm

    70th Anniversary

    Reply
  44. Laura Banks says:
    August 10, 2018 at 4:28 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  45. Lorna Ledger says:
    August 10, 2018 at 5:01 pm

    70th! 🙂

    Reply
  46. Margaret Clarkson says:
    August 10, 2018 at 6:51 pm

    70th

    Reply
  47. Jade Hewlett says:
    August 10, 2018 at 7:08 pm

    70th

    Reply
  48. Tracy Newton says:
    August 10, 2018 at 7:53 pm

    ISpy are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year

    Reply
  49. Kristy Brown says:
    August 11, 2018 at 9:45 am

    70th

    Reply
  50. Sally Collingwood says:
    August 11, 2018 at 11:33 am

    70th Anniversary

    Reply
  51. Christina Palmer says:
    August 11, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    70th Anniversary. Happy Anniversary iSpy

    Reply
  52. Jo Fowler says:
    August 11, 2018 at 4:28 pm

    I spy are celebrating their 70th anniversary

    Reply
  53. Mel Brolly says:
    August 11, 2018 at 6:24 pm

    They are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year!

    Reply
  54. Claire Woods says:
    August 12, 2018 at 10:02 am

    70th

    Reply
  55. Laura Pritchard says:
    August 12, 2018 at 3:40 pm

    70th Anniversary

    Reply
  56. Susie Wilkinson says:
    August 12, 2018 at 9:23 pm

    They’re celebrating their 70th anniversary!

    Reply
  57. Samantha O'D says:
    August 13, 2018 at 8:41 am

    70th

    Reply
  58. Charlotte G says:
    August 13, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    They are celebrating their 70th anniversary!

    Reply
  59. Darren Jacobs says:
    August 13, 2018 at 1:36 pm

    70th

    Reply
  60. jo liddement says:
    August 13, 2018 at 5:03 pm

    i-SPY books are celebrating their 70th anniversary

    Reply
  61. SARAH GOODMAN says:
    August 13, 2018 at 5:42 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  62. Chris Andrews says:
    August 13, 2018 at 7:29 pm

    Tell me which anniversary the i-SPY books are celebrating this year?
    their 70th

    Reply
  63. Ruth Harwood says:
    August 14, 2018 at 9:48 am

    70 years!

    Reply
  64. Chris Wright says:
    August 14, 2018 at 5:19 pm

    70

    Reply
  65. emil walker says:
    August 14, 2018 at 8:24 pm

    70th x

    Reply
  66. Gary Topley says:
    August 15, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    ’70th anniversary’, thankyou for the competition x

    Reply
  67. Jackie says:
    August 15, 2018 at 5:54 pm

    70th

    Reply
  68. Emily Hutchinson says:
    August 16, 2018 at 3:23 pm

    70th

    Reply
  69. Holly Edmundson says:
    August 16, 2018 at 9:11 pm

    70th, fab giveaway would love to win these for my daughters 😀

    Reply
  70. Tee Simpson says:
    August 16, 2018 at 10:03 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  71. Kim Carberry says:
    August 18, 2018 at 5:51 pm

    i-SPY are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year

    Reply
  72. John Tingay says:
    August 19, 2018 at 11:08 am

    It’s the 70th Anniversary of i-SPY.

    Reply
  73. Lisa says:
    August 19, 2018 at 11:55 am

    70th

    Reply
  74. Leanne Newsome says:
    August 20, 2018 at 2:04 pm

    70th

    Reply
  75. Margaret Mccaffery says:
    August 21, 2018 at 4:01 am

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  76. Rachael obrien says:
    August 21, 2018 at 7:51 am

    70 🙂 Thankyou for this chance x

    Reply
  77. Marie Rungapadiachy says:
    August 21, 2018 at 9:52 am

    The answer is that they are celebrating their 70th anniversary.

    Reply
  78. sheri Darby says:
    August 21, 2018 at 5:20 pm

    70 years

    Reply
  79. Susan Willshee says:
    August 21, 2018 at 9:17 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  80. Sam Parkes says:
    August 21, 2018 at 10:31 pm

    70th

    Reply
  81. Lorraine Kirk says:
    August 22, 2018 at 8:48 am

    70 years

    Reply
  82. Julie Edwards says:
    August 22, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  83. Dianne Parrinder says:
    August 22, 2018 at 1:55 pm

    70th

    Reply
  84. kayleigh robinson says:
    August 22, 2018 at 4:10 pm

    70 years!

    Reply
  85. paula cheadle says:
    August 22, 2018 at 11:33 pm

    70th Anniversary

    Reply
  86. Mark Mccaffery says:
    August 23, 2018 at 1:27 am

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  87. lauren carrett says:
    August 23, 2018 at 8:16 am

    70th

    Reply
  88. Karen Howden says:
    August 23, 2018 at 8:21 am

    I loved I Spy books while growing up, they are 70 years old this year

    Reply
  89. Laura Jones says:
    August 23, 2018 at 9:32 am

    the 70th anniversary

    Reply
  90. Sarah Mccaffery says:
    August 23, 2018 at 12:11 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  91. Erica Hughes says:
    August 23, 2018 at 7:20 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  92. Christine Lockley says:
    August 23, 2018 at 8:57 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  93. Emma Howard says:
    August 23, 2018 at 8:57 pm

    Their 70th anniversary

    Reply
  94. Danielle Spencer says:
    August 24, 2018 at 6:11 am

    i-SPY are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year.

    Reply
  95. Lydia Graham says:
    August 24, 2018 at 10:30 am

    70th

    Reply
  96. Natalie Gray says:
    August 24, 2018 at 10:51 am

    70 th anniversary 🙂

    Reply
  97. steph lovatt says:
    August 24, 2018 at 10:59 am

    Their 70th anniversary

    Reply
  98. Karen Barrett says:
    August 24, 2018 at 1:51 pm

    Their 70th anniversary

    Reply
  99. Lisa Chappell says:
    August 24, 2018 at 2:47 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  100. Donna Caldwell says:
    August 24, 2018 at 4:46 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  101. janine atkin says:
    August 24, 2018 at 8:46 pm

    70th Anniversary 🙂

    Reply
  102. Aaron Milne says:
    August 24, 2018 at 10:18 pm

    70th Anniversary – WOW !!

    Reply
  103. Lisa Pond says:
    August 24, 2018 at 11:45 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  104. Robyn Clarke says:
    August 25, 2018 at 12:03 am

    70th

    Reply
  105. A.E. ADKINS says:
    August 25, 2018 at 5:57 am

    70th anniversary – so glad that these have made a comeback, I was given a couple of these as a child & loved them

    Reply
  106. Jules page says:
    August 25, 2018 at 7:13 am

    70 anniversary.

    Reply
  107. Geoff Hibbert says:
    August 25, 2018 at 7:35 am

    70th anniversary and still a cracking idea

    Reply
  108. Hayley Berwick says:
    August 25, 2018 at 7:53 am

    Ooh Happy 70th!!

    Reply
  109. Clare Hubbard says:
    August 25, 2018 at 8:01 am

    70th

    Reply
  110. Yvette D says:
    August 25, 2018 at 8:11 am

    70th

    Reply
  111. Sandra Fortune says:
    August 25, 2018 at 8:27 am

    Celebrating their 70th Anniversary

    Reply
  112. Sophie Marie Cartwright says:
    August 25, 2018 at 8:29 am

    70th Anniversary!

    Reply
  113. Michelle Ferguson says:
    August 25, 2018 at 10:06 am

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  114. Rosie says:
    August 25, 2018 at 10:10 am

    70th anniversary 🙂

    Reply
  115. zoe brown says:
    August 25, 2018 at 10:45 am

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  116. Adrian Bold says:
    August 25, 2018 at 11:30 am

    70th Anniversary

    Reply
  117. Pamela Murray says:
    August 25, 2018 at 12:34 pm

    70th Anniversary this year.

    Reply
  118. Jeanette Leighton says:
    August 25, 2018 at 1:02 pm

    70th

    Reply
  119. Charlotte Hoskins says:
    August 25, 2018 at 2:29 pm

    70th Anniversary

    Reply
  120. Kate Davies says:
    August 25, 2018 at 2:40 pm

    70th anniversary.

    Reply
  121. samantha brown says:
    August 25, 2018 at 2:49 pm

    70th

    Reply
  122. Caroline Smith says:
    August 25, 2018 at 3:36 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply
  123. Angela Kelly says:
    August 25, 2018 at 4:01 pm

    Their 70th anniversary.

    Reply
  124. Maria Jane Knight says:
    August 25, 2018 at 5:42 pm

    70th anniversary.

    Reply
  125. Emma Whittaker says:
    August 25, 2018 at 6:13 pm

    70th Anniversary this year

    Reply
  126. Sheena Read says:
    August 25, 2018 at 7:42 pm

    70th Anniversary

    Reply
  127. Laura Pyper says:
    August 25, 2018 at 7:52 pm

    70 years

    Reply
  128. Shelley Steggles says:
    August 25, 2018 at 7:54 pm

    70 AMAZING YEARS!!

    Reply
  129. tyree spicer says:
    August 25, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    70th 🙂

    Reply
  130. Alison Macdonald says:
    August 25, 2018 at 8:48 pm

    70th

    Reply
  131. Simone Griffin says:
    August 25, 2018 at 9:05 pm

    70th

    Reply
  132. sharon stanley says:
    August 25, 2018 at 9:06 pm

    They are celebrating their 70th Anniversary. Will have to pick some up for the kids, didn’t know they were still about.

    Reply
  133. Danielle graves says:
    August 25, 2018 at 9:19 pm

    70th

    Reply
  134. Lucinda Fortune says:
    August 25, 2018 at 9:24 pm

    70th

    Reply
  135. Claire Little says:
    August 25, 2018 at 10:41 pm

    70th anniversary

    Reply

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Welcome to the gingerbread house blog. I’m Jenny, London mum of two teens. Craft and family lifestyle blogger, occasional baker of gingerbread. Find out more about us, our latest crafts, and be inspired by our days out. Contact me jenny@the-gingerbread-house.co.uk

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