Road Trip Travel Activities

When my boys were young we made a long trip to Colorado. I was concerned about them getting car sick (since I did as a child) and my doctor suggested giving them Benedril to prevent car sickness. The upside was they slept for a couple of hours! I also made grab bags. I had gone to the dollar store and bought a bunch of new toys and put them in paper sacks. I also put a lollipop or some other long lasting candy or snack in some of the bags. Whenever they got restless, I would let them choose a grab bag. They loved this, since they rarely got candy otherwise.

The seven month old is more of a challenge. When my boys were babies, I would string cheerios or fruit loops on a string to make a necklace. That way they did not spill them all over the car. Also, as babies, they were really fascinated by common objects. On a long trip, I would just gather a bunch of kitchen gadgets, cheap tape measurer, old cell phone and other items from around the house. They have toy bars made for infants now. I bought one for my niece and she loved it. Check out the resale shops for this type of item, especially if they have the ability to attach various toys other than the ones that come with it.

On long trips, we always try to plan on numerous rest stops and even an hour at a park or in bad weather, MacDonald's play land. Seven or eight hours a day in the car is about the best you can hope for and hope they will nap a little. Good luck!

Besides the obvious - videos, we always kept a selection of toys that my daughter ONLY played with in the car. Then it's like getting something new or visiting an old favorite that they are not tired of from daily play. We had a felt board with many stories, a small travel baby doll and a few other items that traveled well, with larger pieces that wouldn't get lost in the car. Also you can get story books on Cd/tape and have the book in the front to turn the pages, like a teacher does. Have fun.

My son is 2 1/2. We travel a lot and do NOT have a DVD player in the car. He entertains himself with books and small toys. He enjoys using the magnadoodle drawing thing in the car. I've heard that color wonder markers to color with are also a good car activity, but have not tried them myself. Also good to be prepared with drinks and snacks.

Ha, travel at night so that they sleep :)

We make 2-3 trips a year to visit family around 18-21 hours each. We have found the key to a stress free trip with minimal meltdowns is "be prepared" for anything. Our last trip this summer we got stuck in a traffic jam for 2 1/2 hours. Thankfully, we had lots of toys/activities to keep our daughter busy and lots of snack/drinks. We do have a dvd player, but we only let our daughter (now 4 1/2) watch 2 per day. Things we have taken and would suggest for your boys are lots of books, coloring (crayola wonder markers/books are great no mess), magna doodle, hot wheels, etc. For your little one I would suggest you take her favorite lovey or other soft toys. Also, we take lots of kids music. There are some great ones to choose from that aren't obnoxious for us parents. E-mail me if you would like our list of favorites. Also, I pack a bag of small gifts/treasures to pull out if things bad to distract her. I pick things up at the $1 store or $1 Spot at target. Also, we stop every 2-3 hours if necessary to get some fresh air and strech our legs. It does wonders! Traveling with kids is an adventure, but if you are prepared and have a good attitude the kids and you will have fun. Good luck!

When my boys were little we traveled a lot because my husband was in the military. I would go to the dollar store and Target and get lots of new little things, books, toys, snacks, etc. I would keep everything in the front with me and hand back something brand new every 30 minutes or so. I also brought new CD's to listen to and sing along. We didn't have DVD players in the cars then. Good luck!