Car Entertainment

Color wonder markers, small wrapped presents to open, favorite books or toys, mangadoodle, dvds, toy phone or camera, play I spy, sing lots of songs with movement that can be done in the car seat like if you are happy and you know. These are all things we have done. Drive and drive when they sleep and stop when they need to get out and walk.

i have sat in the backseat sometimes. Have a bag of snacks, drinks in spill proof cups and toys handy.

My best advice is to leave as early as you can, like 4:00 am. Just scoop your little one up out of bed and straight to the car. He should sleep at least for the first two or three hours, and you will have little to no traffic and less heat to deal with. Stop for a breakfast break once he's fully awake and getting cranky. After that, just have some snacks, drinks and kid music on hand for the rest of the ride.
The other nice thing about leaving so early is you arrive with a whole day ahead of you, and you all will be so tired by evening you will sleep well (not always easy in a strange bed!)

There are 2 ways you can do this.

1. Start the trip after dinner. Get the vehicle loaded in the afternoon except for an ice chest with juice and some snack foods. Then sit down to a nice family dinner and enjoy. Get kiddo all fixed into the car seat and head out of town.

Stop a couple of hours later for diaper change, run around time, and an evening snack. Put kiddo in jammies/brush teeth, etc.... and get them settled in with a movie if you have a DVD player. They should have a full tummy and the vibrations of the vehicle should put them to sleep. Even if they don't go to sleep the movie should keep them occupied.

If they're still awake then stop again after the movie is over. Letting them run around and run off any energy is one of those things you have to decide about. If they get wound up by playing and running around then you might not want to stop except to change the diaper.

I'd imagine they'll be asleep at the end of the movie and I'd be able to drive straight through. That's the ideal of leaving after dinner.

2. Get up and start in the morning. Eat a good breakfast and then load up. Plan on stopping every couple of hours so the little one can get up and be on the move. We always stop at McDonald's, public parks, and other play areas so the kids can run amok for at least 20 minutes. They are going to be a little sore from sitting so long. Think about what that seat feels like on their hiney, your seat is padded and comfy, theirs is hard plastic with a thin sheet of foam on it.

Have snacks in the ice chest that are already cut to size. I didn't give the kids snacks unless one of us was sitting beside them at this age. I had one that got choked pretty easily and it was super scary trying to pull off the highway and flipping them upside down.

See if you can find a small toy fishing pole. It kept my dd entertained for a 4 hour drive, and on the way back. We didn't even need any of the other stuff I brought along! And all it was was a cheap toy pole that would drop about a foot or two of line with a fish hooked to the end, and she could reel it in.

For me, my kids and now my grand kids have learned to sit and enjoy the ride. When they got older and could have sticker books etc I gave in. Little ones drop things, then cry etc etc. drive for two hours then take a "run around" break. Get a snack and drink and back in the road. Put in a kids CD so u can sing.

An empty notebook and a pack of stickers.

Bubbles. Hold the wand up to the vent and it will blow tons!

DVD. We always take one or two new ones that they've never seen.

Good kid music to sing to.

Wiki sticks.

At that age, I brought a few one-piece toys, nothing with losable pieces, and snacks. We also stopped every couple of hours to get out of the car and stretch.

I'd get a portable DVD player...I know...they shouldn't need it at this age. I don't let my kids use it every car trip, but if its over about 2 hours...that portable DVD player goes in the car. Makes us all happier.

This question is asked pretty frequently (including one by me), if you search for it you should find a bunch of responses. Safe travels!

Be sure to pack a ball with you so when you stop for breaks you can play for a while.

Bring a new small toy, one for every hour. Wait till he gets board or tired and bring out another.

iPad or DVD player. Works great with my 1 year old and 3 year old. Lots of snacks and a sippy cup of water

Buy a few new toys he can play with in his car seat.
Never seen before toys saved me up until my youngest was about 4 then
the portable DVD player was my friend.
Stop often if he is cranky.
Drive through when he naps so plan your potty stops. If you think he is
about to nap, stop before that to pee.

bring a couple of special toys, but honestly, i wouldn't over-do it. car rides can be fun for little guys! count red cars, play with numbers on license plates (find 1-2-3 up to 10 and then start over), do the 'honk' thing at truck drivers and try to get them to blow the horn for the baby (oh, how my older son loved that one! he squealed with glee every time a nice trucker complied!), play i-spy, sing songs, make up stories about the country you're passing through. snacks and pee breaks, of course.
and let him just sit and watch too, when he's willing to do it. i think parents over-estimate how much mental stimulation they need to provide for little people.
khairete
S.

Oh.....for kids! I'm so lucky, my daughter is 20 (21 in 19 days!!). and we had a party to go to that was eight hours round trip. Momma got to sit back and watch seven episodes of Orange is the New Black. Adult "kids" are the best!!!!

We sang songs, read books, watched movies and stopped for lots of snacks/bathroom/movement breaks.