How to Keep My Preschoolers Busy on a Long Road Trip

We use to drive at night and we would give the kids Benedryl so they would sleep. Also, it helps to get a good pillow that is made for cars. Now, they are much better in the car, and we use a dvd player, coloring books. They have "color wonder" book that have special markers that do not mark up anything but these special books. You can find them anywhere: craft stores, Target, etc. A cookie sheet works well for a flat surface so they can color. The library does not have a great selection for books on tape, but you may find 1 or 2. you can also download books on tape off of the internet. Try this website for good books, they can follow along with the book too: http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/links/kids/Booklists/presch...
The library probably has some good cd's with nursery rhymes,that kids in their age group love to sing to: my kids also loved the Wiggles at that age. We also take a map of where we are going and highlight the road we are driving. Then I mark with stickers certain area that we may stop or every hour marks. So when the kids ask, "Are we there yet?", I will say....."look for the yellow happy face sticker, that is where we are!". Have fun!

My boys 5 and 3 love the Dr Suess books on cd...I got them at the library and then checked out all the books they had that went with the cd. We also, break up our long trips by taking a portable dvd player, books on tape, a silly song cd, as well as a quiet cd. When they get bored of one thing we switched to another one. We also would stretchout the stops by saying in two songs, or when the movie is over, etc.

My sister and I did a LONG drive to Montana one year...there were 5 children in the car with us! I have a DVD player, so that SAVED us sooo much! But, we did do something. We put together little treat/snack bags for each of the kids. They got to open a new one every 3 hours, and in each of them was a snack, a drink, and a little something else.... like markers and a little note book, little travel games, etc...They loved it! They looked forward to opening them, and gave them something to do!

Good luck!

The things that worked best for my "loves to travel" child and "does not like to travel" child were new things (toys age appropriate) that were kept in a bag out of sight until in the car and doled out as necessary. The portable DVD player is a big hit even now. Stops at a food playland. They sleep good on a full stomach after burning a few calories. Pack snacks that are treats they don't normally get at home. New sippy cups/snack cups. Rest area stops with exercise (like racing, jumping jacks, bikes if you are travelling with them). Some of the favorite toys were slinkys, glow sticks for night time, etch a sketch, color wonder, legos (each had their own lap tray), squishy balls, 3D viwer, etc. The trick was not to bring toys they often play with, but ones that were new. We also had tapes of kids sing-along music and stories. As teens they still pull out the tape for the woman who swallowed the fly. And mostly drive like the dickens when they are sleeping. Even if you have to drive all night and take turns.

When our kids were young, we made annual summer trips in the car to see the grandparents as we could never afford to fly. Start now and put away some of their toys that you think would be good car toys. They will forget about them and they will be more fun if they haven't seen them in a while. Bring extra batteries! My daughter loved to draw, color, make maps (pretending she was hiding a treasure), design things, etc. They really loved books and tapes. We would sing along at the top of our lungs, sometimes. Driving at night helps as they will sleep more. We also got maps (didn't have mapquest then) and stopped at parks for lunch so they could climb and play while we ate. (Then they ate in the car while we were driving.) We always made it a reward for their good behavior. We had a van so the kids were always in separate seats. They get along much better that way! Then I would sit where I could hand them a toy (only one at a time) and would spread them out over the whole trip. They never knew what I would pull out of another corner or compartment of the car. We would also make up stories. You can prompt the 3 year-old with story lines. If you can't read, you can certainly remember stories or adapt a movie or TV show you have seen. Flashlights are fun for when it gets dark. Keep a variety of snacks that they don't always get. They don't usually eat well on the road, but they can nibble throughout the trip. We did cheese in a can so we could make funny faces or shapes on crackers. I can't stand the stuff but my kids loved it. Make every aspect an adventure. Stop at scenic lookouts, historical landmarks (even if it's just for a stretch) - don't be in a hurry to get there. It's too hard for them. Take them to the bathroom each time so that they don't ever get to a point that they learn to use that as an excuse to stop. And be sure to act like you are having fun so they see it as a fun adventure as well. Enjoy!

When my siblings and I were little, my parents took a two week trip every summer. We traveled everywhere up and down the east coast! My grandmother made up lunch bags with little toys, small activity books, markers, some snacks, etc. and we got a new one every day. It was cool and something I will remember for a long time. Now when we travel with my son, we have the portable DVD player, he reads (he is older), or we listen and sing to music. Books on tape are a great option and the library has a good selection of these. Have a safe and great trip.

We use to do looong trips too! The longest was to Florida with only 2 nights stopping. I always had my son pack a back pack, which he was responsible to carry, with his favorite things. Then I would go to the store and pick out 3 or 4 new things like travel size toys that he had never played before. Magnetic is the way to go! Games without magnets can get lost easy in the car. Hand held electronic games, and I cannot say enough positive about my portable DVD player. Have a great trip!

I also make a 27 hour trip every summer. My kids are now 8 and 9, but we have done this trip since they were really small. I would highly recommend getting a portable dvd player. That seems to hold my childrens attention longer than anything. Snacks are also a necessity in my book. I would also get up super early on the first day and try to put about 14 hours in. It will be a long day, but it seems to help to have a shorter day the second day. We also run around the vehicle (while holding hands) at every gas stop. This allows them to stretch their legs. Also when I get to a motel I let my kids run "wild" for about 45 minutes. That is their unwinding time. Hopefully this helps out a little.

They do have a decent selection of audio books for kids at the library. I would reserve now though since the summer reading program leaves the selection pretty slim. Also, I would try to find the actual book to accompany the cd so your kids can follow along if they don't get car sick.

I have a dvd player built into my vehicle and it worked great for a road trip to Utah last year. If your vehicle does not have one, you can purchase a portable dvd player that will strap to back of headrest or even rest on center console - they plug in where the cigarette lighter would be.

Also, Avon has a really neat and inexpensive ($14.99 approx.) activity table that folds down into the lap of the child. It also straps onto the back of the front seat. It would probably work for both kids. If the 3 yr old saw the 5 yr old using it, he would probably mimick his big sister. Just put things in it that appeal to each child.

I also had plenty of books and washable crayons etc available and rotated them out so we didn't experience boredom etc. Lastly, I have some cd's that my daughter loves so we did do some singing along the way. Our trip was fun and I never had any whining.

Oh yes, plenty of fun snacks like goldfish, crackers, water, even an occasional piece of licorice helped.

Good luck, be safe and have lots of fun.

L.

Our truck has a dvd player in it so that really helps us out a lot. You can get a portable dvd player to play movies too. Bring lots of drinks and snacks for your many stops you will be making for breaks, stretching the tootsies,(lol), etc. Crayons (washable), coloring book, soft toys to play with. I don't suggest hard toys just in case they throw it. Don't want anything to break or be too distracting from your driving if they should throw their toy. I think they sell table tops to hook on carseats. I don't remember. driving through the night is great if you love driving at that time. If you're not use to it, don't try it. You may get too tired. TN is a long trip. I wish you all a safe one. Every three hours I would stop and take a break and let the kids stretch their legs. They'll be more compliant in the vehicle if you do so. I've been on many trips to NM with my three year old and that is a 10 1/2 hour to 12 hour trip depending on stops and what we need to do in the meantime. It helps to aleviate the sitting bug as I call it. LOL
Take care and again have a safe trip.

We just got back from a 26 hour trip with 2.5yr old and 6 mo old. We did the lunch bag thing, with little toys, a snack and a new book or crayons/markers every few hours, it worked wonders. We took a dvd player as an ultimate secret weapon and didn't use it at all on the way there. That way on the long way home when he knew he was going to be in the car for two days it really worked. We got movies from the library and lots of books and borrowed toys from friends, to help keep costs down, hey...they were new to him. Also, we packed a beach ball when we stopped dad and toddler played hard with the ball while I nursed the baby. The trip went much better than we ever imagined, I hope the same for yours.

hi
we took many a road trip with three kids.
a cooler with juices and water. stop for gas and potty for kids, make them go/ run water in the bathroom to help.
Snack/finger food/ fruit/ sandwiches.
we bought dry erase boards and marker, etch a sketch, they took turns using them, books to read. You could also read them a story , along the way and finish it on the way back????

Cd player[ if you don't have one in your car buy one at target it oplugs into the lighter in the car and headphones so you don't have to listen to it either]it is also great for airplane rides
and buy their favorite movies that they BOTH like.
We invented car games, our favorite was singing ....look out the window and what does Megan see. she would then sing .....i see a traffic light that is what i see, all occupants do this it will also be fun and increase their vocab,we had fun on our trips. hope this helps have fun. A. r

The library has a great selection of books on cd for kids. I would recommend going to their website so you can view all that are available in the system. That way you can pick some that are age appropriate (Tiki Tiki Tembo is my kids favorite!) and after you reserve them, your branch will email you when they get them ready for pick up.

Keep a stash of toys out of their sight and spread them out over the driving time. The color wonder markers and coloring books are great, with no mess. Stop and rest at places they can run around, and then play tag w/ them or race around, to help get out their energy. Bring earplugs for you and your hubby. You might consider getting a suite if you guys are staying at a hotel that first night after driving. It helps if the driver can get a good nights sleep and the other one stay with the kids. Also I think it is a good idea to leave super early and drive super late, you'll get couple of hours of them sleeping. You could play riddly riddly ree (I see something you don't see and the color of it is.....) If you have a doodle bug that would be somthing fun for them to do. I always love the dvd player. Hope some of these suggestions help and good luck. :)

K.

I go to the dollar store and buy bubbles, crayons, coloring books, and little toys. I put them in a box and tell my kids they can pick one item (crayons and coloring books go together) from the box after every potty break. We use the bubbles around lunch time and let them play after they eat so they can move around. Books on CD are great too. Also, I pick up glow sticks at the dollar store for my kids to use at night because some of my children don't like the dark. As it starts getting dark, they can't wait to get their glow sticks out. I hope this helps. L.

The public libraries have kits in the kids section near the 1st reader books. I know the midtown library has over 50 different ones. There's a signal that the cd plays to tell the child to turn the page. Go to the library desk and ask a library staff to show you to the children's audio pack/kits. http://librarycatalog.pima.gov/search/X?SEARCH=&searc...
Above is the link to search online and you can reserve them to
any library near you if you already have a library card. If not
you'll need to just go to your closest one.

Lap doodlepads, portable DVD player or laptop. Stop everytwo hours at McDonald's or some place with a playarea. Suckers. WE have tried driving through the night with our 2 1/2 yo. He woke up every hour until we finally had to pull over and get a room for the night. I really think that depends on how well your kids normally fall asleep wherever. I would drive part way through the night and then stop and get at least a few good hours of sleep. I am usually paranoid and hate the thought of someone falling asleep at the wheel especially with my kids in the car. Good Luck on your trip, try not to have real high expectations and then everything should be OK.

J.,

The thing I know that works the best for a long car drive is a Portable DVD player. It will be your Best friend and then you will realize why you never thought of it before. My sister says it saves her sanity and so does my best friend who is on vaction right now and the kids picked out their favorite movies to watch on the trip. The kids love it and so do the parents. I have used it several times when I have gone on vacation and before you know it your there and no complaining from the kids at all :)
Buy a unit that you can plug head phones in and the kids will love it. I know that they make them for the cars so you can get 2 monitors so each kid can have one infront of them or you can buy a portable and place it in the middle.
Trust me :)

D.

We just went ot San Antonio a total of 15 hrs. non stop (except for food)! We have 3 girls 6, 4, 2.... they all did great. The life save was a DVD player. At home they only get one movie a week, so this was a treat for them..... the movies helped the 2 yr. old stay occupied as well.... she didn't watch the movies all the time, but it helped her not be so whinny..... We didn't do movies the WHOLE time, we also had a box of book that they looked at by themselves (I get car sick if I read to them as well), a box of toys, books on CD, music, & coloring books (activity book w/ number & letter stuff from the dollar store for the older girls).... so there is my advice. ENJOY! If it is a horrible trip, just remember... this too shall pass & it will be a funny story to tell the kids when they are older. :)

How did our parents ever survive without a dvd player in the car. When growing up we made a few road trips to Mexico (about 3 days one way) and we have now started with my kids(2 days one way). This winter will be our second trip. Yes the DVD player was a lifesaver. So were the occasional stops at the fast food joints with the play lands. We also looked for special color cars or even counted cars. the leap pad and several dry erase books helped too.
The driving through the night was hard though because while they sleep you are awake and when you pull over to sleep guess who's awake. Even though one person is in charge of the kids while the other sleeps it is rough on the other person.

Books on CD are a great idea. I have used them for years with my boys and we do a lot of cross country travel. If they do not get car sick maybe your five year old can read along in the matching story book and show the pictures to your 3 yr old. Most libraries have a selection, but another relatively low cost option is Cracker Barrel. They have a selection that you can purchase, but when you are done with it you can go to any store and return it or trade it in for a percentage of refund/discount. They usually have all age levels in their selections.

We love road trips and one our staples is the portable DVD player with dual headphones and lots of movies/cartoons. We take along coloring books and crayons and books to read, I do the reading its keeps him quiet and also keeps the baby occupied an Etch-A-Sketch and we also play I Spy! Don't forget their own personal travel pillow and blanket. Good luck and have a Great road trip!

The library has a great selection of books on tape and CD. I've used them for my children on car trips and just around the house. Also, I play endless word games with my kids on trips. Their favorites are the "category game" where we pick a category (i.e. animals at the zoo) and try to name one for each letter of the alphabet. Also they like when I ask them questions like, "Would you rather go into space or travel deep under the ocean?" "If you could only where one color for the rest of your life, what color would you choose?" etc...I also try to buy some fancy new art supplies and unveil them as slowly as I can over the course of the trip--same thing with treats that we don't generally let them have. Good luck!

hi, J.! we just did an 18 hour road trip with our three kids ages 5, 3 and 10 months. for the two oldest, driving through the night was torture. my 3 yr old woke up every 30 minutes or so with leg cramps from being stuck in the car seat. it is very difficult for them to sleep in the upright position. my suggestion would be to get little neck roll pillows for them as well so that when they do fall asleep they have some neck support. we did have a car dvd player for the trip which saved us a bit. there isn't a whole lot to do in a car for that long, and although we don't use much tv in our home, on the trip it was a blessing! each of the older kids had a backpack filled with special car toys that were new for the trip. things that were not messy (like markers) but things they could easily use on their own. the books on tape are a great idea. also, check out radio shows for kids at hiskids.net. my kids love 'the pond' and 'paws and tales.' 'adventures in odyssey' is also a great ongoing radiobroadcast and you can get the series in sets of four cds starting with #1.

good luck! make lots of stops for their legs to stretch! store up a lot of patience, and go easy on the sugary snacks during the trip!

G.

I used to buy little gifts (usually from the dollar store so they weren't expensive) that were new to them and would be ok for the car - new coloring books, travel size etch-a-sketch, etc. and wrap them up as gifts. It was exciting from them because it was a present and it would keep them occupied for a while. Also, wrapping snacks for the car is fun to keep them satisfied.