Beat the Traffic
By: Dennis and Monica Poliquit

“Traffic… too bad nakakabad-trip!”

Being stuck in traffic is not the best way to spend one’s day, but take this opportunity to bond with your kids. Here are some things you can do with the family while waiting in the car:

1. PLAY SOME GAMES!

Traffic won’t be so boring if you can play some games and laugh! Here are some of our favorite games to play:

Team Storytelling – one person begins by creating the first line of a story (the most common is “Once upon a time…” but be more creative!). The next person adds another line to the story, and each person takes turns making the story creative and funny. Try making up a story where the main characters are members of the family, and see where the adventure takes you.

License Plate – come up with a phrase or name using the license plates on the car next to you. For example, “EIC” could be “eat ice cream” or “Edward Irving Cruz.”
20 Questions – also known locally as “Pinoy Henyo!” Just try to guess what the person is thinking, or the word on a chosen piece of paper, using twenty questions. The other person should only answer with a “yes” or “no.”

Connect the Stars – a great game for the not so young and the family movie buff, like us. Think of two Hollywood stars and connect them through the different movies they’ve done. This is also called Six Degrees of Separation, and bonus points if Kevin Bacon is involved.

2. PLAY SOME MUSIC – WITH A TWIST!

The iPod and other mp3 players tend to isolate kids from their parents as they enter their own little world within their headsets. Share your favorite tunes with the rest of the car passengers with these fun activities:

Play “Car Idol!” – Our kids are singers, and “Car Idol!” lets them show off their singing abilities. Of course, they complain when we start singing…

Play “Name That Tune” – Plug in your iPod on the car’s stereo system and try to guess the title of the song when the first bars of music is played. Our kids can name all of Michael Jackson’s songs in one note!

Be the Car DJ – Take turns playing your favorite tunes, so everyone gets to hear something new and different. For the parents, share your love of the classics like the Beatles, Sinatra or some New Wave, then let your kids have their turn and play their favorite songs from “High School Musical” or Paramore. This way, you learn to appreciate each other’s musical taste.

3. REVIEW SCHOOL LESSONS!

In her talk on “Academic Excellence,” Queena Chua Lee shared the story of a dad and how he insisted on driving his kids to and from school. During the car trip (and traffic!), he would go over the subjects and homework of his kids, making sure the child understands the subject matter especially if it’s a lesson that isn’t quite easy.

While a thorough review of lessons can be a serious matter, try making it fun with these activities:
“I Spy…” – a review of colors, shapes, and alphabet for pre-schoolers can be fun when playing “I Spy…” Try looking for an object on the road and challenge the kids with “I spy with my little eye something that begins with the letter S!” (Stoplight) The person who guesses correctly goes next.

Read/Count Everything You See – practice your pre-school kids’ reading and counting skills by making them read all the billboards and signs they see, and count how many buses and jeepneys they encounter from the house to school.

Local History On The Road – You can also teach your kids a little about their local history by talking about the landmarks and road names they pass by each day. Our kids know all about the EDSA Revolution and who Manuel L. Quezon is just by passing through the People Power Monument and Quezon Circle every week.

The Geography Game – refresh your geography lesson by naming any place in the world (Paris, for example). The next person has to come up with a place that begins with the last letter of the first location. So, in this case, the next place would have to start with “S,” like “South Africa.”

Family Spelling Bee – find out who the best speller in the family is. This is always a good way to widen your vocabulary but be sure to tailor the words to the child’s age level.

Family Jeopardy – can be used for any topic, lesson or subject to be reviewed. Don’t forget to answer with a question.

4. TALK TO YOUR KIDS!

If you are a busy parent, each minute with your kid is precious, so make the most of your confined space and extra time. Being stuck in traffic often becomes our opportunity to have one-on-one talks with our kids, where nothing leaves the car. Get to know your kids once more – ask them how they are, what they’ve done in school, how they feel… just talk to them!

Dennis and Monica Poliquit are proud parents to 5 children, 4 of which are twins (2 sets). Dennis is the radio personality more popularly known as Big Daddy Jake of Magic 89.9 while Monica is the Assistant Editor for they magazine, Modern Teacher.