A Question for all you mums (and Dad's)...

In car DVD player is the only thing that gets ours occupied for a while :)

For the 3 year old story books on cd/tape with own player and earphones.Helps with learning to read and word recognition etc.

Hi Laura,

Ours also have a DVD, but before that they had CD walkmans with headphones. We limit the DVD use and they still love their walkmans
Hope this helps

Mine (before she became a teenager) liked nothing better than a drawing pad or a good book to read or a puzzle book.

Now it's the iPod and the Laptop (...groan...)

Hi Laura

my two take, books, pens and pencils, colouring books, dvds, and they both have their own "computers" i.e reading aid books such as Leap pads, and computer toys that teach spelling etc.

Lyn

We used to do long trips across Europe with the boys and for a while before we left I would buy odd bits and pieces which I though they would enjoy, nothing expensive but rather a variety of $2 shop type things which I would keep hidden in a bag under the drivers seat and when they got really bored I would produce something from the bag - hey presto! a new toy :) it worked well.

Mike Harding

Laura B

Can certainly recommed the Books on tape (or CD). Most of the Disney Classics, and new releases are available. Can be used with or without the book (have managed to lose almost all of the books, but the kids still listen with interest). Can also get wiggles and nursery rhymes on tape (or dear I say copy them off the tv).

Works even better if you can turn the radio to the rear speakers, so that the front seat is relatively quiet. It is a bit scary when you can quote word for word Winnie the Pooh (and a day for Eyore)!!!!

Would also suggest (at least for the 3 yo) a small luchbox packed with snacks they can eat along the way (I use fruit, couple of lollies, biscuits and a variety of healthy and non healthy stuff), and a drink bottle. Saves an incredible amount of turning around to hand over drink bottles and food.

Also found that a couple of thier current fav toys (as well as a soft teddy - to fall asleep on/with) keeps them quiet for a while.

Add a sunshade and all should be well. Don't forget frequent stops. Our 2 also know that they get to go to a number of kids places, but in return Mum & Dad get a couple of adult places (usually kid friendly though).

May want to check out the "On The Road" on this site - some good ideas as well.

Enjoy the trip
RD

Hi laura

My 3 1/2 year old boy will spend hours listening to nursery rhymes and talking books on his disk player. I got some for just a few $ at our Cheap shop not long ago. Nursey Rhymes for $2 and 2 packs of Disney books (toys story & lion king) for $5. The shop in cairns is called Crazy Clarks, i guess others would have them too.

He also has a Fisher Price Power touch computer. I tend to buy a new book/disk for it and give it to him a day or two into the trip when the others become "old". We tend not to play with it much at home so that it is something different when we are away. This is also a good one for "quiet time" in the camp.

He also has a set of binoculars and sits in up in the back seat of the troopy spotting everything. They make I Spy a little more interesting.This is also a good way for him to tell daddy where to go! Saves Mummy the trouble.

He has one of those table things that sit on your lap. Many hours are spent playing with the magnetic Thomas trains on this. Drawing & colouring books are good, as are the sticker books. Another good one is a view-finder, again i buy a new set of slide thingys for any new long trips and hand them out one at a time into the trip.

I think the trick is to have lots of different things to do and change them often.

Good luck

Adam's Mummy

OK here goes..!

1. I Spy with my little eye, something beginning with "A"
2. I Spy with my little eye, something beginning with "B"
3. I Spy with my little eye, something beginning with C
4. I Spy with my little eye, something beginning with D
5. I Spy with my little eye, something beginning with E
6. I Spy with my little eye, something beginning with F
7. I Spy with my little eye, something beginning with G
8. I Spy with my little eye, something beginning with H

And when that runs it's legs try this:

9. OK Kids, please spell "Are we there yet" backwards..!

Like Mike we had a bag of goodies that used to pop a new item out now and then. The 3 YO is easier - lots of books, colouring pencils and books/paper. 1 YO is hard. Dangly stuff from the roof works for a bit, and whatever else, DON'T forget the vital blanket/toy/teddy that they can't sleep without! (we used to carry a spare blanky (blanket) which was kept to the same worn state as the original so that if the primary one was lost we had an instant backup)

We occasionally we take our whole pack of 20 somethings to an interstate wedding, but now need lots of sockets for laptops, DVD players, camera charges etc etc.

*sigh*

I remember the days when looking out he window was a viable option. Now only Mr and Mrs Paj do that and we can't even have music on because it interferes with the sound track!

Good Luck

Pete

Hi Laura

We recently did a long trip and although my kids are a bit older than yours this will probably still be useful.

My kids had their diskman, favourite books and a small soft toy each plus a 'surprise bag' of goodies each which included a variety of books, pens, pencils, paper and the older two were also given a disposable camera to use for the trip.

I am lucky with my kids as they have travelled a fair bit (regular trips to the in-laws farm, club trips etc) since they were born so they are very settled on long drives.

We also invested in 'stable tables' for each of them to use in the car (also handy when eating dinner around the camp fire).

Hope you have a good trip. :-))

Hi Laura

Apart from the usual car games......I Spy, Punch Buggy (while in some type of civilization, would be hard pressed finding any of these in the outback, Mum & Dad can play this too, the adult version, it's called Kiiss Buggy), Number Plate (a-z or numerical) Sequence game, Alphabet game, give then a word and they have to make as many words from it in a set amount of time, etc.
My kids also took school/own reading books, pens, pencils, felt pens, highlighters, crayons, colouring books, they had an exercise book that the used as their own personal daily diary that they wrote and drew in each day/night about the days travels, little hand held water games, hand held electronic hand games (before gameboys & dvd palyers etc), a game they cut out of cardborad that had "x" amount of holes cut out on each side and they used marbles and dice, it was similar to Backgammon (hopefully someone will know the name of that game and how to play it, it's been a while since I played it). You can buy mini versions from most toy stores of the games like Battleship, Connect Four, Hangman etc. They are excellent in the car because of the size. The trick here is to take lots of various small things and to occupy their time.

I'm sure you will work it out.
There are lots of good tips in those replies, so Good Luck and enjoy your trip!!!

Cya
:)
(Muddies Better Half)

i have always found that no matter what they take we end up playing silly games any way where would we be without i spy

Tie the little people up in a series of knots with a good rope , and then put them in the car with the seat belt on. This will keep them entertained for hours.

Hi and good luck, our boys are now 18 and 19 but have travelled well since they were babies. All of the above have worked well for us. Don't produce all the goodies at once, keep some in reserve to be released as boredom creeps in. If you give them something new take away a toy they are not using - it too will be like new again to them in a day or two! If you look around the shops there are travel versions of many games but maybe your two are too young yet for small pieces (travel connect 4, travel checkers, crocodile dentist, travel guess who). We also had trays that hooked over the front head restrains by rope loops, they could be lowered when needed and folded up to the back seat if not needed, much cooler than using stable tables and nothing gets spilled if they get the fidgets. We also let the kids run wild at stops while we ate, then fed them in the car after we resumed the trip, this way they worked off all their energy and saved us time.
Cheers, Mike.

Can I just mention one thing...? (I knew you'd say yes :)

Someone(s) mentioned CD/tape players and headphones for children, good idea but please ensure they don't wind the volume up on them too high. Children's ears are very sensitive and there is a, very real, possibility of long term hearing damage from prolonged exposure to high sound pressure levels.

If you have a multi speaker system in the car perhaps play their CD on the car player and fade the front speakers out and let the children use the rear ones - that way you can control the volume.

Mike Harding

hi laura

i thought of a couple of other things that might be good for little girls. What about paper dolls that they can dress up. Most book shops sell them for a few dollars. Or you could cut some out of cardboard dolls before the trip and the 3 yr old could draw some pretty clothes on them. Adam also has a magnetic board/book thing that came with all the play school toys etc as cut outs. He can make pictures with and then we tell stories about them. i got it from one of the big book shops.

see ya

Ellen