Aha! What a great category.
Ten Ways To Have Fun On Long Car Rides
- Knit (duh).
- Read. This is what I used to do before I became obsessed by knitting, although I generally found a knit or crochet project to take along on vacation.
- Nap. Most of the long car rides I have taken in the past 36 years, i.e., since I was married, have been in a car long enough to accommodate some sort of bed/nest in the back. That makes it a LOT easier to nap. Just remember the pillows and blankie.
- Play games. Winner gets to drive, losers must run behind the car.
- The Category Game. This is one Smokey and I un-vented years ago, and my boys and I used to play it a lot during our many drives to and from the cabin (when I was driving and could not knit, sob). One person picks a category -- trees, countries that begin with B, characters in The Simpsons, whatever -- and names a thing in that category. Each player in turn has to name another thing in the category. When a player cannot think of a new thing in the category, s/he is out. This continues until only one person is left. That person is The Winner and gets to name the next category.
- The Alphabet Game, Category version. This one kept my boys and me entertained, too. The first person names something in the chosen category (which is decided upon ahead of time and must be fairly broad) that begins with A. The next player repeats the A thing and adds something in the category that begins with B. The next person repeats the A and B things and adds a C thing. This goes on until the end of the alphabet. Woe betide the person(s) who get stuck with Q, X, and Z.
- The Alphabet Game, visual version. I learned this one from friends when we were driving a goodly distance to see another friend who had moved. The first person names something s/he sees -- outside the car and not written on a sign -- that begins with A. Next person ditto with B. This version does not involve repeating the things previous players have named. We found this game to be surprisingly challenging.
- Daydream. One of my favorites is to imagine that I have won the lottery/inherited millions/somehow come into a sh!tload of money. What would I do with it? How much would I keep, where would I donate and with what stipulations, how much is appropriate to give my kids.
- Design objets d'knit in my head. I have come up with some dynamite designs. The only problem is that I never remember the stunning mental creation that I made once the car ride is over.
- Sing. This is one in which I have not engaged since high school. My family are not singers.