8 day road trip, any activity ideas?

ericsmom99

New member
It will be me and 4 kids aged 10, 7, 5 and 2. Its the 2 year old I'm concerned about. We are moving from Texas to Washington and taking 8 days to do it. We'll be stoping frequently and taking in a few sights along the way but any way you look at it, it's gonna be painful!
The 2 year old (actually 2 years 8 months) is RFing in a radian. I have you're typical books, crayons, stickers, etc. Any ideas for things I can get for him? Thanks!!!!!
 
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mama2girls

New member
We did a road trip recently w/ a 2 yr old and a 4 yr old. I got the girls each a lap desk for coloring/drawing/etc. A portable DVD player with some new movies was good. Leapfrog Tag reader was also a big hit. You could make something like drawing/coloring more exciting by getting something new like markers or glitter gel pens. If that's too messy get some Color Wonder coloring books and markers.
 

mom2olivia

New member
I have a 2 yr 8 month old too! When is his birthday?? Mine is also RFing in a radian lol.
Coloring stuff books, stickers, look in the coloring isle at toys R us, they usually have some good idea's there. Maybe a backpack of new ideas/activities you can rotate out so he doesn't get bored of the same thing. Olivia has different leapfrog toys she plays with in the car...a leapster, a text and learn and a alphabet thing she plays with as well.

Olivia playing with her Text and learn
216500_522216967524_167300060_30600114_7543833_n.jpg

Olivia playing with her alphabet leapfrog thing
205531_522248609114_167300060_30600637_7988672_n.jpg

And before we got the Radian, she is playing with Austin's leapster
189422_518061844424_167300060_30584615_4206032_n.jpg
 

Jan06twinmom

New member
To add to the list - kid friendly music.

Money to bribe the older ones to keep the little one entertained?

Lots of car friendly and healthy snacks! I find that when my kids are cranky in the car and we just have to keep going (like when we got stuck in LA traffic), food helps. I'll also buy the fun size M&Ms or other types of candy for special treats.

Whenever you can, I'd strongly recommend eating lunch at a park or at a place with a kid play area. Of course, it's cheaper if you can bring your own food and make sandwiches. But if not, picking up sandwiches and eat them at a park. After sitting in the car for hours, the last thing I wanted to do was to make my kids sit at a restaurant.

One more thing - whatever you have that brings you good luck! I'm sure you'll need it! It will be nice to have the older kids there who can entertain the younger one and help out. I assume that the older kids will get to choose what they want to bring, but maybe also get them something special for the trip.

Melanie
 

mom2olivia

New member
To add to the list - kid friendly music.

Money to bribe the older ones to keep the little one entertained?

Lots of car friendly and healthy snacks! I find that when my kids are cranky in the car and we just have to keep going (like when we got stuck in LA traffic), food helps. I'll also buy the fun size M&Ms or other types of candy for special treats.

Whenever you can, I'd strongly recommend eating lunch at a park or at a place with a kid play area. Of course, it's cheaper if you can bring your own food and make sandwiches. But if not, picking up sandwiches and eat them at a park. After sitting in the car for hours, the last thing I wanted to do was to make my kids sit at a restaurant.

One more thing - whatever you have that brings you good luck! I'm sure you'll need it! It will be nice to have the older kids there who can entertain the younger one and help out. I assume that the older kids will get to choose what they want to bring, but maybe also get them something special for the trip.

Melanie

Yeah I second that. Whenever you get a chance, like when you eat try to go to a park or something and keep a soccer ball, basketball, frisbee in the trunk for the kids to run around and play with and get some energy out.
 

ericsmom99

New member
Thanks for all the ideas! My 10 year old already suggested earplugs :)!! I am looking at the leapsters right now, I was sort of thinking he wouldn't understand it but I'm sure I'm not giving him enough credit. I never thought of those lacing cards, thats a great idea too. I'm making a little list of the things you guys suggested and I'm gonna start getting together an activity bag for him. We are leaving in June so I have plenty of time to get this all figured out. Thanks so much!!!!
 
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ericsmom99

New member
I have a 2 yr 8 month old too! When is his birthday?? Mine is also RFing in a radian lol.
Coloring stuff books, stickers, look in the coloring isle at toys R us, they usually have some good idea's there. Maybe a backpack of new ideas/activities you can rotate out so he doesn't get bored of the same thing. Olivia has different leapfrog toys she plays with in the car...a leapster, a text and learn and a alphabet thing she plays with as well.

Olivia playing with her Text and learn
216500_522216967524_167300060_30600114_7543833_n.jpg

Olivia playing with her alphabet leapfrog thing
205531_522248609114_167300060_30600637_7988672_n.jpg

And before we got the Radian, she is playing with Austin's leapster
189422_518061844424_167300060_30584615_4206032_n.jpg
He will be 2 years 8 months when we leave in June, so hes not quite that old yet. His b-day is October 1st. They are close enough though that I'm going to look into everything you suggested since they are probably pretty similar developmentally. I love your girly radian, ours is metro. Thanks for your ideas!
 

ks1978

New member
If you have older kids to help supervise, I would also suggest some playdoh. :)

One thing that helped us when we went on the road, was planning. I had stops planned in my phone gps for every 1-1.5 hours. (I searched for parks or fun things to do in different cities we were driving through) I didn't use all of our stops, but it was nice knowing what was available if we were driving through and the 2 yr old needed a break. SHe also really enjoyed the books on CD.
 

MommaWhitney

New member
Mine loves her Iphone (its dads old Iphone and it no longer makes phone calls) and for long trips I pull out the portable DVD players.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Colorful pipe cleaners are fun to make sculptures with, but I'd definitely want supervision with those due to the sharp edges.

I don't allow ink/markers in the car, but an aquadoodle or magnadoodle would work.

Maybe a ViewMaster?
 

vonfirmath

New member
We moved from Washington state to Texas (6 days driving, broken up so we didn't drive more than 2 days in a row) when my son was 13 months. I feel for you! Our goal was to drive as far as possible when DS was asleep and be ready to stop and let him run around when awake!

We also drove 2 days to Arizona when he was 2y 4m and flew to washington state at 3y1m

He got his Leapster at 3y 4m and quickly learned how to play with it -- at 2y8m with older siblings there to help you might be surprised how useful this is. My son's favorite cartridges are Pet pals and Go Diego Go. (If he runs out of something in Pet pals then he needs one of us adults to earn money for him and buy more shampoo, treats, etc. But otherwise he manages fine)

Before that, favorite car toys were:
A travel-sized Doodle Pro (I do NOT like crayons/pens/pencils in the car. This is mess free!)

The vtech apple toy

The Leapfrog phone

Leapfrog Scribble toy [ame="http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-19139-Scribble-and-Write/dp/B001W2WKS0/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1303311589&sr=8-6"]Amazon.com: LeapFrog Scribble and Write: Toys & Games[/ame] (Fills some of the same niche as the Doodle Pro -- but the travel size doodle pro has a larger writing surface. Hopefully your older kids will be willing to "write" and "draw" on it for the youngeR? that was one of our son's favorite. We'd write a word or letter on command and then he'd look at it)

A 2y4m we got him a kiddo "computer" that he had a lot of fun with too

Oh and stickers were a BIG hit.
And books, both to look at and be read to

You've got an advantage that the kiddo is still rear-facing. Less dropped toys! Though it will still be helpful to have the person sitting next to them tasked to hand them toys/trade out for different toys/etc.

When you stop be sure to let your little one run around as much as possible and then eat in the car -- its another way to take up time in the car. To eat while driving further down the road. Be sure you have a sippy cup or something that won't leak.

ETA he did enjoy lacing cards -- but they did not seem to take much time in the car. Your kid could be different.
 

scariestone

New member
DS loves his Mobigo in the car. Its a touch screen with learning games. Not sure how similar or different it is from a Leapster as I've never played with one.
 

dneul

New member
Colorful pipe cleaners are fun to make sculptures with, but I'd definitely want supervision with those due to the sharp edges.

I don't allow ink/markers in the car, but an aquadoodle or magnadoodle would work.

Maybe a ViewMaster?

If you take the pipe cleaners and you fold the pointy end over and twist it will make the end non sharp... :)
 

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