“I’m Bored”, “There’s nothing to do”, “I want to get out!”
These are all things that you might hear on a long car ride. Total honesty here….I do not like long road trips myself. Never have. I have always been someone who will usually get car sick, want to fall asleep and just get super bored. I am a fan of staying busy and interactive so when my kids, or myself, get antsy, I am really glad to have a plan in place.
Because happy kids make a much easier trip.
So what do I bring? I am here to show you!
These are a few of the types of items I include in my car kit for each child. I make sure to scour Target Dollar Spot and my local dollar store for similar items to pack in each kid’s bag. I make sure each kid has their own form of carrier to hold their items.
Here is the breakdown of the loot:
- I am a FIRM believer in a good kid tablet and have invested in two of them for long travels like these. I download only appropriate educational apps (such as ABC Mouse) and pre-load movies and shows to the tablet so its easy entertainment that requires almost no prep during the ride.
- One word: HEADPHONES! Don’t go anywhere without them. Whether they are for the individual electronic device, or for the communal DVD player, you will want the noise at a low level so you can enjoy your own music/audiobook.
- WATER WOW: The Melissa and Doug brand water color books are my favorite. The books come with a “paintbrush” that you fill with water. Let the kids make their masterpiece and you can drive worry free since all the colors stay on the pages. Genius! And its reusable!
- Twistable Crayons and Paper: Let your little one be creative using simple crayons and a blank pad of paper. You can also use coloring books if that is your child’s favorite. The dollar store is full of these!
- Lacing Cards (I got some at Target Dollar Stop for $1). Quiet and works on fine motor stills and creativity. My daughter likes to make “necklaces” from laces and the cards.
- BOOKS! Some people like sticker books and some hate them. Whatever your preference, having a variety of books for your little ones to explore is vital. I personally love Usborne books because of their variety of topics to keep my littles occupied. However, any of their favorites would work!
- Dry Erase books/board: Enough said – Use, erase and use again! I have some Usborne wipe-clean books for my littles which focus on pen control, shapes, letters and numbers.
- Sidewalk chalk: This is NOT for the car. This is for the stops. When you stop at a rest stop/store and your littles just need a break. Side walk chalk can give them something to focus on while stretching their legs.
- Favorite toys: Having something special that is their favorites will help pass the time easier. Especially if the reason for the travel is moving to a new location. For my two older kids, this would include a favorite doll and some hotwheels cars.
- This is something that most people would not think of – a baking sheet WITH a lip around the edge. I use them to help them hold their crayons and pencils, put a tape “street” on it for my son’s cars, etc. The possibilities are endless.
Other Ideas:
- Using plastic caddies like the one below instead of a drawstring or canvas bag
- Modeling Clay – I hate play-doh but this would be a good alternative. Especially for older children
- Legos/Building blocks – I have seen examples of this on Pinterest for older kids using pencil cases and a lap board (you could use the baking sheet!)
What do you do to keep your children occupied on long road-trips/moving travels?
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