Music: The Key to Road Trip Survival

Blog post written by: Katie Pistilli.

Picture this: It’s the summer after a pandemic and your family is getting ready to road trip. The only problem is that your kids aren’t used to being in the car like they were a couple of years ago. Maybe since pre-covid times your family has grown, and you have a toddler who has never taken a road trip. Whatever your situation, times have changed for us all. Given all the change around us one fact remains true: music is the secret to road trip success. Whether it’s a 2-hour day trip or 10-hour adventure, here are some ideas for musical activities in the car. 

It’s All About Movement

Kids will always find a way to move, so you might as well make it musical! Artists like Laurie Berkener and Hap Palmer write music meant to get your kids smiling and dancing. Using music that prompts certain movements and activity can make the time pass faster. Not all songs are meant to be used in the car, but we identified a couple with movements that can be done from the backseat!  

Most of Laurie Berkener’s The Goldfish Song can be done from a car seat. In this song, little goldfish are told to take naps in between all of their activities. Pull it up on your phone and see what your kids think. Maybe they will even fall asleep! One of our therapists has recorded her own version of the song for you to enjoy. 

Try out Hap Palmer’s Sally the Swinging Snake. This silly song is bound to get some laughs out of your kids. It involves taking a sock off and pretending it is a snake!

Play a Game 

Do you remember doing the Freeze Dance when you were a kid? Throw on a familiar pop song like Can’t Stop the Feeling or Best Day of My Life and encourage your kids to dance along. Build some suspense, then surprise them by stopping when they least expect it! Bring back the tunes when you’re ready, or maybe give your kids a turn if they are able. If you have small instruments like shakers or jingle bells, the freeze dance game is a great opportunity to play them. 

Before you leave for your trip, make a playlist of your kid’s favorite songs to play a Guess that Song game. Start a song halfway through, and have the passengers in the car take turns guessing what song is playing. It’s like Jeopardy, but with music. Consider catering the song to the person. If Dad is guessing, pick a song he might know. If an older sibling is guessing, give them something they might like. To make it more challenging, have different members of the family guess songs that were already played for someone else. Maybe they will start to learn the favorite music of the adults in their lives! 

For Older Kids or Teens 

Have you ever shown your pre-teens or teenagers the music you liked when you were their age? If you have a teen in the car, take turns showing each other songs. You might be surprised to hear them singing along to a song that came out 15 years before they were born! Talking about music or reminiscing about the past with songs is a great way to connect. Maybe your teen will get a kick out of learning that cool new song they like is actually a remake from when you were their age! 

Are We There Yet? 

Before tablets and smartphones, kids played all kinds of road trip games and sang along to whatever was on the radio or in the CD player. Use that smartphone to your advantage, and bring your family together by streaming music, dance videos, playing games, and sharing songs. When kids are singing along and dancing to the music, they aren’t thinking “are we there yet?”. Soak up the sun this summer and all music has to offer to make your road trip fun!