You would normally think that when kids are stuck in the car, there’s no way to get them moving.
This is not ideal, as many of us parents know. We’re all too familiar with what happens to all that pent-up energy. We’re all too familiar with the tantrum that brews inside their little bodies because there’s too much energy they can’t get rid of.
And when on a long road trip (or in a transatlantic flight!), we pray for things not to get there.
In comes the movement cards.
What Are Movement Cards?
Contents
Movement cards usually have actions that need a bigger space. You’ll find movements like:
- slither like a snake
- hop like a rabbit
- do 10 jumping jacks
They make for great brain breaks at home or in the classroom. It’s also a fun toddler activity for developing gross motor skills.
Unfortunately, many of these games are not doable in the confines of a car while strapped in a car seat!
So we’ve made our own movement cards that work well in cars, trains, airplanes — whenever you travel with your toddler.
The Toddler Movement Card Game For A Road Trip
What makes these movement cards different is they’re actions toddlers can easily do without getting off their chairs.
And yet! They can still move parts of their body to help release all the pent up energy.
If you and the rest of the family also really get into it, it’s a very fun game to do together. You might even release your own pent-up stressed energy, too.
The Actions
You can easily make your own action card deck. But if you don’t have the time, our action cards are available as part of the toddler travel binder printables which we sell at the shop.
There are 24 actions in our movement card deck. They include actions like:
- spread your fingers as far away from each other as possible and count to 10
- roar like a dinosaur
- flap your arms like a bird
- make circles with your wrist
They’re all easy enough for toddlers and preschoolers to do.
Here are all the actions included in this movement cards.
Make This A Fun Road Trip Activity for Toddlers: How to Play the Game
This works best when you have a kids lap desk or travel tray for car seats.
If you haven’t played this with your toddler before, do the game yourself first so she knows exactly what you need to do to play this game.
Some toddlers may need a little bit of time to get used to how it’s played, but some toddlers will immediately get drawn to it.
Version 1:
Stack each card one on top of the other and have your child pick a card from the deck.
He then does the action the card requires. Some toddlers might need a little help with some of the actions.
When your child is finished with the action, put the card back in the deck. Then it’s your turn.
Keep on doing this until your child gets bored!
Note: For some children, this could go on for a very long time.
Version 2:
Put five cards upside down. Have your child pick one card. After he does the action, take the card out of the pile. Then it’s your turn. Keep going until you finish all 5 cards.
Get This Printable Action Card Deck
This set of movement cards is available as part of the Toddler travel kit in our shop. Click here to see all the 13 games and activities.