Looking for Long Road Trip Tips and Tricks with a 2.5 Yr Old

Someone may have mentioned this already, but I'll put in my experience anyway. My mom made great activity packs for a 2 day trip we took with my 2 1/2 yr old once. She broke the trip up into 4 themes: mountains, farm, desert, and beach. In gallon ziploc bags she put coloring pages, little toys, snacks, game ideas, etc that went along with each theme. Twice a day we got out a new theme bag and read library books that went along with the theme. The toys were dollar store items like rubber insects and snakes you might find in the desert, plastic farm machinery and animals, trains. Also, we stopped many times just to let him explore at rest stops.

My BIL's family has traveled a lot over the years with 3 little ones in the car, day trips that take ten to eleven hours (to see his wife's family.)
Their strategy has been to get on the road at 4 am. Yikes, early I know! But it's worked really well. The car is packed the night before, the kids are scooped from their beds and taken straight to the car with their pj's still on, and even if there's some initial fussiness, they calm down and sleep pretty quickly because 1) it's dark outside and 2) they are still really tired. They are usually able to get a good four hours or so before the kids start waking up and getting hungry. So they stop for breakfast, take a nice break, get back in the car and the kids watch a DVD or play with handheld toys and games. I think after that they stop about every two hours.
Oh, and if your daughter doesn't normally get candy a lollipop will fascinate her and keep her quiet for a long time, lol!!!

Ahhh, yes, I'm well versed in the entertainment of a toddler while strapped into a car or airplane! ;)

I agree with a bag of all new stuff! Go to Target, Wal Mart, Dollar Store, and stock up on random stuff! Little animals, cars, action figures, etc. My kids love Little People stuff and do entertain themselves in the car with that stuff too. I usually bring along smaller stuff like cars, airplanes, etc.

Balloons and balls are a good idea too as long as you get light weight ones that won't bean someone (namely the driver) in the head whilst driving! ;) I would avoid play doh. It will get messy and get ground into her seat and the carpet in the car.

Crayola makes those color wonder markers and they are good for the car too b/c if they roll around they won't mark on her clothes, the car, etc. They do sell some that come with a little clipboard thing so that it can be a hard surface for her to color on too. Travel size magna doodles are good too, you can get cheap ones at Target

I agree with the draw of TV. I think around 2.5 is when my kids really became interested in it so I hate to say this...but maybe capitalize on that a little bit! Kai Lan is good, other like shows are Wonder Pets, Dora, Bubble Guppies, Franklin.

I also had plenty of snacks! I just used small bowls from home and had crackers, fruit snacks (we love Annie's organic bunny stuff), dry cereal, bars, etc. You could even do a few PBJ sandwiches cut up. If you want to pack a small cooler, you could also do water, cut up fruit, and cheeses. Both my kids have metal water bottles that they keep in the car all the time. This is what they use for long trips too. It's just easier and healthier than juice, etc.

My advice is to really pack way more stuff than you think you need b/c at 2.5 they don't stay entertained too long. Also, keep these toys for the car only. When you get to your destination, don't let her play with them during the interim or they'll loose their allure.

I also think it's good that Grandma will be in the pack seat with her, that will help a lot! Good luck! It will be easier than you think it will be as long as you're prepared! Sorry for this super long answer...but like I said, I've done this more than once! ;)

**okay, a forgot a couple things...sorry! :) A CD player is a great idea! I know it's kind of old school but my kids LOVE them! I bought a few kids CDs and each kid has their own player and set of headphones. It keeps my kids happy for hours, seriously. They are 2 and 4. My daughter (the 4 y/o) started doing this when she was about 2.5 and she still looks forward to long car trips so we can bust out her CD player and pink headphones!

Also, if you can find McD's or other places (malls were a good suggestion too) an idea is to let her play for a while you eat and then take her food to go. That way she can eat in the car and that gives her more play time while you're stopped and an activity for the car.

Couple thoughts, the first being vodka for you!

•Bag of new stuff. I did this for my son at that age for a 8 hr trip. Stocked up on some new, inexpensive little things & filled a bag & pulled O. out every so often to keep his interest.

•Don't underestimate a child's pull to video/tv while they are strapped in a seat for hours and hours. Have MUCH material ready for that.

•Short stretch/play stops are going to be a must. Just schedule in an extra hour or two per day.

•Think twice about having a "table" or anything like that for use woth a car seat. Probably a safety issue & will become a missile in the event of an accident. (Also a good reason NOT to have Play Doh in the car!)

Good luck, safe trip!

a "crash-tested" car seat table - http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...

I also think you may get her to watch some videos, and not just Kai Lan. Perhaps check out "Doc McStuffins" or "Dora the Explorer"

When we go on long trips, I buy each of my older kids a new sticker book. They LOVE them. I wouldn't do playdoh because it can get all over the upholstery in the car, but I would do Silly Putty.

Pack some cd's of kid songs, and plan to sing along with her.

Maybe find some kids' books-on-cd from the library

Plan to switch the seating arrangements around from time to time so she has a fresh adult next to her every few hours.

I'll post more if I come up with anything else.

You can make the stops along the way part of your vacation. We used to find parks for lunch where our kids could play for an hour, children's museums in towns along the way and even McDonald's playlands (yuck) were a real treat for our kids while travelling. Some of our stops became the highlight of our trip.

Even a mall makes a good stop. They are air conditioned, have plenty of food choices, clean bathrooms and stores where you might find something to entertain your daughter for a couple more hours. Same goes for Walmart because you can get snacks, ice, and browse in the toy section and let your daughter pick something out to play with in the car for the next driving segment.

When we tried to drive as much as possible, it was so exhausting that we'd need an extra day to recover when we got to our destination. By taking our time and stopping to sightsee along the way, the whole trip seemed more like a vacation.

Don't underestimate the power of the DVD player on a road trip and take advantgage of it! Pick up some Winnie the Pooh, Clifford, Curious George, etc. And don't forget the kid sized ear phones to save Grandma's sanity.

This is the tray that worked well for us in the car:
http://www.landofnod.com/lap-tray/f5386

Also try a little bag of new, inexpensive toys (from the toy aisle with the cheap little fun stuff), books, coloring books and crayons and healthy kid snacks and drinks. I would skip the Playdoh. It is really tough to get out of carpeting. Also, don't forget her favorite stuffed animals and/or blankets. A touch of the familiar will do wonders if she is tired.

Parks and fast food playlands (if the weather is poor) were great stops for us. It helps release some energy.

I really liked a previous poster's idea to rotate grownups that sit next to her, too!

Have a great trip!

If she likes to do things with her hands, get her a felt playboard. These are felt boards with lots of different felt pieces a child can arrange and rearrange on them to make pictures and scenes and play out stories. Some come with themes, such as castle and knights, or farmyard or zoo. Especially if she has an adult in the back seat to interact with her as she makes up stories or acts out favorite ones with felt characters, she will be very creatively occupied. These are often in smaller toy stores (the nice local ones, not the giant all-plastic-toy chains) and online, or you can make one by covering a piece of heavy cardboard (not poster board) with felt and cutting out anything from shapes to princesses etc.

I am not a fan of TV, computers or DVDs in cars even on long trips, frankly. For a trip as long as yours it's just fine, but consider limiting screen time so she is also talking with adults, playing with toys and doing creative things, and just looking out the window to play "I spy" with an adult. On such a long trip the adults will need the little break of letting her watch something but if she gets into the habit she might want to watch and watch the entire time she's in the car. I see a lot of kids who can't even be in a car for an hour without electronic entertainment and it's a pity -- they don't know how to entertain themselves. Encourage her to entertain herself and interact with others most of the time, and make the videos an occasional treat. A great alternative is books on CD from your library - costs nothing but builds her imagination and if adults talk quietly, usually the adults can converse while it's playing, or get her small CD player and headphones that fit her. Does more for the imagination than videos do, and yes, libraries have books appropriate for kids her age on CD!

My son and I have done thousands and thousands of miles of driving together. He never sleeps in the car unless it is dark. Here are some of our suggestions:

Ball for kicking at rest stops
Books on tape or CD, at 2.5 it is best to have ones that also include a physical book where the child can turn pages and follow the pictures (your local library and http://www.barefootbooks.com/shop are great sources)
We bought a basic lap tray at Target years ago so not sure what they have now. It had 2 side "pockets" for small items.
Buy a couple new items and wrap them so it is like getting a present. Ideas include playdough tools, color set (color book with felt outlines are fun), small stuffed animal

I see there are lots of recommendations for DVD, I just want to warn you to try it around town first. Watching a DVD in the car is what gets my son car sick, we didn't find this out until we used it on a road trip. Thank god we were able to pull over in time so the car didn't smell, but we had to stop for a good 2 hours until he was feeling better.
When my girls were little we did a 24 hour road trip over a 2 day period. I prepared a few months ahead of time by buying inexpensive new toys and put them into a few different bags for them. Some for the way down, some for the way back. We also had kids music and books on tape. What helped most was that we stopped every two hours and made them RUN. Not just play, but RUN for a good 15 min, they burned off alot of their energy doing this and it helped.

-Lots of stops! Get out, let her stretch her legs. It will take longer but
will be worth it.
-If she falls asleep (make sure you've stopped for a potty break for yourselves), keep driving until she wakes up.
-have snacks
-play the "I spy" game
-DVD player & movies she's never seen. I'm telling you....this helps greatly!
-some new toys she has never seen. I do this. When my son gets cranky, I pull out a new toy and wham-o he's engaged for awhile. We go along for awhile, he gets bored, gets cranky, bam new toy comes out. They can be from the Dollar Store.
-DVD player
-DVD player

Have a fun, safe trip!
Did I say DVD player yet? :) Godsend!

Edit: also, if you can break up the trip over an additonal day, that would be best!

When my kids were little, we made a few drives from CT to southern FL (24 hours)., the days before portable dvd's.

A few things...
Drive at night. We would leave at 3am, so the kids would sleep for 4 to 5 hours.
Make frequent stops at rest areas or other areas where your child can run around. Parks are great, but even just kicking around a ball for 15 minutes in a grassy area helps.
My kids could read in the car, so I brought along some books on tape.
One of those magnetic drawing pads are good.
Play I spy.
Sing silly songs.

Note: we would end our day around 3pm. Dad would take a nap, while I took the kids to the hotel pool, or the McDonald's playscape. We would then wake up Dad, get cleaned up, have dinner, watch some tv and in bed early, so we could get up at 3:00 am and get back on the road.

I think it is easier for toddlers to make long car trips than older children. My daughter has always done well driving or flying from PA to FL (she is now 5). I keep some coloring books, pillow, blanket and smaller toys to play with in the car, and some snacks and drinks. We also have a DVD player in the head rest, but she rarely uses it.

I would get some Crayola Color Works markers and books so you don't have a mess in the car, like melted crayons. I would not bring playdoh or stuff like that. Maybe some dolls or toys for pretend play.

I would also bring a training potty (if she is potty trained). There were a few times when we had to stop right away and there were no bathrooms (either closed or broken). We usually stop every two hours or so to use the bathroom, stretch out, get food and/or gas. Most rest areas have grassy areas to run around in.

I don't know of any car seat tables and I don't think they would be very safe if gosh for bid there was an accident. But I am sure you can find one of those mushy pillows with the hard top at Target, look in the section of furniture for college kids.

Ha! We are leading parallel lives! We will be driving from Chicago to D.C. in a little over a week. Actually, it will be just me and my three kids (6, 4, and 18 months). We will be doing it over two days.

Do you have AAA? If so, you can go over your route through Triptiks. Two of my children have crazy dietary restrictions due to allergies. I mapped out my course and found every mall, and allergy-friendly restaurant along the way so we can safely stop to eat, go to the bathroom, and stretch our legs.

Target has a few cool toys by the brand "B" that might be good for your daughter. One thing is a magnadoodle type toy. It has a pad so that she can have it comfortably on her lap. And she can also use the flat surface to color. This same brand has an aquadoodle type toy that your daughter might like too. I'm doing to buy it for my 18-month old. It will come in handy at the hotel too, Sticker books are always good too. Costco is selling some pretty nice ones right now.

Also, the hotel where we are staying is near a mall and lots of restaurants. I figure there must be a play area in the mall, so we'll have dinner there, walk around, and play a little so the kids are tired by bedtime.

Good luck to you!

I didn't get a chance to read all the of the answers, so if this is a repeat I apologize. All my family is either in CT or FL so we drive to the east coast frequently. The one tip my husband and I could give you is not to plan your stop over point. We try to drive between 9-12 hours the first day (driving time not total time) and that way Day 2 is much more manageable. You can sleep in a bit and have a good breakfast without worrying about getting back out on the road. Have a few options of where to stay over and call about availability so you can make a last minute decision. If your kids are doing great then push the driving as far as you can. Good luck.

We LOVE road trips. I have a 4yr old and a 2 1/2 year old. Last year was Chicago to NY. This year was Chicago to Savannah, GA. Both 16 hr road trips. Here is my advice:
1) Snack boxes. I saw these on pinterest and knew I needed to make them. You just use little plastic sewing boxes that have like 6 dividers in them. I had my kids decorate them before we left. Then the night before we left I filled each compartment with a different snack(goldfish, pretzels, fruit snacks, etc). I told the kids that they only got it illed once a day and that when it was gone it was gone for the day. NO refills. This was a huge help for the car. I wasn't reaching back every five seconds to give them a new snack. Plus we could pack the snacks in the trunk instead of taking up space in the back seAT.
2)We put a cooler in between the two kids that was tall enough for them also to use as a table to hold their snack boxes or to rest their books on.
3) Reusable sticker books! 600 plus stickers. Costco has great cheap ones and Barnes and Noble has a great selection as well.
4) We have a built in DVD player and it was awesome. Though we only allowed them to watch 4hrs total per day. We also had 6 Kid friendly Cds. Target has a great selection.
5) My kids did not sleep for even 1 second of the 2500 mile road trip, so we did stop about every 3-4 hrs to run around. If you are going through Indy, Merrilville, IN has an adorable Candy factory. 5 minute tour and then really cheap candy. REminds me of Charlie and the chocolate factory inside. Albanese Candy FActory. They have a website.
6) We bid on priceline to save money on hotels. I just do the research ahead of time about what star rating I want based on which hotels are in each category and I know what area I want to stay in. Then that morning or the night before I bid about 50% regular price and 99% of the time I get it on the first try! Last trip(this June) We stayed at a Marriott, Holiday Inn, Doubletree and Hilton all for under $100.
7)HAVE FUN! We continue to do rad trips b/c we really do find them to be so much more relaxing then trying to get to the airport, on the plane etc. Plus, we feel like we really get quality time in the car with our kids!
8) oh, and download one of the gas finders onto your phone or computer. It locates the cheapest gas prices in the area around where you are located!

We took lots of road trips with the kids when they were smaller. My friend has 2 kids and my 2 grand kids I am raising.

Our trip itinerary was based on parks, McDonalds, Burger Kings, elementary schools, kid friendly places with play grounds.

We would get up in the morning and eat a huge meal at the hotel. We figured how much it would cost at McDonalds for breakfast and that was nearly $50 so if the hotel room was even close to $80 the cost of breakfast was about half of that. So the room really was cheap.

Then we got on the road.

We'd stop mid morning someplace that had a playground and have snacks and bathroom time. It could be McDonalds or some other fast food place with a wonderful playground and we would get everyone the fruit parfaits. The kids love them and they are not totally unhealthy...lol. They also have other yummy items that are quick to eat and not so bad. The kids need the play time, it not only exercises their body it also exercises their brains.

For lunch we'd stop someplace that had a sit down meal area. It seemed to make a really nice break from the stop and play ideal. We would not "linger" but we'd take our time and eat a good meal.

Then if the kids needed it we would go to the local outdoor playground. If it wasn't too hot or too cold. If the weather was nice and they could run amok it was wonderful for everyone to get out and stretch their legs. Bathroom time for sure. If your kids have a big BM after eating a large lunch you may want to take some extra time here to allow them that big poopy diaper.

Back on the road again. This time would sometimes take 2 of us to get my grandson back in his car seat. He knew what it meant, more time just sitting. It was sometimes a chore to get those buckles together.

I cannot say there was ever a time during this afternoon time that everyone, even the big kids, didn't fall asleep or sort of veg out. It's the combination of the food and the movement of the vehicle. I always tried to stay awake and visited with the driver to make sure they were not sleepy too.

When everyone started moving around, arguments starting and such we'd stop for an afternoon snack and bathroom time. This would be a quick snack with a bit of play time too.

Since your children are not into movies and stuff they are going to need this even more than other kids who will watch a movie then want to stop, watch a movie then stop, etc...

Back on the road.

For dinner I would say, depending on how close you are to your goal destination, that I would want to stop and just do something fun. Go to a mall, go shopping, take an hour or two and just do something else. It will refresh everyone and the mental break will be wonderful for each of you.

I know this seems to be taking a lot of wasted time but if she is not going to sleep she is going to be super cranky from sitting on a hard seat all day. Those car seats are hard, the foam in then compacts with their weight and their hineys get sore. Taking lots of breaks and doing other stuff will allow her mind to not dwell on the ride.

I would say after dinner that if she does not go to sleep I would surely do a hotel for the night. I would imagine she will be super cranky by nightfall and want to lay out and sleep solid. I think this may be something you'll have to consider. Especially if she does not sleep all day.

The other option is to eat dinner at home, a nice family meal, then get in the car and start the trip. Of course the driver needs to have had time to sleep during this day. Then the driver should drive all night. When it is morning the driver goes to the passenger seat or the back seat, if it's a van or vehicle with a 3rd row. Then the other parent drives the rest of the way. I like this idea if she would sleep at all. I would recline her seat a tiny bit so she would not be a bobbing head. I did this all the time when I had the kids and didn't want to drive during the day. I like nighttime travel best. The roads are less populated and it just seems to be a nicer drive.

Yes to frequent stopping. If she does sleep, take advantage of it and keep driving though. I once "held it" for 5 hours because the kid was asleep. Go pick up lots of little toys, games, books, that she's never seen before. Two year olds aren't immune to new stuff yet. Exploring a new object should hold her attention for a while. Dole them out one at a time. Get stuff she usually can't have, like gum, post it notes, markers, tape, etc. Make sure she drinks enough. Dehydration causes nausea. Mine used to get car sick. Light snacks like fruit, goldfish crackers, applesauce. Bring her potty chair if she's out of diapers. There are even some handheld games that two year olds can do, or get some CD's with kid music or books on tape. Encourage her to look out the windows at different things you see, play simple games of "look for yellow cars", or birds, etc. Bring her blankie and stuffed animal, she might surprise you and fall asleep! Good luck.

Updated

we took a road trip a few months back with a 5 yr old and 2 1/2 year old. i packed 1 bag for them to get each hour. each bag had a new activity and snack for them. things like a color book, drawing pad, movie, dolls to play with, cars to play with, games to play, etc. etc. it was a bit of work to prepare, but it did the trick. It took them about an hour or so to get into the groove of only getting 1 new thing per hour, so they had to make it last, but they got there. of course it was easier having the 5 year old. you maybe could shorten your times to 30 mintues and reuse some of the stuff. they each had a "special" bag that they got each hour with their stuff in it. the snacks i tried to do healthy, neutral, junk. healthy being fruit, yogurt, etc., neutral was like a cereal bar, dried fruit or something that wasn't totally junky, but wasn't a healthy snack, then something like chips or fruit snack or something. we stopped for actual meals. with my 5 year old we were able to play games like rock paper scissors or wood, water, fire (same thing, water puts out fire, wood floats on water, fire burns wood), but not sure if your daughter would be into it. i printed out little papers with the pictures on them to make it easy for my 2 year old, so she could just hold up a picture - no strategy at all!!! Even my husband played who was driving.

I have taken my 13 yr old to 34 states, her ten year old sister to 31. Almost all were car trips.
SO, my advice is
*do not stop unless absolutely necessary, drive for as long of a stretch as you can, do NOT stop just to stretch or whatever, with the kids, if they are happy, and no one is begging to pee (or there isn't a sign that says no stopping for the next 4 hours like we ran into in South Dakota) then do not stop till you have to either pee or eat.
*do not let lovies leave the car and if you spend the night at a hotel always do a lovie check before you pull out of that parking lot. ALWAYS. In PA we went 2 hours before we noticed Mr. Bear was not with us. That added 4 hours onto our driving that day.
*Wrap up some small things to give her if she starts whining. Keep them hidden, do not under any circumstances let her discover you have a stash. But if needed magically produce a new thing for her. I like those light up spinny toys and sometimes novelty candies have something where you push a button and a character pops up - not the candy mind you, the toy that is interactive. This is the one time I like to have mindless light up toys, where you push a button and get a response, so buy small ones of those if you can. Honestly before each trip when they were little I would go through the toy section at a store or two (and the candy aisle for those things I talked about earlier) and just look at toys with the thought of how good are they for a child the age I have who will be sitting in the carseat for a long time.
*Make your own car seat table. Find a sturdy box that is at least tall enough to go over her carseat and cover her lap without being too short or not wide enough. Cut it so it hits her right on the lap, cover with contact paper and you have a table. I also suggest a mesh bag on a string that she can pull up to get things out of as needed. Attach this to the top of her carseat area where she can easily reach the string. Show her how to pull it up to get things out and how to put things back in. Practice before you leave.
*Bring snacks that are not gooey, sugary or messy. When you stop at a meal stop splurge on the fruit cups or sides of veggies so that she gets those while you have your trip and you don't feel so bad about her only eating grains while you drive. At meal stops go for fast food ones with play grounds or if you do sit downs then take turns walking her around so she gets to move around.
HAVE FUN!

How is she in the car generally on trips one to three hours? I say lots of stops but I would not stop until she really complained. Go for as long as you can as long as she is happy because once she gets out, she might resist getting back on the road. New toys, snacks, books, music all the usual things. Good luck.

We've done this a lot and I would say that age is more challenging, but can be fun! Get a sticker book (even a spiral bound notebook) and just pass back stickers! A grabber toy (from target) is helpful for passing things back, though you'll have an adult there to help, but turning around a lot is annoying. Lots of snacks, though she may not be so hungry from not moving too much. Books on cd are awesome. Music. An erasable wipeboard, or an etch a sketch type thing. Looking at signs to identify letters, etc. Have fun!