Road Trip Entertainment for Almost-2-Year-Old (Toy Recommendations? Ideas?)

Updated on July 27, 2012
M.K. asks from Birmingham, AL
13 answers

At the end of next week, I am driving (not including stops, etc.) 10 hours with my 23-month-old and my large dog. It'll be just the 3 of us. Because it is summer, I cannot leave the furry one in the car for even a few minutes (not without leaving the car running, that is). But he will need out, of course (which is fine--I will have a baby carrier backpack and a stroller), as will my daughter. Given this situation, however, she won't be able to stretch her legs too much (although I foresee stopping a couple times just to let her crawl around the van--it's not ideal, but it may help). I'm a little nervous about her restlessness because of the limited movement, but I think we'll manage on that end.

What REALLY has me anxious is what to do to entertain her for all that time. I have thought about leaving in the afternoon so that we can do a little night driving (so that she would sleep a couple of her usual bedtime hours in the car--but not more than a few!). She hasn't slept in the car since she was just over a year old, except for the last time we had to do a similar drive (without the dog); I am hoping for some good luck there--do as much of the bedtime routine as possible, but just do it in the car (worked like a charm last time.... but that was 7-8 months ago!). And I don't think breaking it up into a 2-day trip would help overall, but that may be a possibility.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on toys or other activities that would entertain a 23-month-old stuck in her car seat for such a long time. I have thought about trying to get a portablke DVD player (even though that's not totally our style, I knwo it would buy a couple hours over the course of the trip). But I am at a loss and really want her to have as much of a good time as she can given the situation. And yes, we have to make this trip (so please don't say anything negative--this is not an ideal situation for any of us, and I already feel guilty enough). No, we cannot board our pup for the time we'll be gone (we usually do, but it's not possible now). Yes, I am going to do my best to get the furry one out to walk some (also a distraction for my daughter), as well as let my little girl climb around IN the vehicle. But I want to have a plan for while she's in her carseat, too!

So, if anyone has any recs of super-fantastic-awesome toys that 2-year-olds just LOOOOVE, please let me know!!! Or any activities for toddlers in cars! I really appreciate any ideas (and for anyone who has actually read to this point!). Thank you!!

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So What Happened?

Thank you SO much to all of you--you have given me some great ideas, and I am not dreading the drive part of the trip so much now! When the little one gets up from her nap, we're off to Target and Michael's to look for some of the toys y'all suggested! I hadn't thought about magnets, and I had forgotten we have a Leapster thing (in a closet somewhere, so I'll have to dig that out)! You all are so helpful, and I am really, really grateful. Thank you!

And I did want to clarify to the mom who asked if I was going to let my daughter crawl around the car while driving.... No, OF COURSE NOT!!! :) Even my dog has a seat belt contraption!! (I actually laughed about it, but I guess I shouldn't in some ways because some parents don't take it that seriously, and once in awhile, you do see kids unbuckled in cars. Sad. I DO appreciate you asking about it, though. We are a VERY safety-conscious, and maybe somewhat over-protective, family). Oh, and we have a minivan with the back seats stowed, but the couple (literally, 2) times I have had my daughter out of her seat in the car--when we've been waiting for someone to show up somewhere where we'll all be getting out of the car--I have just let her in the front passenger seat, just so she isn't strapped into a sitting position for a few minutes. And she has either sat there with toys or held on to the back of the seat and jumped. I just thought that little break would be better than nothing, if push comes to shove along the way (because if we get out of the car, it'll have to be with the 90-pound dog, too.... which limits our options significantly). :) And I don't mean to single you out or sound defensive--I just wanted to clarify a couple things, mostly that I agree that no kid should be unrestrained in a vehicle.

And to the person who said, "unless she's a fusser," yeah, she can be quite the fusser (and whiner), haha (but not always--people always remark about her being laid-back and sweet.... but when it's just the two of us, she needs ALL my attention 95% of the time! I guess that's part of the deal, huh?). BUT I think with everyone's suggestions here, we can minimize the fussing! Yay!

Thank you again to each and every one of you for (hopefully) saving my sanity in the near future. It is going to be a long trip, but I am looking forward to some of the planning now--looking for parks, shopping for a few of the toys (MagnaDoodle, magnets, etc.). Y'all rock!! :D

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B.M.

answers from Dallas on

We recently did a trip half as long with my 2 year old. A few things that worked well were music (she loves to "sing"), DVD's, and books. I will have to say though, the most successful "toy" we brought was a cookie sheet with magnets. A friend had given me this idea and it occupied her for quite a while. She would sit there and hold that cookie sheet and just play with magnets.....looked completely boring to me, but she had the best time taking them off, putting them on, taking them off, etc, etc! Easy and cheap entertainment. LOL!

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

We just flew six hours each way. Window clings and other assorted finds at the dollar store went a LONG way. Just don't bother with their chalkboard/chalk/eraser combo... my four year old couldn't even press hard enough to make the chalk write on the board.

Also, don't discount the view, the radio and just talking with her.

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J.G.

answers from Chicago on

Leave in the afternoon, around 4. Drive for a while, eat, drive another hour, get her ready for bed. Tell her a story, and she will fall asleep by 9 or so. And she should sleep. Hubby and I travel this way, and it has always worked out for us.........

I swear by DVD players in the car for long drives. Regular toys only entertain for a few minutes, while a movie keeps them happy for at least an hour.

If you are going to do night driving, make sure the driver has taken some sort of aid to keep him/her up. My hubby takes the cold medicine that truck drivers use. It's like having 3 cups of coffee and lasts for a bunch of hours. No need to stop to go pee!

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G.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

I stopped in small town playgrounds just a few minutes off the highway to let my 2 year old run around and tire out so she was ready to eat and rest when we got back in the car. Also I bought some inexpensive surprise toys(stickers, bubbles, dollar store etc, that I kept handy to pull out in times of desperate need. Good luck. No one toy will work, as they get tired easy . The best is an iPad w Netflix subscription and lots of toddler apps, they learn and get unlimited movie choices w the 3G. So you don't have to carry a DVD. But really ten hours will fly by. I drove 30 alone with my daughter and she did just fine!

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R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

A Doodle Pro Travel Doodler by Fisher- Price is nice because she can scribble and draw without crayons to lose or make a mess with, and erase the page and start all over.
http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/doodlepro/produc...

Also a small doll or lovey to hold, snuggle with and talk to, some board books she can look at on her own, and some CD's with music she likes to listen to. You can tell her stories, use the time to point out and talk to her about what you're seeing along the way, about where you're going and what you'll do once you get there.

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M.B.

answers from Austin on

As far as stops, the roadside rest stops are fantastic for toddlers! And, since you will have the dog, both of you can take short walks.... some of them have playgrounds, also. The paths (depending on the kind of rest stop) would be great for your little one to stretch her legs, and work off some of her stored energy....

I prefer leaving early in the morning, but I'm a morning person... I do just fine early morning, but once night hits, I start dozing... hubby is the opposite, though.. and would rather drive late at night, and gets frustrated that I fall asleep on him, when he wants me to help keep him awake!

I don't know what kind of car you have, but can you put her car seat in the middle of the back seat? that way she might be able to see you easier.. I realize this won't work if you have a van, though.

Talking to her, singing to and with her... all of those are good ideas.... if you have CD's of kid type songs, those might help keep her attention, especially if you usually sing those kind of songs with her. When we did road trips, we had several cassettes (yep, long ago!) of kid songs, and we all sang the songs... that is what we listened to then.

Good luck.... it isn't easy, I know.... we were 12 hours away from our family, so I know what those road trips are like! (btw.. when we moved... we moved with a big dog, 2 cats, and 4 kids, age 9- 6 months... but we turned it into a 2 day drive instead of 1 long 12 hour + drive... but my M. and brother helped us move, so we had 3 vehicles driving down, and plenty of distractions. I had the baby, 2 cats, and my M., hubby had the dog in his truck, and my brother had the 3 older kids in his van... still quite a trick, especially meal stops with the pets.)

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F.B.

answers from New York on

We've got a 22-24 hour flight with a 21 month old. I asked a similar question, and the mamas recommended a magna doodle, a DVD player, snacks, playdough, new toys from the dollar store, and crayons.

When we were little on car trips, my parents would have us run relay races at the rest stops. That way we would get our wriggles out in a short amount of time.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

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A.G.

answers from Houston on

I just PM'd you but here are some thoughts...

Buy new toys and other new things and don't let her play with them until the trip. Introduce them one at a time throughout the day.

Chalk and crayons are great but just be prepared to see their markings on the car, her carseat, her clothes...and her! It might be worth the investment of colorless markers and colorless coloring books for this trip.

I don't recommend the any sort of tablet like the iPad, Kindle or Nook for that age for mere safety issues. Chances are she'll press something that will take her out of the app, and then she'll get upset about not getting it back and then you'll feel like you have to pull the app up again, and there is no way you should be dealing with that while you are driving.

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S.T.

answers from New York on

When my son was the same age we spent about 20 hours over 2 days on a road trip. We had bought a portable VCR before trip (yes back in the VCR days) and got a bunch of cartoon videos, kids music videos, etc. I can't tell you how many times my husband and I looked at each other & commented that it was the best $300 we had spent (portable entertainment units we very expensive then). Yes, cartoons videos are like junk food - but it will be soooooo helpful during the inpatient moments - and let's face it, a constant diet of junk food is bad, but a bag or potato chips or bowl of ice cream is just the right thing sometimes. This is one of those times.
Get a leash for your daughter too so when you stop you can harness your child and your dog and give them both a little time to stretch their legs. We used a harness on my son at this age and it was literally a lifesaver. He needed to run, we needed to keep him safe. One step ahead sells them. And if people around you make snotty comments just ignore them - it's not their job to keep your child safe, it's your job.
Go online and look for parks/playgrounds along your route so you can stop, let your little one climb a little, etc. You can always leash your dog to a tree while you let your child on the playground for a short time. There will be lots of sympathetic moms at playgrounds too.
My niece who frequently drives the VA/NY route with little ones has learned to leave her house in the wee hours of the morning. Pack up the car in the late afternoon the day before your departure and go to bed shortly after your child. Wake up at 3:00AM and get her into her carseat while she's still sleeping. That can give you a 3 or 4 hour jump on your drive while she's asleep. As for clothing, what's more comfy than PJ's?
I think the dog may actually help keep your little one entertained - so I don't think it's a bad thing.
I also agree with the library books on ipod/CD too. It can be calming for little ones to hear someone voice talking & reading to them.
Good luck mama. Be careful and pray for a peaceful and speedy trip.

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L.C.

answers from Raleigh on

Well we just drove 16 hours(left at 5 30 am) through from upstate NY to NC ,3 short stops at the gas stations . Our youngest one is 22 months. Lets see...we did snacks and lolliepops (not something we do at home, but hey they were organic:)) , she played ball with her brothers(she is rear facing and boys are in the 3rd row), she looked at books, she took a nap, she played with a pen and notebook(unfortunately she enjoyed coloring on herself more than the paper so I would get the color wonder markers ), DVD player lasted for 5 min maybe so that did not work for us. There was a share of screaming fits but we have a music CD that she likes so it seamed to help. Wish you the best on your trip!!!!!!!!!!

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F.M.

answers from San Antonio on

Yes a DVD player is a GEM when you need to concentrate on the road and they're in the back seat whining.

Any new toy seems to pique my son's interest. So maybe a trip to Walmart is in order!

Magna-Doodle

I love the idea of magnets. If it were me, I'd give the kiddo maybe ten magnets with a cookie sheet (or round stove-cover if you want a smaller circle). And then put 20 MORE magnets in the front seat. So that when you are driving and she cries that she dropped one, you can easily hand her another one w/o taking your eyes off the road.

When I do the 20 hour drive to and from CA and TX, we make sure the kiddo gets a nap (we drive during naptime and of course bedtime). Make sure to change the diaper before falling asleep so that you don't have a mess in the car that you can't really clean! In a ten hour drive, I would expect to stop maybe only 2 or 3 times. But maybe my son is more cooperative. The dog doesn't need out more than that. Unless your child is a fusser, it should be enough for her too.

And you mention letting your daughter climb IN the car? Uh, while you're driving? Never would I suggest that to anybody. If it were me, I'd stop at a gas station once or twice (you potty, you walk, walk the dog, give dog water) and once maybe at a McDonalds or ChicFilA or other restaurant to have extra wiggle time and/or an indoor playplace. Even parked, I've never had a reason to let my son play IN the car. I'd find a rest-stop or a fast food joint to hang out at to get the wiggles out.

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E.M.

answers from Phoenix on

We just did a six hour flight with our 21 month old. Our best distractions were:
- a small set of Duplo blocks- we got the set that makes 4 simple farm animals and comes with a book, he learned how to make the animals quickly and could both play with the blocks and play with the animals
- a book-sized magnet set that had blank faces and magnets that are eyes, noses, ears, etc, so he could make all different faces. He thought this was hilarious. We have a similar set that is Curious George scenes, used that one last trip.
- a giant bag of Dum Dum lollipops and a couple of ring pops. He had fun picking the color and playing with them, probably only ate about 1.5 whole ones over the course of 6 hours.
- Leapster Explorer- this belongs to my older son, but the little one enjoyed the basic games and could press all the buttons without downloading any new apps!
- "Toobe" of small zoo animals

Before we got on the plane we took the kids to the zoo for about 3 hours and ran them around. They both slept for the first 2 hours or so.
Best of luck! Being able to stop every once in a while will really help.

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A.L.

answers from Atlanta on

We have done five or six 7+ hour drives with our kids, and we have always gotten several books on CD from the library for the journey. You probably can find some which are stories for young children being read aloud, and while they might only work for 1/2 hour at a time, 1/2 hour is better than nothing. They help keep the driver alert too, more so than music!

Good luck with everything!

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