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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    Default Traveling toys suggestions for an 18 month old

    We will be driving to Grandma's for Thanksgiving and the trip is 8-9 hours. DS will be 18 months and I would love suggestions to help keep him entertained during the trip. I was looking at a magnet doodler (Fisher Price) but I'm wondering if he's still too young to be interested in it. What have others found to de helpful? Of course we will have music and books (DS's favorite.)
    TIA
    Sarah

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    Default RE: Traveling toys suggestions for an 18 month old

    This is what helped during a road trip we took when DD was ~17 months...
    Books - especially lift the flap or books with buttons
    Lots of small toys - Parent's Choice Key Fob (car, house, and alarm sounds), sophie the girafee, FP Little People, Toys to open and close (small treasure chest, sliding door type thing from Subway)
    Water Bottle (not a toy but gee sometimes they can be to DD)
    Snacks (ditto)

    We doled toys out periodically. Even more effective though (especially when DC is REALLY over the carseat):
    Take pit stops, be prepared to sing or talk till hoarse, eye spy type games really help ("look a motorcycle, where's the motorcycle?"), play silly games ("oh my gosh the truck is going to pass us, oh no we better go, oh we passed the truck, yeah!!").

    I think a magna doodle would be good. DD has a travel sized one that she's loved since she was actually less than a year. We just made sure she was supervised with it (bought it for a long plane ride).

    Good luck!
    Malia

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Napa, CA, USA.
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    1,430

    Default RE: Traveling toys suggestions for an 18 month old

    Magna doodles worked for DS at that age, as did the Crayola wonder markers that only mark on the special paper (we liked them because they required less supervision and we didn't worry about him getting stains on stuff).

    Little cars (if he's into them) can work well.

    One trick that I think I read here is to wrap things up in wrapping paper and give them to him periodically throughout the trip. Then the unwrapping becomes a fun task in and of itself. You might put some toys away now, then they will seem new at Thanksgiving.
    Laurel
    Mama to Jack 6/02 and Maddy 12/04

    Babywearing education in Napa, CA

  4. #4
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    Default RE: Traveling toys suggestions for an 18 month old

    Thanks for the help!!!
    Sarah

  5. #5
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    Default RE: Traveling toys suggestions for an 18 month old

    Thanks for the help!!!
    Sarah
    Yikes!! I guess I did something wrong when I posted this.
    SORRY!!!!!
    :)

  6. #6
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    Default RE: Traveling toys suggestions for an 18 month old

    oops!!

  7. #7
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    Default RE: Traveling toys suggestions for an 18 month old

    sorry posted again

  8. #8
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    Default RE: Traveling toys suggestions for an 18 month old

    I'm not even sure what I did wrong.
    sorry for all the posts

  9. #9
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    Default RE: Traveling toys suggestions for an 18 month old

    last one :)

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 1999
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    Default RE: Traveling toys suggestions for an 18 month old

    We moved from Texas to Florida when dd was this age. We had to drive both cars so I had in my car by myself.

    I would just toss a toy back to her every 15 min or so. Variety was the key. Nothing too heavy so she could hold onto it easily.
    If someone is sitting in the back with your ds (choking hazard) then I'd suggest stickers or even tape. My dd loved to stick them to things and peel off - or even work on getting the stickers off the sheet. She also fell in love with a lamiated plastic book that had reusable cling stickers or a felt book.

    Another hint is to bring a ball to throw, run and chase when you do stop. We skip restaurants and packed lunches or got food to go to take to a park or rest area. You should scope some that might be on your route. It's cruel to make a little one go from a car seat to a highchair on a long trip and expect them to behave in a restaurant.

    We are military so we make long trips A LOT! Another thing we sometimes do is get the kids bathed, in their jammies and hop in the car at bedtime and drive through the night. A few Red Bulls later, you're there, having had a remarkably peaceful trip. You hand the kids to the grandparents and head straight for bed.

    Enjoy your trip!

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