It’s fun to travel with kids because they emit a contagious enthusiasm. For that same reason, they are often not content with spending a lot of time in the hotel—meaning that you sometimes have to get creative to keep them entertained. Fortunately, there are a few surefire ways to do just that.

5 Ways to Keep Kids Entertained In a Hotel

1. Dabble in art.

Bring sketch pads, coloring books, pencils, pens, markers, and crayons. See where their imaginations take them, or challenge them by having them draw the view outside the windows. Perhaps they can make picture books with stories about their travel adventures. They might also draw faces on paper lunch bags to create puppets.

2. Make a playroom.

There are a lot of things you can do with colored tape. First, designate a particular area of your hotel room as a playroom. Then use the tape to spell out words, create pictures or shapes, make tracks for toy cars and trains, or create huge tic-tac-toe boards (you can mark paper plates with X’s and O’s for game pieces). 

3. Blow balloons.

It’s probably unsafe to keep balls inside a hotel room, but balloons have little chance of causing damage. Blow up a balloon and see who can keep it off any surface the longest. Children can also use markers to draw faces on them, and if they made puppets with lunch bags, a puppet show could be in the making.

4. Play games.

If you brought sketch pads, you could use them to play Pictionary®. You can also keep card and board games handy. Teach your kids games that you loved at their age, learn new ones together, or focus on games that are both fun and educational. Some games don’t require anything except enthusiastic participation, like charades.

5. Encourage physical activity.

Inside the hotel room, you can have jumping contests and judge who jumps the highest or the silliest. Alternatively, hold a small dance party or set up an obstacle course made of pillows, cushions, towels, and chairs. Failing all that, head to the hotel pool for a while. Let the kids wear themselves out with physical activity.

Combining quality with affordability, the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Clarksville, AR, will happily provide lodging to you and your kids. The inn features a pool, fitness center, 24-hour business center, and proximity to shopping and various attractions. For hotel reservations, call (479) 705-7600 or book online.