Lap Games/Toys for Long Commute

do you sing songs? talk about your day what you are going to do ...also talk to the day care provider about when your child last receives a snack. I worked in day care for many years and parents would ask us not to give their children the last snack of the day. Now we were obligated by the state to give every child that wanted a snack a snack but we would make sure that child ate less of it so you can then feed him more in the car. Depending on your pick up time that may or may not be reasonable

3 words....PORTABLE DVD PLAYER!!!!!!! only use teh educational dvd's
have had one since son was 18 months old....anything over 20 minutes plugged it in to power outlet put padded headphones on him and hit play........now that he is 8 he only wants it on trips longer than 45 min since reading that long in a moving car gives him a headache...walmart has cool cases that attach to the back of your seat they ARE they best......just buy the cheapest since they do fall and get dropped we have been through about 4 in 6+ years

Auquadoodle is great, no mess and fun drawing over and over!

try a magna doodle or flashcards with interesting pictures!

Hi R.,
We got a little lap desk for the car at The Right Start or somewhere like that. My daughter can play all kinds of things on it, spread out her snacks, color, etc. Maybe save part of the breakfast for the ride so he has that on the way to school. Books on tape from the library are fun. Someone mentioned the Baby Einstein DVDs. I know you don't necessarily want to do that, but we also found them to be really great, particularly the one about Old MacDonald's Farm, transportation and neighborhood animals. We didn't do any TV, but these were fun and full of learning opportunities. Since you're in the car you could sing along or respond to what you're hearing, etc., so it would be interactive. He's pretty young to be able to entertain himself the whole time every day. Hope you find something that works.

Everyone seems to have a different opinion about TV /DVDs at young ages, but you may want to look into specific types of DVDs that are designed to educate and stimulate the mind of an infant/toddler. I'm not up on the latest ones since my kids are older, but the Baby Einstein series I remember as being excellent for teaching our children different things especially during those times that the parent needs to be focused on driving instead of trying to entertain / teach the child. Just a thought.

How about something to drink in a sippy cup. He must be hungry. That is a long drive for anyone, especially a toddler to be confined.

Take care
J.

Hi R.,
I have a very long commute with my kids (toddler and an infant). For my 2yr old, I keep a stash of books and toys in the car and will also bring whatever toy he's into at that time. Toy cell phones and things with buttons and noises can keep him amused (but annoying for me). If he drops a toy and I can reach back and pick it up, fine, but he also know that if I can't always reach it. I try to keep him attuned to the outside so that it's not a complete meltdown when he drops toys and some days he's happy just looking out the window. We look at trucks, trains, planes, etc. Truthfully, I wish I never started snacks in the car because he just wants more and more, the car's a mess with crumbs. Good luck!

I second the lap desk and an Auquadoodle. Also, we pack a huge backpack full of books for my daughter when we have long rides and I prop it up right next to her car seat so that she can reach and pull the books out herself. This keeps her entertained for a while. Also, if you get the lapdesk, you can tape a piece of construction paper on it and give your child some of those foam stickers. Those were really easy for my daughter to get the backings off of and she loved doing stickers all by herself (you will have to clean the backings up in your car later though, but you could make it a project with your son once you get home, it would only take a few minutes). With regular stickers, some of the sheets you can pull the backing off of and then their little hands can get those stickers off them selves as well.

Good Luck,
D.

A magna doodle is a great car toy, as are books, maybe even some with sound. That is a long ride for a little guy. What about some musical instruments to play with music- if it won't make you crazy)? Our library has a huge selection of kid's music cd's, and that's a way to always have a good variety, or find some music he loves. Talking to my kids usually helped a lot. Point out trucks and colors of cars around you on the roads, and I always talked to them about the traffic, etc. Then they know you're not happy to be there either, but it's just something you have to do. I hope this helps.
I applaud your reluctance to use dvd's. If you decide to, the Baby Einstein and similar, are NOT educational. All research shows they are not beneficial, and even detrimental to your child's development. Good luck!