Get there without going nuts, that’s my motto for traveling with kids. Considering the attention span of a toddler or preschooler, it’s no wonder that sitting in one position for 4 hours is tough. Maybe you have those gems that instantly fall asleep and wake up refreshed when you get there. I don’t. Here’s how to survive:
1. Public bathrooms are your nemesis. Don’t go in there! It’s bad enough that kids like to touch every surface in the loo, but if you’re traveling without another adult, you’ll have to take every kid in with you. Our solution: use a little potty. Put it in the back or in the trunk, and line it with an old plastic grocery bag. Stick a paper towel in the bottom to avoid splashing, and Voila! Have a few garbage bags handy to set the potty on, just in case of drippage. When you’re done, just tie a knot in the grocery bag and toss.
2. Shiny new things. Of course we don’t want to spoil the kids or spend a fortune, but we all know that new toys can get their attention and keep it better than anything. Before your trip, head to the Dollar Tree and pick up a handful of new toys. Wrap each toy in newspaper and you have a bag of gifts! Don’t tell the kids about this, and don’t tell them that there’s more than one. Let them think that there’s only one. When that one gets old, if they can behave then you can give them another one. This is bribery in it’s purest form, but it’s effective.
3. Cookie Sheet Lap desk- This one is easy and pretty inexpensive, especially if you have an old cookie sheet to use.
What you need:
Cookie Sheet
White Contact Paper
Magnets
Ribbon or string
Wash cloth or scrap piece of fabric ( to use as an eraser)
Washable markers
Pencil Bag (optional, great to use for storage of markers)
What You Do:
Cut a piece of contact paper to fit the cookie sheet. Peel and Stick.
Use the ribbon or string and attach to the cookie sheet – Some cookie sheets have a hole in the end that will make attaching easy, if not see next step.
Attach magnets to a pencil bag to use for storage on the back of the cookie sheet. Ours had holes that made attaching our cloth (eraser) easy. Make sure to use heavy duty magnets.
Attach small magnets to your markers so they will stick to the cookie sheet.
Use your washable markers on the contact paper to make a Tic Tac Toe board or to draw pictures, it’s just like a dry erase board. Wetting the cloth before you head out will help make erasing easier.
We found some cute tic tac toe magnets at the local office supply store, but you could easily attach magnets to buttons to use to play games.
That’s it, a cute portable lap desk that will hopefully keep them busy for more than 5 minutes!
Eating on the road? Try taking a stack of cupcake liners in the car to use for condiments or small snacks/treats. They fit perfectly into the cup holder and it’s a clean, simple way to allow your kids some munchies or have ketchup with their fries.
That’s it simple and easy! What creative tricks do you have up your sleeve to keep kids happy on the road?
