Advice for a Long Car Trip with 2 Kids

I haven't taken my son on a long car trip yet either, but I have a brother who is 12 years younger than me. I remember taking trips with him and my mom bought him something by Crayola that was wonderful. It's a little zippered thing that contains dry erase markers and a dry erase board and an eraser. Its a nice size and like I said- it zippers closed which is handy for being on a car trip. My little brother loved it when he was young. I don't remember what it was exactly called, but like I said- it was by Crayola. Try that maybe? Good luck and have fun!!

Another thought- buy some kid CD's and have sing alongs. :-)
-D.

Driving late evening (while they are sleeping)or early morning (while they are refreshed) is a life saver for us.

Also, an RV is a great way to travel with little kids. Campgrounds are economical and beautiful and the kids will have one sleeping spot and will not have to continually adjust.

Hi,
Take lots off books that the girls like to read. We also play car games,to keep them involved. Such as I spy, then they are looking out the windows and involved. Take a favorite toy or blanket. Plenty of healthy snacks. Try to stop at places where they can get out and run a little. or play a quick game of hide and seek. I hope this helps.

J.

I agree that doing most of your driving at night is a good idea. My boyfriend and I just drove to Florida for Spring Break (a 23 hour car ride) with our 5 children (ages 4 to 12).
I was scared out of my mind, but it ended up going really well. We drove straight through both there and back, and I think the big reason it went so smoothly was because the kiddos were asleep for a large portion of the trip.
In addition, we gave them all a dose of Benadryl at "bedtime" in the car, and it knocked them out for a good 8 hours.

Good luck and have a great time!

Hi A.,

Don't know if this is an option or not, but when we use to take long trips with our little ones we would try to make most of the trip at night while they were asleep....that way they didn't get as bored as sitting in a car seat all day. Of course, then we didn't have DVD players to help out either. My husband and I would take turns driving and napping. We were still tired when we reached our destination, but there was usually someone there who hadn't seen our children forever, so we could relax some when we reached our destination.

Hope you have a fun and safe trip!!!

C.

I have two kids (and one on the way) and we took a trip to the Florida Keys this past New Year. Our trip was a total of 28 hours drive time and we made a couple stops on the way. At that time my daughter was five and my son was four. We went on a special shopping trip and let the kids pick out a couple new special smaller toys and a back pack to keep toys in. I also bought kids music CDs and CDs that the kids have a book to follow along as the narrator tells the story. When we had the music CDs on we joined in and made it really fun singing and dancing in our chairs. I went to a $1 store and got a few items to keep secret until we needed a distraction in the car. Brings lots of snacks and drinks. I had the kids help me divide up the snacks in to zip lock bags and then we wrote names on each of them. Really make getting ready to go a big deal and let them help. Take breaks and let them run when things are getting stressful. I also had my kids help follow along on maps and we would count down the mile marker every time we would be going into a new state. I would only do the 10 mile market to the 1 mile and had them help look for the next mile marker because I needed "help" finding them. At the hotels we would take turns sleeping with a child so that they felt more secure. Hope the ideas help and have fun!

Hi, A..

Your local library may have a "travel bag" service (I know the Hennepin Country libraries offer this). You tell them the ages of your kids, and they put together a tote bag of age-appropriate books for you to take along on your trip.

Another good idea I heard of was to buy several small, inexpensive treats (small toys, coloring books, snacks, etc.) and then to keep them as surprises and hand one out every hour or half hour -- the time frame would depend on the attention span, age and personality of your kids. I'm guessing with 2- and 4-year olds, you would want to do it every half-hour.

Also, the more short stops you can make along the way for them to stretch their legs and run around, the happier you'll all be!

There are lots of car games you can play, and I'm sure others will suggest some to you.

As far as helping them sleep in different places, one thing that worked well for us when our children were younger was to bring along a CD player and a CD that they know and love -- a quiet one -- and to play that as they fall asleep. If they don't already listen to music as they fall asleep, you might want to introduce this to their night-time routine now, always using the same CD, and then bring that CD and a player along with you on the trip. Of course, you'll want to pack a favorite blanket, pillow and/or stuffed animal to help the unfamiliar bed feel and smell like home!

Have a great trip, and God bless!

N.

A.; things to remember is the trip will be fun, and you have to expect arguments, and dissagreements, anytime you are together in confined spaces that is what you get, so dont be surprised nor let them ruin your trip, take these and work through them, make sure they each have a carry on bag, that contains things they want to play with , and could share with each other, buy some songs, have a some sing a longs, who can find a cow, ? or who is the first one to find a green sign? its also a good time, to teach, like flash cards, you can hold up and show them the pictures of different items, as you say them, or just have fun, give them their time, and time to interact with each other, and dont be in a rush to get there, at stops, give them time to burn off energy, usually 20 minutes is good, or a bit more, just have fun and enjoy the trip, and teach them about their family they will be seeing too, enjoy D. s

When traveling with my girls when they were younger, it helped to have a few toys that they had not seen in awhile. We traveled frequently then as my family lived quite a distance from us. We accumulated a stash of McDonald's or other fast food restaurant toys as well as other toys that they were interested in that we only brought out for trips. That way it wasn't something they played with all the time. Also the "magic" markers from Crayola--the ones that only color on the special paper--were wonderful becaue you didn't have to worry about messes. We also found CD's of kids songs very handy as my girls love music.

Good luck with your trip.
A., mother of 2 girls ages 9 and 8.

When my kids were little and we would travel, we would play road games. Watch for a deer, can you find something red? Have some good music for them, cd's that have children's silly songs but also some that have some classical music. My kids favorites were movie sound tracks like Robinhood prince of theives, which were songs along with a lot of classical music. They also liked the disney soundtracks. With the silly songs, have a sing along. Your 4 year old probably recongizes numbers. I would tell my kids to watch for the green signs that tells the milage to the next town. They loved to watch for them and back then the speed limit was 60 on most highways, 70 on interstates. I would tell them that is how many minutes until we are at the next town. This broke up the trip for them, instead of 200 miles to our destination, it is only 18 miles until the next town. Books, handheld games, those dolls that are like paper dolls but have the film clothes would be good. Also if you stop ever hour and half to stretch it might help.

one thing that kept my boys busy was giving them disposible camera's so could take pictures of things they found neat. usually it had a glare from the window in the pic, but it was fun getting them developed and them telling me what the picture was. we also got alot of felt pads and they would put what they found red on the red piece and go threw the colors or we would do the letters.. under "b" they seen a bus things like that would keep them busy. even the little ones did this even though it wasn't correct it still kept them busy. we also hot glued yarn to the markers and tied them to something so that way if they dropped the marker or it rolled off they could grab the string to pull it back to them. we also would cut out pictures that they might see on the way and put them into photo albums and they could use the dry erase markers and circle the different thing they seen and at the next stop or when they found all the pictures we would erase them and they could start over. we would make different books.. country, city, cars, animals.. etc. they would help by picking pictures out of the magizine. my sil uses the portable v-tech games also. hope this helps! good luck and have a safe trip!

hi A.! i also live in mayer and we have a 3 yo and a 18mo old. we travel a lot by plane to visit our family in pa. the best advice i can give is to be relaxed and patient. you may have to be a little flexible about bed times and even where kids sleep. (i guess this is obvious) but prep them for a long time in advance about what you are going to do and how, and that they will get to sleep in special new places for just a little while. when we fly we always have a few little toys that we wrap in case things get nutty. we stash sugar free lollipops 9no sugar rushes on planes!) our kids get special sleeping bags and get to pick one favorite book (though in a car you could probably have a lot of books)! our daughter packs a little travel bag for her baby. try and be willing to stop and let the kids run aroundevery2-3 hours, even if it's just for 5 min! it'll help! good luck!!

Your four year old would LOVE a Leapster (handheld learning video game by Leap Frog) with a couple of games. You can also get headphones...... It's guilt free since it's educational!

I am not sure how old our boys were when we first started taking them on our road trip from Green Bay to Outerbanks, NC. It is a 21 - 24 hour drive. We usually have coloring stuff, movies and food in the car with us. We also have their favorite blankets, pillows and stuffed animals. What we liked to do was pack food for sandwiches, fruit and snacks. Then instead of stopping somewhere indoors (unless weather was yucky) we would stop at the waysides and have a picnic and let the kids run around. This worked awesome! But our kids mostly slept in the car for the long ride. They are like their mother!
Hope you have a safe trip!
C. D, mother of 3, daughter 12, son 8, & son 7

Just a piece of advice for when you get to your destination. Make sure that you do not overplan your day. Plan on one bigger thing everyday and if you get to do one other thing make it small. When we went on a trip my husband and I were trying to get everything in, and after the first day we decided to relax and pick one thing a day...helped out a ton and our kids were a lot happier. Good luck!

Bring a ball for the 4 yo and a ride on toy for the 2 yo, so that when you stop in a rest area you can get them racing around like crazy. My 4 yo can handle about 3 hours in the car before we need to stop but at 2yo he could only last about 1.5-2 hrs. Girls might last longer.

I have never travelled with a DVD player. I pack some new toys/books. Sticker books are a huge favorite. My son has a lap tray so I bring markers, coloring books, playdough and accessories (or Crayola Model Magic), a pie tin with magnets, geoboard with rubberbands, Brain Quest question sets, small dolls or cars, etc. Wrap a couple new items and keep those as the special items to open when all else fails. Pack non-sugary but special snacks and dole out on a regular basis.

In regards to staying in hotels and other new places, I found the most important thing I could do is keep the bed time routine as much the same as possible (same number of books, a couple of his stuffed animal friends, a favorite blankie, etc).

Have a great time!

When we drove from Wisconsin to Maryland and back with our 18 month old and our 2 1/2 year old, we used the same trick of bringing a "Goody" bag filled with new, small toys, books, snacks, coloring books, etc. I mostly picked up little things at a dollar store so there could be MANY new things to hold their interest without costing more than a few dollars. And I only got them out one at a time - waiting until the previous item was "old" and boredom was setting in before checking the bag for the next thing.

They were young enough that we found playing "Hide and Seek" with one of their blankets is something that really amused the girls. Someone in the car would put a blanket over their head and we'd say, "Where's Mommy?" a few times then the older one would pull at the blanket and I'd pop out and we'd say, "There she is!!" This resulted in miles and miles of giggles! It was sort of an expanded game of Peek-A-Boo. The girls could "hide" and even the driver could if we just draped the blanket over the back of the head (like a hood) since that was the only part of the driver they could see. I'm still amused by the idea that we played "Hide and Seek" in the car with everyone still in their seat belts or strapped in their car seats! :)

All of the advice already given is great. For us on plane & car trips from age 18 mos to 4 yrs, the mini DVD player was the best $200 we ever spent, and they cost quite a bit less now. You don't need a name brand which tends to cost more, whatever is cheap and has a decent sized screen is great. We've had several. I rarely buy the Extended Warranty on electronics but I did for our first portable DVD player and I've taken advantage of it - traded in and renewed the warranty at least 2 or 3 times. They take a beating... And for car trips, the lighter plug adaptor was worth the extra $20 or whatever.

Yes, we worried a little about our kid getting hooked on videos. He's 5 now and watches no TV shows, and very few videos, maybe once or twice a week he'll watch something checked out from the library. Not interested, not addicted. Would rather play games, listen to music, and run around. But in the car or on the plane, the flickering image is a sedative I fully believe in.

Maybe coming up with a list of games to play. For younger kids that easiest would be i-spy or guessing games. Everyone can take turns talking about what it is they are thinking about or what they have seen. We used to play these games for hours when the kids were younger.

Hi, I just moved from Utah so I have to put a suggestion in. If you are in Salt Lake, visit the Public Library downtown. It is above and beyond any library I have ever been to. I love to go there and ride the glass elevator to the roof and there you can overlook the whole valley and the kids area downstairs is great... And it's free. I am sure your sister will have great things for you to do. Have fun. As far as the car ride....I put bags together for my kids of toys, new toys for the 4 year old and of course all sorts of interesting snacks. Also, a familiar blanket or stuffed animal for hotels ect. to provide comfort. Good Luck.

I have a 4 year old and almost 3 year old boys. We drive 5 hrs to MN from WI very often. We have DVD player with two screens. We have learned movies are ok, but we have taped many of the kid shows they love onto a DVD that has really helped. We also take a backpack with play things they enjoy. We pack the magnetic doodle pads, etch a sketch, paper and pens (clip boards are helpful with this), books and have some books that have CDs to go with them. Even if they can't turn to the correct page, they like to look at the pictures. Well, here are a few ideas that work for us. Hope they help a bit for you.

Hi A.,

My husband's family lives in Ohio so about 4 times a year (now that we have kids) we pack up and make the trip. What used to take us 12 hours (from Iowa) now takes us about 14. We have found the biggest help is to leave at night. We leave at 5pm, stop for supper around 7 and get their bellies full! Then head off on our way. The kids (Lucy 2 and Clare 5 mo.)sleep pretty good. Usually only waking when we stop for fuel. The DVD player as you mentioned is great. We also take turns sitting in the back for periods of time to play with the girls, they seem to really like that. My 2 year old really likes to draw so I bought her a travel magnadoodle and she plays with it for hours. I also pack a bag of toys & books. During the summer months when we travel bring a few "outdoor" toys to play with at the rest areas if it isn't too hot. When we went to the Black Hills last summer it was 109 so needless to stay we didn't play outside! For your 4 year old you might be able to get her a travel CD player she could listen to her own music?? I remember having a 'walkman', LOL.

As for sleeping in a hotel room, I would just make sure to take their pillows and/or blankets, something from home that smells and feels familar. Also, staying some place that has a pool helps. You can tucker them out by swimming so they will sleep better.

When I was little we went every three years to a family reunion. Half of the family lived on the west coast & the other half in Iowa, so we met in the middle some where. It made from some long trips: New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Utah. I remember playing and sleeping, I think whatever you do they'll have fun & remember it fondly! :-)

Your trip sounds like an adventure & I hope you have a blast!

It just so happens I just got back from a 20 hour trip with my 4 yr old & 2 yr old. I brought along new DVDs, as well as crayons, coloring books, books etc. But honestly they get bored of everything pretty quickly. My 4 yr old was a lot better with it of course. My 2 yr old would become very restless ever couple of hours & all that would help was getting out & playing at a park or playland for a little while. I would just suggest talking your time & allowing yourself plenty of extra time. Also the second day we drove most of it was during the night & that was so much better! They slept the whole time!
Brekka

My best advice would be to plan for the two year old, not the four year old. Two years is a rougher age to travel--attention span is shorter, which means finding activities for the car is difficult. For my four year old, we use activity books, write on magnetic pads, those books where you use a yellow marker to make text/pictures show up, stickers, snacks, eating in the car, and well timed breaks. We make sure not to rush the breaks, and we indulge in semi-sweets--things that are treats but are not going to make him miserable in the car. We also listen to a LOT of kids' CDs. Finally, we stay in hotels where the kids can play, preferably with a pool, so at least they're getting some physical activity. I've done a 9 hour drive in one day with two boys (almost 4 and an infant) but not consecutive days...I'd almost be inclined to say if it's possible to stay in one place a day, so they don't dread getting back into the car. Also, novelty items--I actually "confiscate" the kids' toy from restaurants for a month or two or three before a big trip, and use them strategically. They don't last long on the interest scale, but they have prevented numerous meltdowns. Oh...and we've strategically used the cell phone on speaker phone, too--it's amazing what talking to grandma can do to stop a frustrated meltdown! And, of course, planning around sleep so that kids can sleep for a LONG time in the car--even shortchanging nights so naps are longer. Hmm..>I think that's all my tips! Good luck!

We often take long car rides with our three (5,4, and 2) and we do, of course, have the DVD player, but actually rarely use it. One thing we do is pack a backpack of toys for each child (car appropriate). We let them help choose so they are involved and excited about what they pack. Some suggestions for toys: mini Magna Doodles, Colorwonder markers and paper (that won't mark the car,) baby dolls (and other "pretend play" toys.) Since this is a first, and a big one, purchasing a small NEW toy that you can surprise them with partway through might help also. We also make sure to pack yummy healthy snacks to (hopefully) reduce stops along the way, but, of course, plan on making more stops than you would just for yourselves. Good luck!

Good question, A.! I have done alot of traveling with my two year old. In my trunk I have what I call "travel toys." These toys are only to be used in the car. So, they're like new every time we go on a vacation. I sometimes also go to Good Will before hand and buy a couple of things for him to play with. When you are in the car, don't give them all the toys at once. Once they get a little fussy, hand them a new activity. Another trick...give them snacks that will take along time to eat, like raisins or small crackers or something. These things seem to really help my son! Good luck to you!

Have them both pick out a special toy and blanket. Also travel as much as you can at night so you can travel while thay are sleeping. Also let them out at rest stops and let them run as much as posible (with in reson). Also, get ready to hear some winning, any time you put a 2 and 4 yr old in the car for long hour at a time....... thay are going to whine!

Set up two rows of chairs and start playing "vacation." Your goal will be to slowly increase their tolerance and expectations for staying in the car. Include some of the activities they will be able to do in the car. Make sure when you get out, you use the same rules you will have on your actual trip, i.e. you can run around, but you stay together, etc. Have a "destination" to arrive at.

Write a story about the "adventure," where you will go and who/what you will see. Include parts about being in the car along time, and what they activities they did in the car, having healthy snacks from the cooler, etc. Start reading it to them every night. Change it up now and then, because you want them to be mentally prepared to be flexible (i.e., they arrived at the park, but this time it was raining, "oh no!"). It should always end happily no matter what, and try to include a sense of wonderment... leaving them curious and looking forward to adventures. Since you'll be visiting family, start showing them pictures and helping them learn names. Play at meeting those people, and how they should greet them, etc.

I recall from when my children were little that there were books out with some great ideas for trips like this. At one point, I bought a book with the states, so my children could follow along with where we were. It was designed for traveling with kids, you could map the route, etc. Look for a book with helpful ideas. One idea I remember from it was that I packed ahead of time little surprises. These came out in moments when the children had really tired of being in the car, were getting cranky, but had to wait a little longer before it was possible to stop. This was in the time period before DVDs, so I don't remember the other tips.

Just before the trip, they could help to pack their own small satchel (within reach) with comfort items, like others suggested. The night before the trip, they can help pack the cooler by putting carrots into baggies, etc.

Start taking day trips. Become a tourist in your own town, and keep increasing the distance to a reasonable amount (however long you'd expect them to be in the car without stopping, this summer). Afterwards, write text about the day trip, and let them draw a picture, even if the pic doesn't look like anything to you. Learn some travel games & practice them on your day trips. Your 4 yr old should be able to do that, & most 2 year olds can do some simple ones (i.e., find a green car, 2 dogs, etc.). Look for, or make a pictoral travel bingo game. Use these games when you want them to be a little attentive to some amazing scenery.

We now have a DVD player in the van, which is great most of the time, but it has had it's sad moments. i.e., when my teenagers have missed gorgeous scenery, or funny unexpected events we drove past, because they were engrossed in a DVD.
Yes, you can drive past an entire canyon & they'll miss it.
So, try to learn about the drive ahead, and actually aim to include games like travel bingo during times that you want them looking around. Just make sure they can actually see things from the car seat- if not this idea won't work as well.

Arrange for your 'helpers' ahead of time, as keeping track of 2 youngsters at a family reunion is tough. Also, think about what safety info you want them to know, & teach it. Happy travels!

I've also done alot of traveling with my son who is almost 3. What seems to work best for me, aside from the DVD player, is a large basket next to his carseat that is full of his favorite toys...cars, trains, colorbooks and crayons. I then bring a clipboard or something similar if he wants to color or draw. Playing his toddler music also helps me greatly. Good Luck!!
B.

Hi A.! My two girls are 5 and 14 months. My five year old has been traveling on road trips since infancy, but longer road trips from ND to TX and back since she was 2. My 1 year old has done the same thing since she was 6 weeks old. I recommend plenty of rest breaks.....tons of toys.....plenty of snacks, juice, and water. Also, I think it really has benefited both of the girls to have plenty of pillows and blankets for comfort. The DVD player was a great move also. That is all I can recommend. If the girls have something that is of comfort, I would take it...i.e....blanket...teddy bear....Have a great trip!!!! Hope my advice helps!!!

You've gotten some wonderful advice.

I only have one thing to add. If you are planning to drive at night, leave about an hour before their bedtime - or however long before that time, that you know they can last in the car.

Get them all ready for bed - bath, jammies, snack - before you go. That way when you put them in their seats with their blankets or animals they are already winding down because of their regular routine.

Granted, they will still be excited about the trip, but they'll be getting sleepy. By the time their bedtime rolls around they will already be asleep or ready to sleep.

Of course night driving may not work for you.

We went to UP, Michigan in October for LSPR and we left Elk River at 6:45pm. Our kids bedtime is 8pm. By the time we got to Duluth they were both fast asleep.

My husband has always been a night person though, so driving until 4am is no big deal for him.

We usually plan to arrive about the time that Coast to Coast is done on AM 1500 so that way we get to listen to the entire 4 hour show.

On a side note, if you're going to be driving through heavily wooded areas at 2 - 3 AM, don't listen to Coast to Coast if the nights show is about Cryptids like Big Foot and Mothman - it can be a little creepy!

Good Luck and enjoy your trip!

Books on tape are wonderful - you can check them out from the library. They have always been big hits with our kids. Great kids music is also a must. They Might Be Giants has a couple of fantastic new kids albums - they would be great in the car. "I Spy" is a good game for traveling. Etch-a-sketches are good - also we found a paint with water activity (not paints, but just painting with water changes the color of the paper - no mess) that was great in the car - maybe for your 4 year old.

If you can, pack some "new" toys that are either actually new or toys they haven't played with in a long time. Buy them new colored pencils/markers (not crayons they melt in the car and can make a mess)and new travel oriented coloring books. Make sure you take lots of breaks at parks scenic sights etc...as you go. They will need to stretch and run. I've found that usually once we would get to a hotel and maybe have a little dinner and some swimming time the kids would be exhausted and have no trouble fallling asleep. Have fun! We had many wonderful family trips and are now planning what could be our last one for a very long time, my "babies" are 22, 19 and 14! Relax, enjoy, there is a lot to see between MN and Oregon!(yes, they will probably bicker and get crabby occationally but that's okay.)

We have done long trips with the kids since they can remember. When they were 2 & 4, we used a DVD player, but the thing they loved and looked forward to were the "mommy treat bags." Before the trip, I'd pack small lunch bags with "things" for them to do. I usually included some kind of food they liked but wouldn't get any other way, and then a small toy, or something for them to do. I'd put in paper lunch bags. I'd decided how many bags I'd want to pack ahead of time and then decide at what interval they'd get the mommy treat bag. Sometimes it would be 2/day, or every 500 miles, or whatever. The Dollar store was a great place to find toys, or garage sales, or extra McD toys... something small but "new" to look forward to and then pass the time.

Happy travels!

first of all, good luck:)!

secondly, check out onestepahead.com. they have a great travel section...

cheers, S.

Hi A.,
I just came back from a two week trip with my 4 children(8,6,4,and 2 yrs. My husband was unable to come and it went beautifully. I went to the store before hand and got a few books and toys (that they never saw) and when they got restless we would stop, take a break, get out and stretch and then when we got going again I introduce a new activity. We also played road games which you're children may be too young for.
Easy games like do you see a tree? What is a tree made of? Might be fun for your four year old.
The best advice I have is be flexible, try to stay calm yourself and allow for unexpected stops. If you cram too much into the day you will get overwhelmed, and the children will feel that. Good Luck, God Bless and have a wonderful memory making trip!
J.

We have a cabin that is 2.5 hours away in northern MN so I'mm constantly trying new things in the car. My two year old loves to look at pictures, so I filled one of those $2 plastic albums with family photos and that keeps her occupied in the car. The aqua doodle & travel doodle toys are nice b/c they can draw over & over without a mess. A little notepad & some colored pencils (little mess). A CD of kids music, lots of different snacks, favorite stuffed animal(s), assorted board books (I love the little dr. suess ones from Target), & a favorite blanket. The blanket & stuffed animal will help with them sleeping in new places too. Good luck with your trip!

Hi A., I think the Search and Find books are a great way to entertain the children on a long ride. My son loves them and keep him occupied for quite a while. You can even find Search and Find books for your 2 year old. Good Luck, L. T

Lots of snacks, coloring books the Crayola wonder books are great, no mess. They only color on the Crayola paper not your car. If you have a DVD player lots of movies. I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old and we make a trip to Texas a couple of times a year from Iowa. their favorite toys, I spy games are good for the older ones. Children's CD music is also good if you and your Husband can tolerate the sing alongs. Don't forget to take Tylenol or Ibuprofen, My older daughter starts complaining that her legs hurt from dangling, so I keep one of those with me for any pains. I hope this helps. We have been making these trips for the past 4 years.

I've been on trip from California to Minnesota recently with my 3 daughters, a 5 year old, 3 year old, and 7 month old. Take plenty of toys. When you stop at a rest area, let them run around a little bit and have a picnic or something. Also have plenty of snacks on hand. There are lots of healthy snacks that are easy to bring on the road. Just try to enjoy it and relax. I believe it will be better than you think.

Good luck
A.

This si going to sound awful but it is the advise that came from my pediatrition. We moved in 2000 from iowa to Nevada with 2 3year olds and an 18 month old. Our doctor told us to make sure that when the car stopped that whatever child was awake got out and got 10 minutes to run and scream as loud as possible(sometimes I screamed with them) Then when it approaches their normal nap time give them a 1/2 dose of liquid benedryl, noto lny will it put them to sleep but it will also help with any itchies or heat rashes caused by being in car seats for prolonged periods.
I hope this helps.
P.S. Those kids are not 13 and almost 10 and they love to take car trips still,.

I have found My daughter's Leap Pad works WONDERS...(an it is better for her then just watching movies over and over again) That way you get a break in the movies...Take some of their favorite stories...Maybe bring a note book with with washable crayons and they can draw the interesting sites they seen along the way...Hope it Helps..

Maybe bring their familiar pillow or blankie with for sleeping.

For the car ride try and stop every 4 hours or whatever it is and let the kids run run and run. Alot of rest stops along major interstates have playgrounds or a grassy area for picnics and it would be a great place to let them run wild.

Bring kid cd's in the car, dvd player,window clings like the ones you decorate your house for holidays they work great on car windows too, a cooler with water or juice boxes, snacks, maybe plan to sit in the back with the kids here and there to help with the boredom.

My daughter is 6 we make a trip to Chicago alot it's like 7-8 hours and she will always take a nice couple hour nap no problem.

Create a box of special treats and new, small toys that you can surprise them with along the way. Don't let them know anything about it, and hide it during the trip, then you can magically pull out something new to mesmerize them for awhile. Take along kids' music CDs, books on tape, stop often at kid-friendly places so they can stretch their legs, and keep your cool. Long car trips can be wonderful if well handled, and terrible if you are impatient or drive too long at a stretch. When you get to the hotel, resist the urge to turn on the TV. They will settle in faster and go to sleep sooner if they get a chance to run around, bounce on the bed, have a snack and a snuggle, then turn out the lights. Once they're down, you can watch a movie and have a little snuggle time with your hubby. A note for the future - get your car trips in now. Little ones are much easier to travel with than teens!

SAHM of seven, we travel cross-country once a year, with anywhere from three - seven children on board!

We've driven to & from TX from MN many times. We stop every 2 hours or so to run around & get the wiggles out.

We bring pillows from home & our daughter's night time CD to listen to.

Try to keep their routines as much as possible. We even do naptime in the car, we put her nap CD on an iPod for her to listen to.

Try driving at night while your kids sleep. We just did that with our 9 month old son (on a 7 hour car trip) and he did pretty well. We left shortly before dinner, drove an hour, got out to eat, walk around and then put his PJs on and he fell asleep the rest of the way.

GOOD LUCK!

Wow - sounds like a great trip! We've taken lots of long car trips with our kids (up to 6 of them!) at different ages, and they've always handled it far better than expected. But some of the things we've done: 1)Try to get initial chunks of driving done at night so that the kids sleep 2)Make frequent stops during daytime driving and get the kids moving outside when you do (I recall doing the macarena at several rest areas back in the 90's!) As for in-the-car activities, the DVD is a life saver-and headphones made it bearable for us. We also used to take puppets, and I would put on puppet shows from the front seat, which the kids thought was hilarious. Books, books on tape, sing along tapes, wax stix, coloring, playdough, etch-a-sketch, and dry erase boards also kept them busy. Your children are a little young, but you could play some version of "I Spy" as well. Good luck, and have a wonderful trip!

We did that trip from so. Dakota to portland, and found that having a book on CD, expecially Harry Potter. It lasted till we got there. And my three year old still asks to listen to it when we get it the car and even my 1 1/2 year old enjoyed it. Also any book on tape, with them holding the book. And you can make them yourself if your computer has a CD burner and microphone.

I would take along books and coloring books. Quiet things for them to do. You can get them involved in looking for cars of different colors. The little one may be to young for this but she will learn colors. Music is good. singing songs. snacks.

You have already gotten alot of great suggestions, so I won't repeat. However, I just drove to Chicago with my 3 gilrs aged 7,5, and 3 all by myself over spring break, and it went soooooo well. Being that I was by myself, they each had a small rubbermaid of their items and that worked out great, but worked out the best was the lap trays, and they are on sale at Michaels. They have all colors. Good Luck!

S.

Back when I was a kid and a tv in the car was unheard of, my mom would wrap small presents up for us and when we would get bored or start fighting she would let us grab in the bag and each open one. A small book, pack of gum or candy, matchbox car, colored pencils and paper etc. It was so exciting to wonder what was in the bag! When my kids were younger they each had a traveling art desk that opened up for crayons and paper, stampers, stickers, all the art supplies on the inside and the desk part was chalkboard on one side and erasable marker on the other. I think you can get them at toy stores.

A.,

We have taken more all day / two day road trips than I can remember with our little kids and I found a routine that works well for us....

Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast and get on the road early, by 7:00ish.

Morning: books, color wonder markers & paper, Leapfrog Leapsters, books or songs on CD, toys. Have them keep all their stuff in their own bag so it doesn't spill all over the floor.

About 9:00, have a morning snack - something not too messy that takes a long time to consume. I organize snacks in ziplock bags ahead of time and fill them with trail mix, pretzels, raisins, etc. Have water bottles for them in the car, but I wouldn't recommend letting them have them all day, or you will have to stop for a bathroom break every hour.

After snack, put a movie in the DVD player. When it is done, the kids will be hungry, have to pee, and you will be out of gas. It is faster to stop once for everything. I always take the kids to McDonald's and let them play on the toys while I eat my lunch. I don't buy their's until we are ready to leave. (McDonald's website can give you every location in the country and where the ones with the playland are.) Then they eat their lunch in the car. Yeah, it's a little messy, but it keeps them entertained for another 30 minutes while we actually get closer to the destination. I usually get them juice boxes, chicken nuggets and fries with no ketchup or apples with no carmel.

After lunch is naptime. I don't let them have their toys from McDonald's until after naptime, then they play with them for a while. By 3:00 it is time for another snack, then a second movie. *I never give snacks or toys during the movie because I need to stretch out every kind of entertainment as far as I can.

Between 5-6:00, it is time to pee, eat, and fill the gas tank again. We usually go to a restaurant for this - like a Denny's where kids eat free on Tuesdays and Saturdays. After dinner, I have them change into their pajamas and brush their teeth at the restaurant bathroom, then they can play with their toys, books, games, markers, CDs, etc. until 7-8:00ish, when we tell them they need to fall asleep. When we arrive, we just pick them up and put them in bed.

The first road trip is always the worst. This is something the kids just need to get used to doing. The more you do it, the easier it will get.

Good luck,
S.

#1.magnadoodles
#2.lots of light snacks-(cherrios...)
#3.sounds nuts:but,little portable "make-up" mirrors on the backs of the front seats so they can see them selves.(this is entertaining to them) esp. if thier girls- let them put pretend make-up on.
#4.portable bead trays- they can make thier own bracelets or necklaces-very time consuming!:)-even if they drop a few it's worth your sanity;)
GOOD LUCK! youll have a blast. S. E.

Hi
We just moved here from San Antonio. I have a 4 year old, 2 1/2 year old and a 7 month old baby. It can be quite challenging traveling with little ones. What worked for us was buying new books. Little people books with lift flaps keeps them entertained for awhile. I also bought some new little toys. Michaels has trays that you can decorate and use in the car. I didn't do that because I didn't know about them. A friend of mine used those when driving from Texas to Ohio. She said they were great.
Another trick we did when traveling to unfamiliar places, either bring pillows and blankets from home and I have even brought a small child size tent for them to sleep in. IT's familiar from home and they feel comfortable. It's also fun.
I bought new snacks, things they had never seen before.
The hotel thing, we had a cot for our 4 year old, and either the 2 year old by himself in the double bed, or with my husband and I was with the baby. We had only been to a hotel with the boys once before we moved. We also stopped at rest areas to let them run. It was tough with a new baby. Every stop took at least 40 minutes or an hour. I thought we would never get here! Three very long days!
Good luck. It will be fun. Take lots of pictures and your kids will be talking about it for months.
K.

We travel all the time. I had 3 girls that we traveled with. I read books, told stories, Bible stories, we looked for cows and animals outside. Whoever saw them first they were theirs. As they get older and they can count the number of animals, then they get all they can count, and you keep adding to the number. You have plenty of snacks and drink with. You play "I see the color" game, the alphabet game--looking for the letters on signs outside of the vehicle, then there is the rhyming game for older children. It's called hankiti-pankity. If it's a one syllable word, you say hank pank. What you are thinking of is coat--boat. So you say, "Hank, pank, clothing, vehicle". Then come all the guesses to try to guess what you're thinking of. That is good for the brain and for a lot of fun and time in the car. Then there is the "I'm thinking of someone in the Bible who's name starts with....C" or whatever letter you chose. This is also for older children. Then the people guessing have to give a clue. Was it the son of God? Yes or no the person who is answering has to know who the son of God is. If the person gets stumped, then they lose and the person who stumped them, get's to start with a new name.

May the Lord help you to be creative and have a good trip.
R.

I can not remember what they are called, but it is made from Crayola. It comes in a package. The ones that I remember is hard black paper in a notebook and it comes with 2 white markers but when you color on the black paper it becomes rainbow colors. They probably got other ones that are simular. You will probably only really have to worry about the trip there, they will probably sleep more then they are awake on the way home. When my 2 oldest were 4 and 1, we went from Iowa to Louisianna, we were able to keep them busy enough on the way there, then they weren't away much on the way home, they were pooped. Just make sure you stop at least every couple hours and let them run some laps and streatch there legs...

Everytime you stop make it a play land of some sort so they can get out and get tired. My kids would go nuts if they couldn't get out and run a round a little while. I would say if you have breaks every 4 to 5 hours on a long trip you could stop at a park and let them run. I know I like to get in my car and just get to where I am going but that doesn't work for my kids so I have to plan for breaks. It really works they get tired and sleep a lot more for me. Hope that you find a lot of good ideas for your trip.

Hi, A..
I definitely would echo Nina W.'s response in that you should buy small inexpensive items and as a reward for being good in the car, distribute a new item every hour. You can maybe take an egg timer along to keep track of the time. The dollar store would be a great place to find inexpensive items and you can time a "treat" at their snack time. Good luck!

With family in Louisiana & Atlanta we tend to travel long distances (18-21 hours one way) several times a year. The best suggestion I have is a "travel kit" that I create with a backpack. Out of view of the girls, I would pack these backbacks with trinkets (old McDonald's toys), small games/toys I find on sale, colors & coloring books, internet printables,and other small, quiet, travel-friendly items. I keep everything secretive until we climb in the van and get rolling. The girls (ages 21 mo, 5 & 7) enjoy discovering what is in their bags & I don't get as much "are we there yet?!?"

Hi A.:

My husband & I do a lot of traveling with our kids (We have a 2 year old girl & a 4 year old boy).

I help each child pack a small bag/backpack with small toys & games of their choosing. Doodlepro boards, invisible ink books & card games are great. I like to buy a few new things that they haven't seen before or take the travel toys away for a few days so they aren't sick of them!

We also make sure to plan a lot of stops to let them get out and run around a bit. We've found our GPS system to be invaluable, both for us to easily navigate and to find cool attractions, parks etc. to enjoy on the way. And for really long trips we've opted to rent a mini-van to make life easier & more comfortable.

We learned that the fewer restaurants we go to the better. Our kids seem to have a one/day tolerance limit. I always pack a cooler of snacks/easy meals to eat in the hotel/picnic areas. Also the closer we stay to their normal schedule the better - which is hard since we usually travel 1x/year to Europe to visit my husband's family (the time difference is a challenge w/ naps!)

Hope this helps! Have a great trip & don't forget your camera :)

On our overnight trips, we take my son's pillow and favorite nap blanket. He does fine in the hotels then. As for the drive, the DVD player is the best investment we've made. We also got my son some disposable cameras to take his own pics on our trips. He loves taking pics and we get to see some things thru his eyes. Good Luck and enjoy your adventure!