While on the road, I have a few must-have's for us and the kids. I thought I'd share it for anyone who finds themselves in a vehicle with kids for an extended period of time.
Snacks:
We try to stick with healthy snacks. Traveling can be hard on little tummies, so some of our favorites are gogurts, fruits, cereals, and an occasional string cheese. We keep a cooler in the van on most trips. If a cooler is too large and cumbersome, you could try an insulated lunch box. Having snacks on hand helps us eat healthier and save money. We also buy large packs of juice boxes. The kids get 1 a day. After that, it's water.
Entertainment:
read-along books from the library They love these! And, to my surprise, they can follow the chime and stay on the right page!
stickers :)
coloring supplies
books - some of their favorites to look at and some for me to read to them
favorite toys (we switch them out every so often)
songs - we have a microphone we pass around the van so that everyone can participate. This is one of my favorite things to do :)
flash cards - rhymes, numbers, animals, anything on a card is fun for them. They're in the $1 section at target.
dvd player - we try to only use this at night when they can't see to do other activities You can borrow from the library as well. Just don't be like me and lose the dvd's and amass a sizeable fine. boo. :(
Breaks:
Everyone always goes to the bathroom at the same time. It doesn't matter if you don't need to go. You go anyways!
Outdoors
I keep a frisbee, a small soccer ball, and velcro catching pads (you know, the kind that are a circle and you strap them on your hand and catch a tennis ball) in the van. We try to stop at rest areas when the weather is nice and toss a frisbee or kick a ball. It gets some of the wiggles out. And we have fun together! :)
Some other ideas are bubbles or sidewalk chalk. We have enjoyed those too!
Inclement weather
When the weather is bad, we try to find a playplace or a mall with one. Barnes and nobles usually has those train tables. Chuck e Cheese is fun too - and a great deal at only a quarter a game.
Our kids also love pet stores. They have a blast walking around and looking at all the cute animals.
Miscellany:
Wet wipes. I like the antibacterial kind. They work great for many purposes and they don't leave your hands sticky like sanitizer does.
Treats for good behavior...lollipops, gummy worms, just fun stuff that's out of the ordinary for them (and us).
Febreeze. Because after a while, it just gets stinky in there.
And now, for daddy's and my favorite thing: Quiet time!
Yes, we do. We tell the kids to be quiet. We're awful, we know. But, when you're in the car for a business-day-long stretch, you've just got to have some time where the only squeaky little voices are in your head instead of coming from the back seat haha! It's amazing how much a little peace and quiet can do to reset moods and ease frustrations. Granted, the baby doesn't always comply, but we look the other way for him.
Well, those are the basics. It's nothing fancy, but it keeps us going. I would love to hear what some of your favorite go-to's are for the road!
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