How to Survive Long Car Journeys with Toddlers

A long car journey with a toddler may sound about as much fun as a root canal. It doesn’t have to be so terrible, however, if you employ the right strategies. Consider the following ideas for making such a trip as painless as possible.
Brings (lots of) good food
You can try to keep your toddlers busy eating. Bring lots of delicious food. Make sure that it isn’t so messy that it will get all over the car. You might want to bring some treats for when they start to get upset. You can bring along cereals, chips and other foods. Obviously make sure that it is safe for the age of your child (i.e. no popcorn for most toddlers). You can purchase a tray that is specifically made for the car. Some of these attach to car seats. Also, they make bowls that have an opening at the top where the children can take the food out. You can also put the food in paper bags but you might want to avoid plastic bags.
Bring a DVD player
Even if you limit (and rightfully so) your toddler’s television watching at home, this might be the one day that you want to relax the rules. Many children who would otherwise be screaming and bored may be completely calm while watching television. Make sure that you get something that is appropriate for this age group such as Sesame Street. If they like a show such as Dora the Explorer or Barney, then you can get that. Some of the DVDs are also educational as well. You might want to have a variety to keep them entertained, although a lot of toddlers like to see the same thing time and time again.
Lots of singing
A lot of toddlers love to sing, and this might be a great way to keep them entertained as you drive on a long car journey. You can bring some great children’s CDs with you to play. They even make some CDs that have the child’s name in the songs. If they like a particular television show then you can often get a CD that is related to that such as one from Dora the Explorer.
Read to them
It is great to read to children. If it does not make you carsick, then you can spend your time in the car doing this. A lot of kids also love to flip through books.
There are many others games and activities that you can do with toddlers on your trip. Play peek-a-boo. Do the itsy-bitsy spider. Also, if you have the time you might want to plan frequent stops. Let your kids walk around a little. If you are stopping at a fast food restaurant for lunch then find somewhere with a little playground so that they can stretch their legs. Although it may be difficult, you will get through the journey!
Updated On: 08/04/2010 Published On: 08/04/2010 Article ViewerClose
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