Car activities for kids: copilot!

What is a copilot car activity?

In this activity, your child plays the part of your copilot from the backseat of the car. You can do this activity during short car rides or on long road trips.

Why is a copilot car activity good for kids?

Play is how children learn. A copilot car activity is a great way for your child to play, learn and enjoy time with you.

This activity keeps your child engaged and entertained on a road trip. It also helps your child:

In the preschool years, your child will love having longer conversations with you. You can use these longer conversations to tune in to your child’s interests, thoughts and ideas. This means that copilot is not only a great skill-builder – it’s also a great way to build your relationship with your child. It might make the trip pass quicker for you both as well!

What you need for a copilot car activity

All you need for a copilot car activity is your imagination!

It’s about talking with your child and pointing out what’s going on inside and outside the car.

Copilot is the perfect activity for kids who are prone to motion sickness when they try to read, watch movies, draw or do craft in the car.

How to do a copilot car activity

Before you set off

Explain to your child that good pilots keep their eyes on the road. Let your child know that you won’t be able to turn around to talk to them, but you’ll still be able to hear them when they’re the co-pilot.

While you’re driving

Point out things to your child and ask them to describe what they see inside and outside the car.

Try these ideas:

Point out when the car is speeding up on a freeway or slowing down at a crossroads. After a while, see whether your child can guess when you’re speeding up or slowing down.
Ask your child to count the seconds between when the lights turn red and green – how long does it take?
If your child is an early reader, ask them to search for a car with a number plate containing a certain letter or number.
Ask your child what they see inside the car. For example, what buttons and levers can they see? What do they think the buttons and levers do?
Encourage your child to use their imagination. You might find yourself piloting a spaceship through a meteor shower or sailing a ship through a stormy, shark-infested sea.

How to adapt a copilot car activity for children of different ages

Younger children

Your child might enjoy pretending that they’re driving. You could make a steering wheel out of a paper plate before you leave. Talk to your child about turning the wheel when you go round corners. They could also pretend to put their foot on a brake to slow down or on an accelerator to speed up.

Your child might also enjoy imagining that they’re in a spaceship or some other kind of vehicle. You could ask them what they imagine they might see out the window.

Older children

If your child knows letters or numbers quite well, they might enjoy spotting these on street and road signs. They could look for signs and tell you how many kilometres to the next town or what speed you should be travelling at.

If your child knows the difference between left and right, you could ask them which way cars are turning.

How to adapt a co-pilot car activity for children with diverse abilities

If your child has a lot of energy, try getting them to do some physical activities before they get in the car. This might help them focus on the copilot activity.

If your child is still developing their communication skills, you could ask your child open-ended questions to encourage conversation. For example, ‘What can you see in the car?’ or ‘What can you see outside the car?’

If your child finds it hard to remember things, you might need to repeat the instructions every now and then to remind your child of what they’re looking for.

Looking for more play and learning ideas for your child? You might like to explore our other activity guides. Some of these have been created especially to suit children with diverse strengths and abilities.