Need Help with Ideas to Keep My Toddlers Busy During 14 Hour Car Ride!!

S., hi, my name is C., and i 2 very active toddler grandsons, ages 3 & 4. We have found the portable dvd tv's a tremedous help. Both are able to watch, or we have another one, that way they can both watch what they want and headphones really make it complete. Take their favorite dvd's, or catch some $5.00 ones at wal mt. It's really worked for us !!!! Good luck, have a safe and happy trip!!!!!

There's a lot of great ideas here so I won't repeat what many have already said. One more suggestion though is BUBBLES! Don't forget the bubbles. Easy, inexpensive and lots of fun for the little ones. You blow (or stick it up to the vent) and they catch. It usually puts a huge smile on my rugrats when traveling.

My family took a road trip f/ Oklahoma to Colorado last summer w/ 4 kids ages 6 and under in tow! The lifesaver was the portable DVD player w/ 2 screens that strap onto the back of the front seat headreasts. That kept them busy. We also made up goodie bags w/ snacks, activiy books, crayons etc. for each of them.

keep a bag of little toys and treats to give them from time to time, so there's always something new. try a local dollar store for ideas. hopefully they will sleep at least some of the time. also, stop every couple of hours to let them stretch their legs a little. and most importantly, don't get stressed, they will sense your stress level, and only get worse. also if you don't have a vehicle with a built in video system, you can buy one for less than $100 and they can watch their favorite videos. it will be the best investment for the trip.

Go magnetic! my kids had fun with these and I wasn't having to constantly pick things up for them. I went to a teacher supply store and purchased some magnetic shapes and letters and found some magnetic story characters-princesses/littlest pet shop etc...at a toy store. Then I spray painted (think bike paint)and old cookie sheet with bright paint and...viola!--hours of pure entertainment. You also could draw some scenes on paper for your kids to use with the magnets ie... neighborhoods with streets for fun with magnetic cars or castle scenes for your daughter to use with her princesses/characters. Magnetic gears also are a hit. Have fun!--K. F

I would start out in the afternoon and make most of the driving overnight, that way the kids will sleep. You and your husband will have to figure out a way to pull shifts, so each of you can rest, but I have found that night driving is the easiest with kids.

Best wishes!

Hey S.,

I would suggest leaving at night if at all possible so they will sleep through the majority of the ride and you don't need to worry about how to entertain them. If you can't do that, then bring coloring books and crayons, but make sure you take them all out so they don't melt in the car, lots of movies.

Good luck with the drive adn have a great vacation!

Hi S.,

I have two ideas -- I'll be surprised if everyone else doesn't suggest them too: 1) a portable dvd player. They are a bit expensive, but less than a one-way airplane ticket for one, and they last a long time -- you might try Craig's list or EBay to find a used one. DH says they may be cheap enough that you're just as well buying a new one. 2) two of my favorite parents used this technique when traveling -- a bad full of inexpensive treats to be pulled out at the rate of one an hour -- 14 hours and two kids might come to 28 treats, but that would be $28 at the .99 Store. I have also heard it said that the key to keeping kids quiet and happy in such situations is snacks -- obviously high sugar snacks would be a losing strategy, but perhaps -- what do 13 months old eat, anyway? It's all a blur now that mine is a big six year old! Anyway, non-sugary, marginally-nutritious foods are said to help.

Good luck!
M.

Hi S.,

I often had road trips with 3 in car seats, by myself. I usually started out about their bed time at night so I could get a least a good five hour drive without interruptions. Since it is you and your hubby it may be easier, you could start out early evening then you only have to entertain an hour or two. Good luck.

My first suggestion is to DRIVE AFTER DARK as much as possible. The things that we've used successfully are: doodle pads (the ones with the attached pen), DVDs (lifesaver), books, sing-along music...go to the Dollar Store/Walmart and browse the toy isles...you will get lots of ideas. Good luck!

OK, we do this a couple times a year. Sometimes my husband is with us and sometimes he isn't. I have a 2 and 5 year old. What works for us is to leave maybe an hour before dinner (late dinner). The kids are usually good for an hour before getting bored. Then stop for dinner. Get out of the car and eat. After dinner get them in pj's and get them ready for bed. If it's dark put on a dvd for them and tell them when the dvd is over it's bedtime. Don't be scared of driving at night. I much prefer it. I stay awake by listening to books on cd. I have even slowed down at the end of a 13 hour trip in the wee hours of the morning so I could finish the book. It's the only way I can stay awake. Traveling at night is so much less stress on your little ones than traveling during the day. Plus you make much better time by not stopping so often. good luck!

Our kids are 5, 22mo, and 4mo. We have made 9 cross country moves and countless 18 hr drives home to see family. Color wonder markers are a life saver. Invest in a portable DVD player if possible and fill a travel bag with their favorite small toys. Hide it for a week before the trip. They will think it's Christmas! When they want some interaction with us we like to put in kid friendly CDs that have silly songs and even hand motions. Don't forget the snacks! MF

We've done a long road trip every year with our kids, so they are awesome travelers...and DVD free! I know they are popular, but your kids are pretty small and you'll have more fun interacting with them and making memories each trip. (even tho one of our memories is the year my middle child cried from Oaklahoma City to Omaha...) But we can laugh about it now!
My best idea is for you to have a prize bag with new books, little toys, etc. to pull out when needed. It may be as you pull out of the driveway or hour 10, but you'll have something new to distract. A magnadoodle for drawing is good. My kids usually turn the tables on me with that one and make requests that I have to draw and they think that's just hilarious. My son loved it the year I gave him a big pack of pipe cleaners. He twisted and made things (and big lumpy whatevers) for hours! Stickers are good, too, even for toddlers. When you stop to gas up, etc. be sure they get to run and stretch their little legs, too. Do they have favorite music CD's? Singing is fun and takes their mind off the road. Pointing out stuff out the window is not usually successful at one or two because by the time they see it you've zoomed past! Save that for 4-5 years!
We have a minivan, so I put the two best travelers in the way back and I sit next to the other one in the back seat. When we just had two and a little wagon I pretty much sat wedged between the two car seats in the backseat anyway, so now I don't even try to sit up front. I'm in charge of the entertainment and the cooler and snacks, and Daddy drives. It can be done, so gear up with snacks, books, songs and be ready to take longer than just "getting there". But it will be an adventure along the way!

P. (SAHM of three boys 7,5,& 2..we're driving from Austin to the Grand Canyon this year!)

Hey! We just got back from a 12 hour drive with my 1 and 2 year olds. What worked for us was constantly engaging them by saying things like, " wow we're going over a bridge!" or "look at the motorcycle!" The kids music on a CD buys a lot of time too. Mine don't sleep even when we drive all night, so be careful about that. We took our laptop computer intead of buying a portable DVD player. We played Baby Einstein toward the end of the trip. When they get really fussy, someone can climb into the back seet with them or you'll have to stop and let them run around for 15 minutes. These are the things that got us through the trip with minimal screaming. Good luck.

I have aportable DVD player, but that gets old after a while for my kids ages 2 & 3. So, I use snacks and the color wonder markers to protect my car (this brand only writes on the special color wonder paper) and then I do the snacks too. We stop almost every town and they get to go potty. I have a portable seat cover I use at the gas stations. But the best thing is to go around your house and pack things kids don't really get to play with often. stuff from the kitchen drawers, old membership cards and an old wallet, they put them in and take them out, and repeat repeat repeat for like 30 minutes or more!! Give them two small containers and have one filled with cotton balls and have them put the balls in the other container. I use zippy bags now that they are a little older. I give them lots of books and the each get to take a bag with cell phone (fake toy) flashlight that really works and sunglasses. They have always done well for us on trips. Most scariest trip was 8 hours with a 6 week old while nursing and my 15 mth old. Both did great. Don't stress and do take advantage of letting them say drink from squirt water bottles and things they normally don't get to do so that it is fun and exciting for them. Good luck.

S.,

I have been on several road trips, as all our family is in the north, and we find air travel much to expensive as well! You are going to want to have all their favourite snacks in the car, at this age games are a little difficult, something simple like looking for specific colour of car, or aninimal! Point out different things to each of the kids! If you don't already have a portable dvd, get one or borrow one! They will work, even with your youngest! Have toys, books, special friends accessible to you! Remember to pack all necessary meds, near you to avoid exposure to sun, and temps, and just incase you should need!
In your day bag pack ziploc bags(very functional for everything! Don't forget change of clothes! It just means less unplanned stops which will annoy both driver, and make the kids think it is time to get out! I always carry water, juice for my kids because no gurantee of what will be available to you at each stop! Be prepared to sit with them for even a small portion of the trip, to avoid the driver getting distracted by any meltdowns, unless your kids are amazing car sleepers( mine are not!)

Hope this is helpful!
Good Luck!

The secret is a DVD player! Borrow a handheld one from someone or purchase one. The handheld ones are about $80. You can rig it up to the headrest or set it on the console. OR...if you can afford it...buy a mounted one for the roof of the car. We had one installed in our last car and now on trips, I would rather sit in the back seat!

Good luck! My husband and I used to do road trips all the time before our daughter was born. Seriously, we thought nothing of loading our dog into the car and driving 1,000 miles in one day. We figured if the dog could do it the baby could; boy were we wrong! The hardest thing for us was adjusting our expectation to road tripping with a child! We had to stop more and for much longer (cutting down our max one-day range). So, while this won't keep your toddlers entertained it might help you keep your sanity to be realistic about how far you'll get, how long you can go, and when/where to stop, etc.

To keep your darlings busy you can try:

1. Empty out your drawer of kitchen tools and take anything/everything that isn't sharp or dangerous. It's amazing how much fun a turkey baster and garlic press can be especially if they don't normally play with them! As long as they don't "drum" on each other they can bang wooden spoons together for a while. Plus, as an added bonus you have your "tools" at the other end which is very nice if you are staying in one of those hotels with a kitchen.

2. For your 13-month old try toys that make music, especially if they have buttons to push and lights that blink. Expensive is not necessarily better. Our 14-hour car trip with a 4 month old was helped greatly by a LeapFrog Caterpiller that played classical music, and color/number songs when pushed. While by the end I never wanted to hear Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" (by far her favorite) again, it helped when almost nothing would.

Try to do a lot of your traveling when it is time for them to nap/sleep. They are probably old enough to recognize different animals that they may see along the highway. Suggest to them to name them when they see one. A color book can always be a little entertainment. Be sure and take along their favorite toys.

We are heading to Florida in a few weeks - so we have a 10-12 hour drive ahead of us. It will be just me and my daughter who is 3 (almost 4)... but since she wont have anyone else in the backseat to entertain her - I am packing her the color wonder art sets, coloring books, some childrens music (because I dont care what music it is as long as I have noise, lol). I also bought her the leap pad to learn to read and flash cards..... of course she will also have her babydoll in its car seat and stroller - because she is a wonderful doll mommy!

I hope this helps and have a wonderful trip!

Every year when we were kids my family would take a road trip- 4 kids within a 7 year age span all piled into a stationwagon or later a van on a 10-14 hour drive.

We also braved the road trip to visit family in MO when our son was about 9 mos old- 13 hours in the car. He loves books, so we took tons of books, little cars, my laptop to play Baby Einstein or "Finding Nemo" (he loved the colors in this movie when we watched it) & SNACKS! With the age of your children, you could also take coloring books. He ended up sleeping a lot of the way, but he also loved looking out the window at the scenery going by.

Best wishes for a fun & safe trip!

I'll tell you some things I learned on my fairly recent 10 hour trip with my toddler.

1. Never under estimate the power of a snack- bring LOTS of DIFFERENT kinds of healthy snacks and time them carefully- I found that when my daughter was starting to get close to a breakdown from boredome and frustration a new snack worked wonders especially if it was something I don't give her much of at home or even better that she'd never had. Think outside of the goldfish box :) Grapes, Fruit Snacks, cereal (something different than Cherios) Yogos, graham cracker sticks- be creative. Get a snack trap from Babies R Us if you don't already have one. Expect the car to be messy and consider it a small price to pay for peace. Just clean out trash and re-organize at every stop.

2. I borrowed a DVD player from a neighbor and this was wonderfull too but will only work for so long. My advice is go as long as you can without it- like the snacks it's about timing.

3. Singing is always good.

4. Remember when you do stop not to carry them the whole time- they need to stretch their little legs too.

5. New toys or just things they have not seen before-keep them up front with you and give them out one by one. I didn't read to see if someone already suggested it but you can get little travel aqua-doodles.

6. Don't feel like you need to entertain them the whole time- it will wear on all of you. You would be surprised how much they will sleep if you leave them alone.

7. Hope for the best and expect the worst- this is what I did and I was pleasantly surpised at how well she did. It was not until the last hour or two that she was really cranky but after that long in the car I coudn't blame her!

8. Last but not least- when you start to get tired and tense- be sure to keep it in check as always with anything they read you like a book and feed off of your mood. So just try to act like this is any other trip to the store.

Good luck!

Portable DVD player - most important

I got some cool wet books from Kohls over the holidays but you can get them anywhere. They are hard cardboard, and they come with a little container that you put water in and it has a paintbrush tip. They paint the pages and the color shows up. THen it air dries and they do it again. The only down side is keeping water in the paintbrush, that takes a little skill. You have to do it of course.

Instead of crayons, I got mine FAT colored pencils. That way the tips didn't break and the colors didn't melt. I got them fun pads/ or just plain note pads for doodling.

a good supply of snacks - I've heard grapes ward off thirst, cheerios, animal cookies, things that are going to destroy your car.

Be very prepared to take a lot of breaks. Plan at least two good stops where the kids can get out and run around for a little bit. Like the state rest areas that have playgrounds, or look for a park on the route to where you are going. \

Plan your eating locations with your kids in mind, make sure it's a family friendly resteraunt, so they can get some play time there too.

Patience, if you can find it and pack some of that it would be great. Because the last 2 hours of the trip will be horrible.

Oh and children's books on tape. You can get something for the library.

We make a regular 10-12 car trip once or twice a year. I have a 6yr old, 3 yr old and 6 month old.

I would strongly suggest a DVD player. We got one for the car when we moved from Michigan to Texas. I drove DS (18 months at the time) all by myself as my DH and BIL were driving the moving truck. It kept her busy the whole way which was good since she didn't nap! Good luck! Have a fun vacation!

I went to the dollar store and such and bought 3 of many things (3 children) plus 3 different bags to put them in. As we travelled, I would pull out something different that they could play with or draw with and then later put in the individual bags. We would stop at rest stops often to let them run around (ball or frisbie or races or hopscotch) even if just for 5 minutes. Then, we would have quiet time (about 1 hour) right about a good time for nap. The drawing works well during this time for older ones. Anyway, new stuff along the way diverts their attention. And, it wasn't too expensive. You might also have sing along time and bring along a good children's tape or cd of music. Break up the day into 2-3 hour chunks by new toys, rest stops, snack time (in the car) etc. You should do fine. When they are asleep - keep driving! I kept clothes in the car handy, and snacks, and drinks. You don't have to stop that often that way, and when you do...things aren't at the bottom of the pile. I kept snack in a bin to keep them from getting crushed.

I say spend the $100 on a portable DVD player. It has worked wonders for me. I have used it driving from Corpus to Jacksonville, FL and from Corpus to Maine. It's an absolute lifesaver. Definately need to pack snacks. Your one year old will probably sleep through most of it. Mine did. Best of luck.

www.onestepahead.com has a great travel tray that attaches to just about any carseat. I would highly recommend that you buy one for each child. This makes eating much neater on the go. The tray also has a place to put a drink. They can also play with playdo on the tray as well as color with crayons and paper and play with other toys.

When you stop to eat, make sure the restuarant has a play ground so that your kids can release some energy while you and your husband eat. Then you can let them eat in the car on the travel tray.

My husband and I have been on 2 road trips with our son that have been more than 12 hours one way, and this tray really helped to keep him occupied as well as the dvd player that we have in our minivan. If you don't have a dvd player already in your vehicle, get a portable one that has the screens that will attach to the back of the front seats. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!

YOu need a portable DVD player( Target has them on sale this week) and her fav. movies or shows on DVD.

S.,
You can go to my webpage at www.cindystoybox.com for some great ideas for travel. Check out the Hide Inside Surprise for her and Puut your LEft Paw in magnetic puzzles for him. Let me know if I can answer any qwuestions. Mamasource members get a discount:)

C.

Little gifts. Wrap them up. When they start to fuss give them all one. Make it something small and cheap that they can play with in the car. Like match box cars. Little dolls, Little People. Coloring books and crayons. Color wonder markers. PLAY DOUGH!!
Play dough has always been my fav. They can play forever. It lets them work out frustration. They can work on their fine motor skills. It will probebly make a mess, but the beauty is that when it dries, you can scrap it off with a popcicle stick and sweap it up.
Good luck and have fun.

I've read some great ideas that people have for you...it looks like you'll have plenty of ideas! This is just an obvious travel hint. We like to leave very early (3-4am or so) or late at night and drive through the night. I know that seems like torture on you, but our kids sleep most of the way then! They hardly know we have been in the car! We left at 8pm once and drove through the night. We were home by the time they woke up....of course we had to make sure we took turns sleeping...see what works best for you, but think about the time you leave and what would work best for the kids. An overnight drive with happy kids is WAY BETTER than a day drive with screaming ones! :) Have fun on your trip!!!! :)

I am a single parent of a now 3 year old. I bought a small roof mounted DVD player w/ wireless headphones from Car Toys for about $300-$400 and have never looked back. The kids love it and you can control watch they see easily. Went on two road trip when my daughter was 2 and 2 1/2 - works like a charm when I want to let her watch.

Pre-DVD, friends advised to get a lot of good bags ready and givev them 1 everry hour or so.

Good luck!

Hi S. - I am sure you will get all kinds of creative ideas so I will skip that and tell you that the best investment we ever made for long trips with kids is a portable DVD player. It keeps them occupied for quiet times and you can limit it or just let it run. I use it when games have sort of gone on for awhile and quiet time is needed. You get to chose which movies - educational, whatever - It was such a great investment for trips!!!

If you sew you can also make little search pillows - use a strong felt-type material for the back and clear on the front - sew as a square or rectangle and sew it really strong, fill with bean bag type stuffing and tons of little toys then sew it up. The clear vinyl is a window and you give them it to play with and they find the objects inside - it's fun and they can search for a long while if you add lots of things inside it. My kids love these on the road!

Good luck -
Alli

We make a 14 hour car trip with two young children twice a year. We tried it lots of ways and found only one that works for us since our children are very active (I don't know how yours are). We pack the car before dinner. We eat dinner, and take a bath and get in pajamas and read stories just like we do every night and then put them in their car seats in the car with all of their nighty stuff just like they were going to bed. It works really well. They sleep for the most part and then we stop at a place with a playscape for breakfast and it usually works out ok. Good luck to you.

It's probably harder on you but leave in the evening and let them sleep.

First an alternate to leaving in the evening which has worked for us is leaving in the late morning/early afternoon. Leave around 11:30- get 1 1/2 hours or so drive time under way and then stop for lunch. We look for places to eat that the kids can run around and then we get their food to go so that keeps them busy in the car. (That might be hard with a 1 year old). Once lunch is over it is probably their usual nap time so hopefully they'll dose off for a couple of hours and then you can stop again and let them run around. By this time you'll have a good 1/3 of your trip over with. You'll still arrive late, but at least you won't be driving all night.
One idea for entertainment on this trip is that I save McDonald, Chick-Fil-A toys-sometimes they just don't notice them in the moment- and then pass them out on trips. Since you might not have time to save up, go to the dollar store or wal-mart and just buy some cheap-new toys to play with. When they start to get bored pull something out of your magic bag and hopefully that will keep them entertained for a little bit. Spread out the toys.For little ones, anything that is in a container-they can take out and put in. Also- you might want to buy some little lap desks just to play on (The kind with side pockets so they can keep their toys in them. Another favorite of mine when my kids were that little was lift the flap books, the more flaps the better.
My last piece of advice is this, don't try to rush, even though you might want to just get there it will be easier if you take it slow and take a lot of getting out of the car breaks.We always used to fly and then after we had our 4th child it just felt like we would never go anywhere because the plane tickets cost so much. We have had a lot of fun on road trips and seen some really interesting things, and I actually no longer dread the endless car time, because even though it can be boring I am glad to let my kids have the experience of traveling.

I just took my daughter (2yrs) on a 15 hour road trip and she did awesome. We talked a lot about what we saw outside and she was just fascinated trying to find more cows and horses or whatever other animal we ran across. I also took her lacing beads with us. She is not really at the stage yet where she can lace them well, but she just had a blast taking them out and putting them back into the container. I also took books and read her stories when she got tired of toys. I took a few more toys as well but I never even took them out of the bag because she liked looking outside and playing with her lacing beads more than anything. SNACKS, SNACKS, SNACKS. Any time she started to get restless, I would break out a snack and that would distract her for a while. I packed things like cereal, gold fish, crackers, and plenty of juice and water.

You have to remember to keep talking to them so that they don't realize that being in the car for that long is a drag. our trip went by so fast because we were too busy laughing at the crazy things that she was doing.

One more thing. When you all do stop to rest, don't expect him to sit down and eat with you all. Get something that is easy to eat in the car and let him spend his time during the stop running around and getting out some of that energy that has built up. As for the 1 year old, she will prob sleep the majority of the time but the same rules apply when she is awake.

I hope some of this helps. Have a wonderful and safe trip.

Due to the price of gas, you may want to recheck your flight prices. If you still drive, movies are always great - they may drive you crazy, but they seem to do the trick!

Note: when we started out with my kids, we didn't know that two out of the three got car sick. We thought we just had a virus when my girls started throwing up. Take a few empty plastic grocery bags for trash and barf bags. Also invest in some dramamine and talk to your doctor about dosage (we had to cut each pill in quarters). They also make a dramamine that is a less drowsy formula. That said, here are some ideas for fun:

Get a music cd of some children's songs and sing to them. That can get old for you, but will entertain them.

Crayola color wonder markers and paper.

Lots and lots of snacks and drinks.

Feltboard with characters

dollar store toys

play "what do you see" Just ask them to look out the window and tell you what they see.

Also, I know times are hard, but either invest in (it will be well worth it and they are only a couple of hundred now) or borrow a portable DVD player. Get some episodes of Blues clues or Dora. You can borrow a bunch from the library or from a friend for your trip. We actually sold our Highlander and bought our minivan because we drove to Disney and it was crazy trying to keep kiddoes entertained for so long...best investment we made!

Good luck and have fun.