Car games for one.

In the era of iPads, DS and movies in the car, we forget that some of the best games are low tech. Of course, you could play the license plate game, the "I'm going on a picnic game" or hunt for VW Beetles. But this post is for when Mom just wants it quieter for a few miles.

 I stumbled upon something fun by accident when my kids were little. The car is a great place to keep little handheld games - some battery operated and some not. Everything from the freebies and birthday party goodie bag fillers to the cool search game that someone got for Christmas years ago. These are the games no one will ever play with at home , because they are "too boring".   Funny thing happens - once a child is strapped into a seat in the car, these games suddenly become "fun"! My son's favorite is the little battery operated Connect Four game. My daughter likes Twenty Questions.  Other tag-a-long kids really like the freebie games like the battery free "baseball", which is just the chance to fling little metal balls into the plastic outfield for points. We also have battery operated Sodoku, Battleship, some marble mazes and various tic tac toe games. Don't get me wrong, we can't escape a long trip without a movie or two. But for some of those short errand running trips or carpool runs, a box of little handheld games is surprisingly "old school" fun!