Long Car Ride - Help!

[Syd]

Hi! I need some BIG help! We're taking a big family vacation in June, driving from Wisconsin to Florida. We have two vehicles and seven adults. The trip is expected to be over a 20 hour car ride - going straight through, hopefully. We're leaving in the afternoon, so we expect the kids to sleep about 10 of those hours.

I have a 3-year-old boy and a 16-month-old girl... (The only kids on the trip.) Any suggestions on toys for the car?? We have a DVD player, so any great video suggestions are welcome, also.

So far, I have stashed away some new: travel trays (both), books (both), Diego rescue animal (girl), Diego Field Journal (boy), and coloring books (both?). We have a ton of videos - from Disney movies to Elmo to Max & Ruby.

I'm really open to any kinds of suggestions. I'd even buy my son a hand-held video game, if I thought it'd occupy him. My son really likes Max & Ruby and Dora & Diego. My daughter... she's the hardest to shop for. I feel she's "in between" stages because she seems too old for many of the baby toys, but too young for the older toys.

Thank you for any and all suggestions!!

Oh, in addition... if you have any great beach and pool toy ideas, I'm open to them, too!! :-)

[missym]

For the 3yo - Melissa & Doug makes some great travel toys. Here are a few ideas:

Lacing beads or Lace & Trace

Magnetic Dress-Up toy

I've read a tip to take an old cookie sheet and some magnetic letters, shapes, etc. and the kids can use it as a magnet board. M&D has lots of safe magnets (no detachable pieces).

Also for your son, he might be the right age for a Leapster. Our older DD started using hers when she was 3, although she did much better with it when she was a little older.

For your daughter, an activity book like this might keep her occupied for a while.

For both kids, I'd highly recommend a Snack Sack. We love ours for car trips because it keeps spills to a minimum.

[Syd]

Great suggestions! Thank you, Missy. I love M&D! That snack sack is great.

And it reminded me.... What kind of snacks should I pack?! I don't care to feed them in their carseats, normally. But, this time we will have to. They love crackers and raisins, but something new would be fun.

Thanks again!

[missym]

Our usual car-trip snack assortment includes:
Teddy Grahams
Grapes cut in half
Cheerios
Goldfish crackers/pretzels


All of these work pretty well in the Snack Sack and it's not a tragedy if they spill a few. Well, the grapes can get a little bit gross but it's nice to mix something remotely healthy in there!

Oh, I forgot beef jerky - I know! but the girls both love it.