New research has revealed that far from looking forward to a three day weekend, parents in the South East are considering Bank Holidays a nightmare.

More than one in three (36 per cent) worrying about how to keep the children entertained and occupied over the long weekend – especially when it comes to long car journeys.

The research, commissioned by learndirect, surveyed parents with children aged up to 12, and found that braving the country’s roads and motorways with the children causes the most stress for more than one in ten parents (13 per cent).

Findings further reveal that nearly two in five (38 per cent) kids get bored in just 15 minutes if they have nothing to do. And with the RAC warning of unprecedented bank holiday congestion, cars and kids are a recipe for raised blood pressure amongst parents, warns learndirect.

When it comes to long car journeys, traditional car games are still the best way to keep the kids occupied, with nearly 70 per cent of parents in the South East opting for the likes of ‘I Spy’ or ‘counting cows’.

A similar number of parents also bring books to keep their kids busy on long journeys. However, more than half are forking out for the latest games consols and portable DVD players to keep their cherubs busy.

Celebrity parents Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford know only too well the stress that long car journeys can cause.

Ruth said: “Our young son gets very bored on long car journeys, so I need to plan ahead with ways to keep him entertained.

“This Bank Holiday, learndirect is encouraging parents to pick up their free copy of ‘Where Did The River Go?’ as a way of keeping your kids occupied. We love it because there are maths & English puzzles as well as a great story by famous children’s author Peter Corey. Our Jack calls it the magic book!’

Eamonn helped create the story book alongside his wife.

Another way to help combat boredom and restlessness in the car, suggested by top Child Psychologist and author, Dr Richard Woolfson, is to devise a simple way of calculating the number of distractions needed to keep your child happy whilst on the move.

According to Dr Woolfson, the length of the journey (in minutes) divided by the amount of time (in minutes) it takes before your child gets bored, multiplied by how excited your child is about getting to the destination (on the scale 1 = exceedingly excited; 10 = not bothered) will determine how many distractions are required for the journey.

Visit the learndirect website www.wheredidtherivergo.co.uk to find out more on how to get your free copy of ‘Where Did The River Go?’.

You can also find your nearest learndirect centre by logging onto www.learndirect-skills.co.uk or by calling the freephone number 0800 101 901.