My husband and I have always enjoyed road trips and frequently stop to ck out small towns, etc. We want our 4-year old daughter to also enjoy road trips and am looking for advise on things to look for to do/see other than shopping. We have a DVD player for the vehicle but want recommendations as to what a 4-year old would like to stop and do/see in small town USA.
We have a DVD player, & I try to get a couple of new videos for each long trip we take. I also bought him a Leapster, so he can play games in the car. That was a life-saver for our 2 week trip in the car this summer.
Also, Cracker Barrel does have some neat car toys.
Great advice from all. A few more, pick short trips that can be done in a day or so and focus on the little ones. There is a great farm in Collin County, Fossil Rim animal safari down south, Dublin and the Dr Pepper tours and dinosaurs, another animal safari in Ardmore OK. We take both our kids to Jefferson several times a year to shop, spend time with Granny who loves going, they have awesome meusums, a train ride boat rides, lots of fun. Once she understands trips are family outings, it will be much easier to entertain her on the way there. Our six year old loves going to new places, though she now is ready to ride on the plane to get there faster :)
If you can, check out the Chamber of Commerce for the towns you will be visiting-- maybe you can find some neat parks, ice cream parlors, local interest sights, etc. One thing I do with my girls is fill little brown paper sacks with goodies-- Happy Meal toys that were never opened, fun little toys they already have that might be fun in the car like toy instruments, dress up jewelry, small dolls, picture books, etc. I usually also include one or two new items-- a new toy, movie, or CD to listen to. Every hour or so, if they are awake & behaving, they get to open a surprise bag. They look forward to it and it helps break up the trip for them. Have a great time traveling!
A.
We loved playing Raffi music and singing along together.
The kids loved the songs, and it was fun to have a more shared experience on the road than just plugging them into the videos.
Lots of towns have children's museums and puppet shows.
Have fun!
It's usually the smallest things that entertain our little ones. Another idea for the car ride is to take a cookie sheet (with the sides) and magnets for her to play with. The magnets will stay on the cookie sheet and the sheet also acts like a little desk. Crayons won't roll off either. These days you can find all sorts of magnetic books and things (even Mr. Potato Head).
We always like stopping at Cracker Barrels. They have the yummiest food and the little store has lots of fun stuff to browse. You can buy little things for her to keep busy with, borrow books on tape (to listen to and return at a CB at your destination) or little snacks.
Road side stops like picnic areas are fun to take breaks. If there's room, keep a basket of outside toys in your trunk. Frisbees, balls, bubbles, even a blow up beach ball (you can deflate when getting back on the road). Your little girl might like going on a scavenger hunt. Find the vending machine, a clover, a purple flower, a dog, a pink bush, etc. Play an alphabet game: find something that starts with A (apple), B (ball), C (car), L (leash), etc.
Small towns also sometimes have museums and historical places. Make it a point to read her the historical plaques to her. Or visit the local soda shop or dime store and talk to the oldest person there. I bet they have tons of stories they can share.
Anyway, I'm sure that you get lots more suggestions.
happy roading!
K.
We took a road trip to North Carolina to see my family in Sept this year. The DVD player I swear kept my 4 yr old (now 5) entertained almost the entire time! If your going through Tennessee to get to Washington DC, I would suggest making a stop in Pigeon Forge Tennessee. They have awesome outlet malls, Dollywood (Dolly Parton's themepark)is there, and a ton of other things. It really is a tourist city.
