Road Trip with a 2 Year Old!

you need a dvd player!!! they work great with my kids.i bring like 6 movies,and by the end of the trip i'v played them all!! good luck -H.

ps. the only other thing you could try is benadryl..to make them sleep(hahaha). last resort!

Hit the dollar store and collect a variety of new and interesting items to keep him/her busy. Be creative and think outside of toys!! A box of bandaides can keep them busy for a long time. Mine like to do art work and those color wonder markers are pretty safe for the car since they only work on their own paper. The magnadoodle type toys are also good. The portable/car dvd players can help distract them for a while too.

Pack plenty of food. You never know when you might hit traffic and toddlers are always happier when they are eating snacks - at least mine are. I think having a variety of different things is better than a lot of one snack. That way you can offer a new food to renew their interest. Stay away from sugar as you don't want them to get hyper.

The portable DVD players are awesome. We use ours as a special treat for long car rides only, so my two year old really looks forward to trips. Interactive toys/books are good too. When all else fails, schedule leaving time around nap or bedtime, so he sleeps for the trip. Good luck!

Hi A., I have two year old twins and we travel alot on the weekends, they love doodles, it gives them something to draw on without making a mess and keeps them very busy and most important happy! Goodluck! = )

Two words Body-harness. We took our 2 year old twins to the beach last year and it was a nightmare. They had no fear of the water. They kept on trying to get loose and run full speed ahead into the water. I was definitely wishing we had some sort of wrist or body harness, wich by the way I never thought I would need until that experience. Now I understand why there are alot of parents that have them for their children. Its for the childs safety...expecially at the beach. It may not be so bad for you because you have one, but with two it was very stressful. Don't forget the sun screen and maybe a visor. Have a great time!

We've also had luck with dvd's and magnadoodle as well as books and interactive toys that make noise (not too loud) and light up. We talk about what we see out the window. Be sure you can easily reach diaper bag and toys. We also packed a variety of snacks and had prepared sippy cups in a cooler.

I recommend packing a bag with some towels, a bottle of water and a change of clothes to clean up in case your child gets sick in the car. If you anticipate your child getting sick you might want to put a blanket on the floor to make clean up easier.

Have a fun trip!

g.

Have them look for things out the window- trucks that are certain colors, cows in a field, horses, barns, you name it. Stop at every rest stop if your little on is awake just to stretch your legs and walk around. It helps break up the monotony of the drive. If she is sleeping try to avoid stoping the vehicle all togther unless you absolutely have to- the stopping motion can wake them back up. The portable DVD players are great investments. With a little rigging you an hook them up between the two front seats- some of them ave head phones too- depends on whether or not your little one will use them or not. Have her blanket and pillow beside her with a juice cup. A small cooler with snacks and extra drinks is always a good idea for everyone. Before you leave go to your local police station and ask them about an Amber Chip. Set it up for the whole family and bring it with you. God forbid that anything happen to you, but should the worst happen, you hand that Chip to the Police, they put it in their computer and the Amber Alert goes out Nation Wide. Its a lifesaver and I don't leave home without it.
-My husband and I road trip with out 4yr old and 19mo old all the time. Thus far we've been to 6 states. We're working on all 50. Enjoy your trip and don't forget the sunscreen!

My two year old is great on road trips. We bring books and a small Magna Doodle along for in the car. We also make sure to have her favorite CD's (VeggieTales Sunday Morning Songs is the main one) and we all sing along. She loves to sing. She eventually falls asleep every time we take a road trip regardless of what time of day it is. Some others have suggested a portable DVD player which also works great. My SIL brought her's on our last road trip and the two of them watched Aladdin together. Good luck!

It depends I think on how your little one is in the car normally - and how often he/she is in the car. I've taken my 17mo to my uncles (2 hr car ride) multiple times, plus I nanny so she is often in the car. We just took an 8 hour trip to NC and she did better than I thought.
It is always best to assume that it won't go well. Take different toys and snacks to hand off when he/she starts acting up. Try to plan on leaving around nap time, or really early in the morning. Good luck!

I took my daughter to the beach when she was about to two and we bought her a dvd player for the car and it kept her occupied and we still use it in the car pretty much every tie we are in it to this day. It was a great investment. Also, bring lots of snacks and some books perhapes some new small toys or some old favorites. Good Luck. The shore trip went quick for us it was not too bad of a drive at all.

I live at the beach, and my advice is to make sure you have enough for them to do in the car for the traffic backups. I also have a 2 year old and we were on the beach a week ago, she tried to eat sand and didn't like the waves, they scared her. Make sure you take plenty of clean water with you to wash off hands, so the salt doesn't get in thier eyes. I'd also make sure you have other activities in mind besides beach days, I know in my case she could care less about the beach and be more happy running on the boardwalk or playing in a kiddie pool. I hope this was a little helpful, and you have a good time at the beach.