AM I CRAZY to consider this last minute?

[ha98ed14]

I am facing a 4 hour flight w/ DD tomorrow and then an 8 hour drive the next day. We have no tablet device. She uses my iPod Touch but has a hard time with it because the screen is so small. Am I crazy to consider a tablet purchase? I would buy a cheapy one, not the latest and greatest. Thoughts? Recommendations?

[mommylamb]

I wouldn't unless I had been planning on buying a tablet anyway and knew which one I wanted to get. My DS uses his itouch all the time (too much), and doesn't have any problems with it. She'll have lots of time to practice using it. Just download some movies onto it so that she has something to watch and can do something than just play games.

[WatchingThemGrow]

She's going to be in the back seat when you'll be in the front? I think that would be too hard to manage. Get something easier - Leapster Explorer with some games BOGO from TRU right now. Maybe a couple of the little Toobs of manipulatives, prebagged snacks.

[niccig]

I wouldn't. Do you have or can borrow a DVD player or a leapster? Mmm, if you were closer I would let you take DS's leapster as we don't use it anymore.

Can you put some TV shows on the iPod touch? We let DS do that when he was about 5years old, as well as games. Use the plane trip to show her how to play the games, put different TV shows on, so she can do it in the backseat on her own. Does she like music? DS will sit listening to music or maybe a book on tape.

Other things I've done on long trips...make copies of worksheets (or pull out of the book) then put it in a plastic protector and with marker pen you can rub off and use again. Tic Tac Toe is DS's favourite, so I have a sheet of that. Connect the dots are other options. I also take a book and read a couple of chapters to DS. We buy a simple lego set and let him build that on the plane. There's activity books and one that you paint with water and it changes colour - that's good for the plane. The color magic books/pens are no mess. Some plain paper and crayons.

Lots of snacks. DS knows he can get a pack of doritoes for the the plane journey. And gummy bears. I was stuck in middle of Cincinnati airport alone with 3 year old DS, who refused to get up off ground and walk and we had to get to next terminal for our flight. I bribed him with biggest bag of gummy bears I could find. So anything she doesn't normally get, can be worth it to pull out of your bag of tricks.

She may surprise you too - she's older now and once DS got over 4yo, travel started to get much easier. Prep her, so she knows she's going to have to wait and what to expect. DS knows the drill now, and does better than I do.

Oh...on my last trip to Australia, I got a blank notebook and made a photo book with DS. We got a cheapo camera that was "ours" - mine and DS's. He and I took different photos on the trip and then I got them printed out at our destination, we stuck them in the book and wrote about the photo. You could take photos on way there and at Thankgiving, print them out and on trip home you can spend time gluing them into the book.

[ha98ed14]

I wouldn't. Do you have or can borrow a DVD player or a leapster? Mmm, if you were closer I would let you take DS's leapster as we don't use it anymore.

Can you put some TV shows on the iPod touch? We let DS do that when he was about 5years old, rather than games.

Ok, how do you download movies to iPod? iTunes store?

I thought about getting her a Leapster, but then there was VTech and MobiGo and I got all confused. Thoughts?

[niccig]

Ok, how do you download movies to iPod? iTunes store?

I thought about getting her a Leapster, but then there was VTech and MobiGo and I got all confused. Thoughts?

Yes, got through iTune store. Before any new trip, we take off old TV shows and put new ones on.

Not sure about the handheld...can you do a quick call around and see if anyone will lend you a leapster. I've lent ours out to friends.

[niccig]

At the airport, kill some time by getting something to eat, even if just starbucks and a muffin. Walk and look at things...you don't want to use up all your activities at the gate.

Oh..does she like some craft things? Things like those foamy kits that you put together can be done on a plane table...just dont' bring scissors.

4 hours is pretty quick on a plane. 2 or 3 tv episodes and you're halfway there.

Oh, for the car, see if you can get car bingo at Target. It's cards with things you have to look for eg police car, traffic light. The one we have has barn on it, yeah, like I'll find that in LA...but you could see that. DS still plays this with us and it takes us from home to Long Beach. We do modify them. eg. no cow on highway, so we allow billboards etc.

eta. here...print out car bingo cards. http://homeschooling.about.com/od/travelbingo/Travel_Bingo_Cards.htm

[Carrots]

We just flew to and back from FL (live in MA = 3 hour flight) and never used our iPad during the flight. I bought DD some games at Target and a set of the Crayola "magic wonder?" markers and paper.....(can't remember the actual name, but they are the markers that only mark special paper and won't make a mess). She fell asleep for 1/2 the flight and colored, snacked or watched TV the rest of the time.

Best of luck!

[kijip]

I don't think you need it to get through that trip so unless you have one in mind you wanted anyway, I don't know how much it is going to help you and you don't want to get something for $100 or more that you won't use later on.

You can use the B&N coupon to get a Leapster Explorer for $42 and games are BOGO at TRU. We are thinking about that for Finn, have one on hold. We never did that for T but are thinking about it for F.

Or, see if you can get a Leapster used from Craigslist?

Do not get the Android tablet at Big Lots, my brother got two planning on giving them to his girls for Christmas and got them home and realized they did not work with the Android Market because they are not 2.0 so he could not load anything onto it for his girls to play at all! They are getting returned.

[ahisma]

I think you'll get far more mileage out of a DVD player in the car than you will a tablet. Unless there is someone there to help her who is not driving it would be a huge hassle.

Our driving trip routine is to bring DVD players and grab some movies from Redbox. You can return them anywhere, I figure $1.20 for 1 1/2- 2 hours of peace in the car is a great value.

[essnce629]

We just flew to and back from FL (live in MA = 3 hour flight) and never used our iPad during the flight. I bought DD some games at Target and a set of the Crayola "magic wonder?" markers and paper.....(can't remember the actual name, but they are the markers that only mark special paper and won't make a mess). She fell asleep for 1/2 the flight and colored, snacked or watched TV the rest of the time.

Best of luck!

I agree. We've taken several cross-country flights and long (8+ hour) road trips with DS1 since he was 3 years old. We never had any type of tablet, dvd player, leapster, or iPod and he's always done just fine. He's always spent a lot of time sleeping and the rest of the time would color, play with toys, etc. We do have an iPad now, but when we travel I use it or we us it as a GPS so DS1 or DS2 aren't playing with it anyways.

As a kid I went on tons of road trips and spent all my time sleeping and looking out the window!

[niccig]

I'm actually all for the iPad for travelling. It saved me on my 14+ hour return trip with DS from Australia when there was no personal entertainment system on the plane. Yes, we could have totally managed without it, as we used to, but it was sure nice to have. I no longer take a DVD player, the iPad is smaller, lighter and more useful.

The reason I wouldn't' go out and get one now is 1) you're rushed and may get something that's not much use to you later on 2) then it's a waste of money.

I also think 4 hours is pretty short on a plane - sorry, I'm just used to soooooo much longer. DS's reaction to visiting family in mid-West is "what, we're there already". So that may be colouring my perspective.

[TwinFoxes]

I don't think you're crazy, but I don't think it's 100% necessary. I do think the four hour flight isn't an issue, but it's the eight hour drive the very next day that will be tough on her.

A tablet isn't necessarily a pain in the car. We just made a nine hour drive today with the iPad. We have a sleeve/case that fits on the headrest. It holds it there and is perfect for watching videos. I posted a link to it in another thread, I'll find it and post. If we didn't have twins I would just let one DC hold it on her lap, they wouldn't need help with it. This trip, with them using the iPad for videos for part of it was the easiest we've had. I don't know about other tablets, so I can't recommend one.

A portable DVD player is a good idea too.

ETA: here's the case
http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Technology-GB02464-Cinemaseat-IPAD2/dp/B004SMESIQ/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1321642415&sr=8-22

If you do get a tablet of some sort you might find a similar case.

[maestramommy]

Are you traveling alone with her? I think the flight is not a big deal, but the car ride might be. Can you get books on CD? CDs? Books? Snacks she doesn't usually have?

Agree that if the idea of the car ride is giving you the willies, I'd rather get a portable DVD player. You could even strap it to the back of the passenger seat (is she ffacing?) so she doesn't have to hold it.

ETA: One more thing. If the car ride is a day after the plane right, break it up. Leave first thing in the morning, stop for lunch at a place that has a playspace and spend 60-90 minutes there. Then continue with your trip. We do this when we do road trips with the girls, whether it's 4 hours or 8 hours. Makes a huge difference! We've gotten it so we stop at the same places every time! Either this mall in CT or big rest stop in NJ :P The kids listen to CDs, eat snacks, look out the window, read books, etc. At the rest stop they eat, then run around in the play area, or window shop at the NJ rest stop. Then they're willing to get back in the car and do the same. A lot of times they take a nap after lunch.

[ha98ed14]

Thanks all for the advice. I went to Best Buy last night, but realized I was going to spend a minimum of $250 for anything remotely decent, which seemed excessive for one trip. I felt like I would not make a good decision under pressure, so I left. I went to Target and got a color wonder from the dollar bin and a few other things. Except for this trip, I could not think of how our family would use a tablet, (we have 3 laptops for two adults) so it would have been a waste of money. This morning, I am going to TJ's to get snacks. I'm less worried about the plane because there is a certain novelty to it. Car ride? Not so much. And it's the longer of the two. I'm loading up the ipod now. Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving, ALL and safe trip to all of us traveling!

[maestramommy]

Thanks all for the advice. I went to Best Buy last night, but realized I was going to spend a minimum of $250 for anything remotely decent, which seemed excessive for one trip. I felt like I would not make a good decision under pressure, so I left. I went to Target and got a color wonder from the dollar bin and a few other things. Except for this trip, I could not think of how our family would use a tablet, (we have 3 laptops for two adults) so it would have been a waste of money. This morning, I am going to TJ's to get snacks. I'm less worried about the plane because there is a certain novelty to it. Car ride? Not so much. And it's the longer of the two. I'm loading up the ipod now. Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving, ALL and safe trip to all of us traveling!

happy travels, and actually let us know how it goes! I've taken a 4 hr car ride alone with the kids, but I'm thinking about visiting the ILs alone, which would make it 8hrs with a single stop. Wondering if it would be doable or madness:tongue5:

[BabyBearsMom]

FYI, Costco has a Visio tablet for $190 (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11663717&search=tablet&Mo=38&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=tablet&Ntt=tablet&No=11&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1) I don't know if it is good or not, but an option.

I wouldn't buy one for one trip (I see your update OP that you didn't), but just in case anyone was looking for a cheaper tablet. I have no idea if it is good or not.