Long car trip help

[KristiT]

We will be taking my 8yr old niece to WDW this December and it is a 9 hour drive. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to amuse her in the car?
The list I currently have is:
coloring books and crayons
activity book
book to read
?maybe buy a new hand held electronic game

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Kermit]

Don't forget sing-along tapes and tapes that have Disney stories on them. Snacks are always good, too. Sugary cereals make good snacks because they are slightly nutricious and won't make her bounce off the ceilings.

Also, if it's an option, try to leave when she'll be sleepy. The drive from SC isn't bad at all, and if you can sleep a few hours, you're almost there.

[imgoingtodisney]

CD player and CDs

[rbuzzotta]

We drive from Boston!!! 24-26 hours depending on traffic in CT and NY!! Anyways, I have my 3 DD's (9,5,2) pack their own backpack with items that they will "need" on the long car ride.

They pack:

CD player and CD's, gameboys and cartrideges, crayons, colored pencils, paper, coloring books, beanie babies, barbies, and books.

I let my oldest DD (almost 10) look at the map and learn the states that we will be travelling through. We also point out various sites along the way such as crossing over Pennsylvania AVe and the James River. Things she has learned about in school. One trip we detoured and cut through D.C. to show her the white House, Capitol etc. She loves to draw and we bought her a sketch pad and she draws pictures of things she sees on the way. It is pretty interesting to view it through her eyes!

We have left at various times, late at night, early in the morning and after school. We like to leave early in the morning best. WE keep the girls up late the night before and busy the day before. We put them in the car in their p.j.'s and head out. We get about 3 hours out of the way before they are ready to wake up. WE stop at a rest area and wash them up and change their clothes. We have driven straight through and have stopped. We now like to stop at about 8 pm and get up at 4 am to head out again.

I just got a new SUV for Mothers Day and am so excited to drive this summer to WDW!!!!!!!! The gas prices may kill us but I feel the time spent with the girls is worth it. I won't have to fight for their attention over the t.v.!!!!!

Enjoy your trip and have a safe drive.:)

[ohiominnie]

A big dose of Benadryl.


oops, sorry, did I say that?? ;) ;) ;)


ohiominnie :p

[Pluto]

LOL shame, shame, shame, on you Ohiominnie! Hey I teach pre-school do you think that will help me!

Anyway, we drive down every year from Alabama so here is a few tips:

1) STATE BINGO- everyone picks a state, but you can not pick the state that you are in, then when you see a license plate with that state on it you say "B", the next car with that state's license plate you say "I" and so on. The first one to see 5 and BINGO wins.

2) ALPHABET GAME- pick a subject, example: fruits and nuts, then going clockwise each person takes a letter and thinks of a fruit or nut that starts with that letter. EXAMPLE: A - Apples, B-Bananas. Now since you are on your way to Disney you can use disney topics, our favorite is Disney characters. Example: A-Ariel, B-Baloo.

3) BIRBAUMS GUIDE BOOK DISNEY FOR KIDS- we bought this last year for our daughter who was 9 and she read it cover to cover and again. There is also some puzzles for them to do which is also extertaining.

4) DISNEY BOX-you could also do her up a box, we used a disney box from the disney store and filled it with a disposable camera, disney snacks(wonder balls, Disney fruit roll up, or anything with disney on it), put the book in it, we had found a disney activity book that we put in it. Just keep your eyes open at the book store and grocery store for things. Oh yea how about a pez dispenser that Winnie the Pooh on it.

Hope this helps I know these games and snacks will help time pass! Have a great time!

[Disneycrazymom]

My son likes to "drive" along with us. We got him a Hot Wheels steering wheel that he takes along. It is really fun, it makes niose like a car starting and shakes while you drive. It even has turn signals. It think it was about 19.00 but well worth the time that he has enjoyed it on long car trips. I just found one for the baby too, Fisher Price I think, so they will both have one on our next trip.

[Here'sTigger2U]

Here's an idea for the long trips... a TV/VCR combo for the kids! My wife and I just bought a new minivan with one built in, the screen folds down from the roof, has wireless headphones and all!! Very cool!
Bob.

[We4mickey]

9 hrs isn't long at all. Try 20 hrs now thats long!!!!!!!!
If you have a tv/vcr combo uint you wiil not have an problems CDs,Tapes, Books , ect

[UrsulaFan]

consider motion sickness from reading in car. try books on tape. as far as the tv/vcr combo we always buy a new movie to watch on the trip.

[phins_jazy]

We've got about a 20 hour trip too. We purchased a tv/vcr on our last long trip. DD LOVES it!!! I would also recommend starting late in the afternoon or early evening. That way you can get most of the driving done while she is sleeping. Bring snacks and coloring books to keep her occupied as well. Have a great trip!!!

[coachv]

We took our tv/vcr and our nintendo unit with us. Our kids were able to watch movies or play nintendo while we travelled. It's a lifesaver!!!!

[skeezixspud]

We found that if DS was awake after it got dark, he quickly grew frustrated with not being able to see his toys or color if he wanted to. He kept begging for the dome light to be left on, but who wants to drive with that reflection?

I solved the problem with an inexpensive headlamp. We put the band around the headrest of the front seat, and the backseat passenger gets an adjustable-angle light that shines exactly where he needs it without disturbing anyone else.

[ShuisFan584]

I would also say to bring cds and headphones.

Also, when I was younger, I bought Birnbaum's Walt Disney World for Kids book and I loved it! It has pictures of the rides, other kids opinions and also some activities in it.

[mummajea]

I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND NOT BRINGING CRAYONS!!!! THEY MELT AND THOUGH IT WILL BE DECEMBER THAT CAR CAN STILL GET HOT!!!!!!
MArkers and colored pensils are much better for your car trips!!!!

For an 8 yr old I would recommend A journal and some of those neat gel pens. She can draw, write private thoughts, write about her trip, and get the charecteres to sign it. The eight year olds I know think they are the coolest.

Other good things are twenty questions, I spy, silly songs.

Hand held games are good too, she then could carry it in the park and if she needed something to distract her in line she could play the game.

Healthy snacks.

[lmmollohan]

I love all your ideas but I have to make one comment about all of the tv/vcr's. One of our favorite parts of the trip is no TV and VCR!! We do not allow the kids to watch TV while on vacations because we are trying to do things that we cannot do at home.

I think we under estimate our children and what they can put up with. We need to give them more credit. Don't you remember all of your car trips as kids...you know the foot fights in the back seat, the imagining that you were someone else going to some far off destination...which we were.

We travel by car a lot with a 5, 3 and 1 year old and have traveled with older neices and nephews yearly. They love to just talk. Play trivia games, tell them stories about when you were growing up, ask them about their lives. They love to share. Pick a topic and discuss it...you will be shocked what your 5 year olds have to say about issues that you thought they never even heard of.

I take chapter books that they will enjoy and we read them and discuss "what if". What if we were that character...what if something different had happened? How would we end the book.

It takes us 20 hours to get to WDW, we make sure that the 20 hours is part of the fun.

BTW...if you are traveling with another family it is fun to get 2 way radios or CB's and talk to the other families. We traveled with 5 other families to NC last summer and we all had CB's. We had the best time telling jokes and playing group trivia...buy a couple of brain teasers for inspiration and off you go. We had to keep reminding the drivers to speed back up because we were getting so caught up in the game that we would forget to drive. Cruise control comes in handy at this point.

We also make the kids folders with eraser boards on one side and chalk boards on the other. You can buy stick on chalk board and eraser board at your local craft or teacher supply store. I put a pencil holder with chalk and markers and an eraser in it plus pencil and paper and the kids can only use it on trips. They love it!!

Hope this helps to put you at ease. You will have a great time. Getting there can be half (well, part of!) the fun.

ps..don't forget the old standby "I spy" and collecting licenses plates from each state and picking a color of car each and the first one to find 10 wins.

Lisa:D

[CatOne]

Sorry, but here is another vote for the tv/vcr combo!!! I didn't see that any other children are going along so it would definitely be a plus for her. We bought one for our trip to WDW in May, about a 13 hour drive, and I will NEVER travel any amount of distance again without it. It was a life saver and we got to watch Disney videos all the way there!!!


Happy Day
CatOne:bounce:

[BarbOKW]

We drove for the first time this last March, 21 hours with 4 kids (5 to 13). We have the TV/VCR in the van but for Christmas I got each of them their own CD player and then the week before we left I bought a few new CDs. They used the TV/VCR some but by far and away the CDs kept them the most occupied. You can have music or books on the CDs. We had a shorter drive over Memorial Day, about 4 hours, and didn't even bother with the TV/VCR. They also played with the Game Boys, read and colored.

[MauraAndIainsDad]

We're driving from Atlanta (about 7 hours) in November as well. I have 2 possible plans - either leave a day early (after school) and drive half the distance or leave at 4 AM the next day and be there by lunch time (they will sleep in the car until breakfast). I am also exploring purchasing a TV/VCR combo before the trip! (sorry, Lisa!)

[browneyes]

A cassette recorder may interest her. She can record her trip and do a commentary (and listen to herself).

We went to WDW last September, drove for 12 hours. We left at 11:30 at night. Our DS slept ALL the way there.:D

[lmmollohan]

tsk...tsk...tsk;)

...but I forgive you all since you all give such good advice on everything else!!:)

[Neverlander]

Another vote for TV/VCR combo. I agree with CatOne. This worked so well on our 10 hour drive we would not consider future long trips without it.


:D Neverlander

Second Star to the Right and Straight on 'till Morning !!

[Jacquelyn11]

My boys are 7 & 8 and enjoy the tv/vcr floor unit we bought after the purchace of our 2000 Windstar. I love it even better! Prior to this we "gerry rigged" a metal basket on some PVC pipe and place the tv/vcr unit it in. Was OK but the speaker was on the passengers side! It drove me crazy at times!! Our new one has HEAdPHONES that go with it!!!!! All I hear is the occasional sound of pleasant laughter!! And the only fighting I hear is who gets to watch what movie first!!!:p

Get to use ours again in 12 days!!!:bounce:

WDW on July 4th!!!! (I know I'm:crazy: )

Jacquelyn:cool:

[waltdisneyworlddreamer]

Try bringing some surprise toys or games to bring out when you see she is getting bored. It will take a while for the "newness" to wear off and give her something different to do.

[kinlaw6450]

We just got back this morning :(

We did all of our traveling at night and they slept right through. It was the BEST most uneventful trip of all!

[CarolynNC]

but I'll tell you what we did when he was 8 or 9. We got him his own map and marked our route. Our trip took about 12 hours. We'd star an exit about every 2 hours travel time and when we passed that exit he could request a surprise. He loved following our route and the surprises gave him something to play with at the end of the trip or as we were traveling. Some of the surprises: a frizbee to use at the rest stop, books and books on tape, activity book, favorite cookies, trivia games, puzzles (like the rubic cube), auto bingo, travel games, and things of this nature. I wrapped each package and he got to choose one. He thought it was just like Christmas!

We now use the TV/VCR and game boy. We purchased headphones but I like to listen to the movies when I'm driving (unless I'm listening to a book on tape). We just returned and although I love talking with my son I can't talk and drive at the same time. :)

Carolyn

[apm]

Originally posted by lmmollohan
One of our favorite parts of the trip is no TV and VCR!!

I agree with you, Lisa (of course, that's my DW's name, so maybe it's just out of habit).

When we bought our Nissan Quest, it came with a TV/VCR unit. Two years later, I still haven't installed it, because I don't want the TV to invade one of our last refuges. It's still in the box -- anyone want it?

- Andy (starting our 26 hour trip in 12 days!)

[pepe of ohio]

Take some small lunch bags and fill them with little games and toys a pieces of candy and give her a different one on the gong of each new hour shes good. Maybe throw her off with one bag being her lunch, some disney trinket, a couple of disney dollars for the disney store. Include a book and read her some stories etc. Be creative and you'll be amused right along with her. I know cause I do this for my wife.

[skeezixspud]

... remember that hot cars and videocassettes make a bad combination. When we travel with videocassettes we store them in a little insulated lunch cooler bag; it's just the right size to hold them neatly, and it protects them from getting ruined by heat in a parked car.

Happy Motoring! (Extra points for anyone who knows the reference! ;)

[DancingBear]

A variation on the alphabet game mentioned earlier: You have to pick a name, a thing, and a place. First person says "Anna took an apple to Alabama" and so on.

In many stretches of highway there aren't as many billboards as there used to be, but we used to play an alphabet game with the billboards. Whe you say your letter you shouted out "O" in "Holiday Inn", and so forth. No two players could use the same letter in the same word. We had a lot of battles looking for those "Quality Inn" signs!!

[sunshinebaby]

we drove last july from new hampshire-26 hrs! we have the vcr in the car and took plenty
of movies, they brought books and games too. we also stopped a lot, just to let everyone stretch their legs, andalso to see a few sights on the way down.