So I was a little nervous about surviving the 8 hour trip to Colorado last week. I was afraid that this is what I would see the whole way there. 
Mostly I was nervous that my children would drive my parents crazy by the time we got there. I didn't think I could hope that they would sleep the whole trip, so I knew I needed to think of things to keep them happy. We don't have a DVD player in our van, and the only people I knew that had one that might let us borrow it, were going on vacation at the same time. So, I had to get a little creative. I searched 'traveling with children' on the internet and found some great games and tips. Most of the things I used came from Tip Junkie. I weeded through all the games and activities and came up with 18 different activites appropriate for the ages of my two kids (4 & 2). Then I made little cards explaining each activity and put them in those name badge holder things. (I later replaced the clip with a ring--It worked a lot better.) 
I gathered all the stuff we would need to complete the activities and put it in a bin so I could have easy access to it during the trip. I also got a pencil case for each kid that held things they would use for more than one activity and the smaller items, like crayons, colored pencils, their sunglasses, etc.
The next thing I did was buy a couple of trays from the DI so they could have a flat surface. I also bought and attached some small pillows to the bottoms of the trays, thinking that would make it more comfortable, but the pillows just ended up making the trays too high, so we took them off about 5 minutes into the trip. Good thing I had decided to velcro them so they would stack better and didn't hot glue them! The trays worked great! Little Man was even able to complete a puzzle! Yahoo! 
This is what I looked like after 6 hours of travelling. The fact that I can still smile at this point is testimony enough! he he
Here's the bin with all the stuff stashed in the back seat.
Girlfriend coloring on her tray. 
Probably the best purchase I made: the Magnadoodle. This kept Girlfriend busy for extended amounts of time. Miraculous, I know! 
Foam creatures--I found these kits at Wal-Mart. If you look at the picture of Girlfriend above you can see that her stickers ended up on her cheeks and in her hair. Oh well. It kept her occupied and happy!
Sculptures from tin foil--easy, inexpensive, and time consuming! 
Little Man's favorite creation--a hat. 
Thank goodness for the internet and thank goodness for lots of great people out there who share their ideas! The activity cards & bin kept us happy and entertained the entire trip--even the extra hour that we were on the freeway in Colorado because there was an accident!
If you are interested in a copy of the activity cards you can download them HERE. They are for personal use only. Thanks!
Mostly I was nervous that my children would drive my parents crazy by the time we got there. I didn't think I could hope that they would sleep the whole trip, so I knew I needed to think of things to keep them happy. We don't have a DVD player in our van, and the only people I knew that had one that might let us borrow it, were going on vacation at the same time. So, I had to get a little creative. I searched 'traveling with children' on the internet and found some great games and tips. Most of the things I used came from Tip Junkie. I weeded through all the games and activities and came up with 18 different activites appropriate for the ages of my two kids (4 & 2). Then I made little cards explaining each activity and put them in those name badge holder things. (I later replaced the clip with a ring--It worked a lot better.) 
I gathered all the stuff we would need to complete the activities and put it in a bin so I could have easy access to it during the trip. I also got a pencil case for each kid that held things they would use for more than one activity and the smaller items, like crayons, colored pencils, their sunglasses, etc.
The next thing I did was buy a couple of trays from the DI so they could have a flat surface. I also bought and attached some small pillows to the bottoms of the trays, thinking that would make it more comfortable, but the pillows just ended up making the trays too high, so we took them off about 5 minutes into the trip. Good thing I had decided to velcro them so they would stack better and didn't hot glue them! The trays worked great! Little Man was even able to complete a puzzle! Yahoo! 
This is what I looked like after 6 hours of travelling. The fact that I can still smile at this point is testimony enough! he he
Here's the bin with all the stuff stashed in the back seat.
Girlfriend coloring on her tray. 
Probably the best purchase I made: the Magnadoodle. This kept Girlfriend busy for extended amounts of time. Miraculous, I know! 
Foam creatures--I found these kits at Wal-Mart. If you look at the picture of Girlfriend above you can see that her stickers ended up on her cheeks and in her hair. Oh well. It kept her occupied and happy!
Sculptures from tin foil--easy, inexpensive, and time consuming! 
Little Man's favorite creation--a hat. 
Thank goodness for the internet and thank goodness for lots of great people out there who share their ideas! The activity cards & bin kept us happy and entertained the entire trip--even the extra hour that we were on the freeway in Colorado because there was an accident!
If you are interested in a copy of the activity cards you can download them HERE. They are for personal use only. Thanks!
7 comments:
It is so great when you find something to keep your kids busy on a road trip...your ideas are great. Once they are a little older try books on CD, we did this on our trip to Mt. Rushmore and it worked great. I have not been without one since. It is amazing how much more calm the van is even on the shortest of trips the books work amazingly!!
You are amazing! What good ideas. When we go visit the Gunnell is Independence (that's where they got their call), I may be borrowing stuff/ideas!! :)
That is so clever of you. I just might have to use some of those ideas next time we do a road trip. Thanks for sharing!
That is so awesome! You are so creative. I'm glad LM and GF did so well on the trip!
Wow, I am impressed. I usually just say a prayer, pack some snacks and hope I can stay sane.... Next time I will have to refer back here to be a little more prepared. :)
Good job! I love your ideas. We drove 10 hours to CA not too long ago and I found similar ideas, but my kids are younger. I put my stuff in a drawstring bag so it's all ready for next time. I need to add some of your ideas, too! Thanks for the post.
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