Need Good Ideas for Traveling with Small Children

Well, it might be inconvenient to the two adults, but maybe leaving really early in the morning or late at night so they are sleeping for most of the trip could help.

We plan on traveling to Albany with our daughter soon (4 hour drive). I intend on leaving right around her nap time (11 am) so she sleeps for half of the drive.

Always keeps your itinerary open, though. The kid may need to get out and walk more often that you anticipate. So count that into your travel time.

I hear the travel DVDs are amazing for older kids. I don't know if a 2.5 year old would be too interested....

G.,
hi - this past summer my husband and i drove to maine with our 3 year old and one year old... what was supposed to be a 9 hour car ride turned into 11 due to a horrible traffic jam around the george washington bridge. we took a stop in conneticut for some "out time" - went to a train town with museum and stuff to interact with...
we don't do dvds or things like that - although that probably would have killed some time. we do lots of music and i went to US Toy (lansdale??) and gathered up a lot of made-in-china junk that i gave to them on the hour... good car toys - kind of like the junk that you would get in birthday party goody bags. I am not sure where you are located, but if you have access to a US Toy, it's a great place to pick up tons of car toys.
Have fun!!
A.

Hi G.,

With no local family our 3 1/2 year old twins have become quite the travelers. This includes 2 car trips to the Outer Banks). Here are a few suggestions that we have found helped break up our trips -
1. Invest in an inexpensive DVD player if you can swing it. We got one from Wal-Mart for under $200 that has 2 screens and it really keeps the kids occupied on our trips especially in the event of unexpected traffic.
2. Pack a cooler with lots of little snacks and juice. A snack can make a grouchy toddler content for a few miles.
3. Bring interactive board books that are new. We love Ollie's in Pottstown because they sell great cheap books. My crew loved anything with flaps or windows they could open.
4. Download some fun music from itunes and make a cd for the ride.
5. Pack some fun games. Mini magna doodles are good in the car. I also love flashcards. We use them to spot things on the road (look for the red car), reinforce numbers and entertain the kids. This worked well when they were 18 months. The dollar store usually has them.
6. Take a break at a location where the kids can walk around. Fast food places with play areas, a mall or lunch at a park give the kids a chance to get rid of some pent up energy.

Travel safe and I hope you have a great trip.
C.

My daughter has two small daughters, 2 & 4, and for a couple of years now they have used a portable DVD player in the car. Both kids really like watching movies. Just a suggestion. (I also use one for my 5-year-old grandson when we travel. He's pretty antsy but likes being able to watch his favorites DVDs.