What to Do if You Can Plug Your Car in
8 Holiday-inspired activities that you can do in your car
From Christmas karaoke to decorating your vehicle, here's how to enjoy the holidays in any vehicle
I'm one of those people who wants their Christmas tree up the day after Hallowe'en — if I'm being honest, I would keep my Christmas tree up all year because I love it and it makes me happy, but it also takes up quite a bit of space, and don't even get me started on the glittery mess. Plus, leaving it up would mean we wouldn't be able to enjoy the yearly fun of setting it all up with the kids.
Anyway, eager to do Christmas-y things with my three young children, I searched the Internet for holiday-themed things to do with the kids in a car. I found a few, modified a few, and made up a few of my own.
I've put together a list of eight things — which you'll see below — but in an effort to be the "cool mom," we're also going to pick some of the things from this list to do in the weeks leading up to Christmas, because why not? I love adding to the stress for myself list of fun things to do with my family during the holiday season.
So, whether you'll be travelling throughout the holiday season — with children or other adults — or you just want do something fun in your vehicle, check out this list of holiday-themed things to do in your car. And remember to take pictures, tag us on Instagram or Twitter, and let us know how it went, or comment below with more ideas!
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Decorate the car
If you can decorate a tree, you can decorate a car. Top it off with something like a cinnamon air freshener for some extra holiday scents.
The kids will have fun decorating the car with fairy lights that you can get from the dollar store, or even a set on Amazon that plugs into the USB port and has an on/off switch, so it's not distracting while you're driving. If you're looking to waste a bit of extra time, get the kids to make some Christmas décor for the car. It's a fun activity for the kids and you'll get a little extra joy out of each drive leading up to the holiday.
The cool thing about decorating Christmas trees (or cars) is that there's no right or wrong way to do it. One year, I let the kids decorate the tree by themselves, which meant the ornaments went half-way up the tree and then abruptly stopped because that's as high as they could reach.
If you're looking for somewhere to start, we tried this in the 2021 Lincoln Navigator before taking it to a drive-through event in Kitchener, filled tons of light displays.
Christmas karaoke
Who doesn't love karaoke? If you're in a modern car, create a Spotify playlist, sync your phone through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and blast those Christmas tunes. Whether you're choosing traditional Christmas songs; or maybe, like me, you're more of a Mariah Carey fan, it's bound to get you in the holiday spirit.
If you want to up the fun factor a bit, go to the toy section in Dollarama and buy one of the toy microphones. It's not obnoxiously — or even remotely — loud, but it'll add to the experience by giving you a tiny echo while you belt out the high notes (specifically the Mariah ones). Bonus points for an awesome sound system that gets the bass bumping for this in-car event.
Go see lights around your neighbourhood
It's so simple, but so satisfying! And other than a bit of gas (though that's getting pricey), depending on how far you get, there's really no added cost to this simple thing to do in your car. There is always that one house in your neighbourhood that's been decked out. You know the one; you get a bit antsy every year to see it.
For us, it's not so much about the quantity or quality of lights; we get excited every year to drive down the street to see a lawn full of Minions that always gets put out. And we're always disappointed when we happen to drive by and see deflated Minions laying in the grass.
If you're feeling brave (which is rare for me), grab the kids or some friends and make a mini-road-trip out of it. Go check out some lights in another neighbourhood. Remember to comment below and tell us where the best displays are located; which city is known for its awesome light shows?
Drive-through events
As previously mentioned, after decorating our Navigator tester, we went to a drive-through event in Kitchener, Ontario. The Gift of Lights boasts over 300 animated and static light displays. Keep in mind that while the Gift of Lights (open until January 9, 2022) offered one price per car, many events charge per person. If you've got a big family, a light show can get fairly pricey.
The great thing about these events is that, aside from being COVID-19-safe, they're really simple outings. You never have to get out of the car, nor do you need to chase after any wandering children.
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Christmas scavenger hunt
When the kids are getting antsy in the car, we generally try the simplest form of entertainment: "I spy with my little eyes something that is (insert colour)." During the holidays, this is so much more fun because there are bright colours everywhere you turn!
Taking that idea one step further, there are many websites that provide free printable scavenger hunt lists . Print off a list (don't forget some car-safe [non-permanent] pencils or crayons to cross off what's been found) and the kids will now have a fun activity for the car ride. They can keep a look-out for different-coloured fairy lights, a snowman, Santa, reindeer, and anything else (pro tip: add one really difficult thing to find, it might keep them busier for just a little longer).
Hide a present in the car
Whether you're with kids or some adult friends, play a game of "Hot and Cold." If you've got a large SUV like the Land Rover Discovery, then it'll be fun to hide a few presents around the car, dispersing them amongst all the secret hiding spots. It could be fun in a smaller car, as well, but the glovebox is probably the most obvious hiding spot, making it a very short game.
If you want to make it really difficult, hide something really small like a little Hershey's Kiss — hidden in the right spot (and away from any heat) it could provide for a very interesting game.
If you really want to drag out the game, you could go all out and send your recipient on a treasure hunt, filled with tons of clues that lead to the final destination of the car (where you'll commence the game of Hot and Cold). If you're creative enough, you can write your own clues, but there are also tons of examples online .
Watch a movie on a projector
Sure, this sounds like a summer activity, and I don't want to tell you to go and buy a projector (they can be quite pricey) but we bought one a couple years ago, and it's entertained the kids on various occasions. We've set up the projector in our basement, for no reason other than trying to make watching a movie a bit more like going to the cinema (do people still do that?) and to make it more exciting than watching it on a television screen.
Now, I also don't want to tell you to waste gas and pollute the air by keeping your car running to provide the necessary heat for movie-watchers inside it during winter months, but consider this as an option if you've got an electric vehicle, or a million warm blankets. Grab your projector and plug it into the vehicle. Whether you are able to find an empty lot to legally park and shine a light on the side of a building for a couple hours; or just want to hang out in your driveway with the projector pointed at the garage door, it's bound to entertain the kids for as long as they're warm. To that end, it's probably a good idea to bring some hot chocolate. (Also: Home Alone is my go-to holiday movie.)
Drop off presents
I know, I know — this doesn't sound like much of a fun activity, but it can be, especially if you've incorporated any of the above activities into this outing. If not, this doesn't have to be another boring drive.
If you're on your own, grab a hot chocolate (or coffee or non-alcoholic eggnog), relax with some awesome tunes (doesn't have to be Christmas music), and be merry. Or, grab a couple hot drinks, pick up a friend, and catch up in the car while you get your errands completed. It's a win-win.
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What to Do if You Can Plug Your Car in
Source: https://driving.ca/car-culture/lists/8-holiday-inspired-activities-that-you-can-do-in-your-car
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