Activities for long car ride needed

[funkychunkymonkey]

We had babies for our trip. I printed off a bunch of paper babies (and there wardrobe) from billy bears kids. I then laminated them and stuck them on maginetic backing. I also did the babies rooms (same site) on the magnetic backing. I bought a clipboard that opened up to store them in. Total cost was about $8 and the kids LOVED it. I know they make paper doll style micky mouses and some of the other charcters but I cant recall where. When I asked the kids what they wanted to have come back for our car trip (I had a HUGE bag with around 30 games in) and the only thing they wanted back was the babies! (ps. The girls are 10, 11)

Walmart has activity packs (looks like stickers, a small coloring book and somthing else) for under a dollar by the checkouts! there avaible in princess or toystory!

 

[dzorn]

Usually we have the portable DVD player, they have ipods and usually their DS and games. I will usually buy a new movie, game for the trip. We are also downloading one of the Harry Potter books on audio for them this trip, it is 20 hours long so we will break up listening to it.


Denise in MI

 

[Ninnygunk]

All of these ideas are so helpful! I'm gonna have to get to work getting all of this stuff together. Thankfully I have until October!

Scrapbookmommy - we live in Owensboro - not far from you! Small world!!

Thanks again everyone for helping make our trip a somewhat peaceful one (fingers crossed!!).

 

[Fantasmic23]

My kids (12 and almost 9) really enjoy Mad Libs. I found a "Mad Libs on The Road" last year and that kept them busy in the car for awhile. We're going to be driving down to Universal in a few weeks and I'll be picking them up some more Mad Libs.

They also enjoy the card game, Uno (I found a travel-size version at Walmart).

DD has an iPod (She shares her earphones with her brother) and I've downloaded short and classic stories for them (off of Librivox).

As others have mentioned, portable DVD players really are a godsend!

 

[Fantasmic23]

We are also downloading one of the Harry Potter books on audio for them this trip, it is 20 hours long so we will break up listening to it.


Denise in MI

I'm doing the same thing today!

 

[dzorn]

My kids (12 and almost 9) really enjoy Mad Libs. I found a "Mad Libs on The Road" last year and that kept them busy in the car for awhile. We're going to be driving down to Universal in a few weeks and I'll be picking them up some more Mad Libs.

They also enjoy the card game, Uno (I found a travel-size version at Walmart).

DD has an iPod (She shares her earphones with her brother) and I've downloaded short and classic stories for them (off of Librivox).

As others have mentioned, portable DVD players really are a godsend!

Never heard of Librivox thanks for the tip.

DD loves Mad libs also.


Denise in MI

 

[robinsegg]

We make up a binder for each child age 3yo and up. Each binder has a map of where we're going (this eliminates the "are we there yet" ?s) along with car bingo, license plate game, etc.
We also take word games to play . . . things that have you coming up with something from the next letter of the alphabet and such.
We bring colored pencils (no leaking, melting or marking on upholstery or windows), a couple of books and some of their favorite (quiet) toys that don't have a million pieces to lose in the car
We also get stories on CD (we use Adventures in Oddessey out by Focus on the Family) and great praise music (works wonders as an attitude adjuster) to listen to.
Carschooling.com has a great list of educational activities (most of them are fun) to do in the car.
Cracker Barrel has lots of good activities for travel, too

 

[scrapbookmommy]

All of these ideas are so helpful! I'm gonna have to get to work getting all of this stuff together. Thankfully I have until October!

Scrapbookmommy - we live in Owensboro - not far from you! Small world!!

Thanks again everyone for helping make our trip a somewhat peaceful one (fingers crossed!!).

Well it is such a small world! I wondered where in Ky you where driving from. Never dreamed you where living in my back door. LOL. Enjoy your trip!

 

[mammalucci]

First off, I am very new to this and I don't know what the abbreviations mean (like DD, DS ect.) I would like to know what they mean so I know what is being said.

Second. These are some great ideas!!! I am going to travel with my family and two of their friends to WDW next year (2012). We will take a road trip but it will be two weeks in total - 8 days on the road (4days going and 4 days returning) and 7 nights in WDW, so these ideas about what to do while on the road is really great. There will be 7 of us - two children 4 & 5, two teens 15 and three adults 21, 23 and myself and the activities for all ages were covered in all the ideas, which is great cause being soooo new this thing I have no clue as to what to do, but now I have some idea as to what to do on the road.

 

[Monknmom]

There's a website called momsminivan.com that has some great tips and I found a website (roadsideamerica.com)- if you know the route, you can follow by route and state and find things to see (most are free) and I am making a "journal" for my son to draw our way to Disney by drawing the places we stopped on the way there (like Johnny apple seed, Big cow, Big cow mailbox, and so on-my son loves to draw) and I have heard this tip (have not decided on it yet as I am not sure about that hard object with him), but they said get a cheap baking pan (with 4 sides of lips) and use it as a tray to lean on and the markers and crayons and pencils won't slip off because of the lip and you just stick it next to him or on the floor while driving! I am not sure about that one, but they also said to get magnets-words/pictures and make silly sentences, they can copy the funny ones into the journal! I hope that this helps!

 

[3mickeymom]

We take turns saying our favorite things followed by a little discussion. It is a perfect time to really get to know your kids, especially as they get older. Favorite Christmas memory, favorite food, favorite song, favorite "earliest memory". One of my boys can remember WAY back to before he was a year old. (he's 12 now). This game is easily adjusted for age but includes everyone.

I have 3 boys and they are competitive so they like it when games have winners. When we play yellow car, a yellow car sighted gets 1pt,a yellow VW gets 2 pts(sometimes we include Hummers) and if the car you spotted has writing or advertising on it you LOSE a point. This game continues all day and then there is,of course, a winner!

Trivia games. We have cards from a Disney Trivia game that we have used but you could play other Trivia games as well. We've played Family Trivia where we make up questions about our own family. Example- What movie did Dad fall asleep in and snore so loudly that we were embarassed? You could make making up the questions a time killer in the car.

Have a safe trip!