ProudGrandma Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Twice a year we take long car trips (7 hours x4 )...we have a DVD player, but refuse to let the kids sit and veg in front of it for 7 hours...I have in the past spent lots of money buying each kid (3 of them) about 10 $1-$2 things...actually mostly junk, in hind sight...so I have decided I would rather spend the same amount of money $60...on several better items that will not only keep them happy in the car, but also will last longer than the junk that was trashed upon arriving home (if not before)...but I am looking for some great ideas....the ages and gender of my kids: DD 9, DS 8 and 5. SO if you have any fabulous ideas that would be awesome!!!! Oh, we are traveling in mid-Feb. Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 oh PLEASE give me ideas....my kids are tired of my lame ideas!! This is one of the reasons for my previous post..the magnetix might be one of those ideas...would they work in the car??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Some things we've brought on car trips: -scratch art books -those booklets with invisible ink puzzles and pens (I can't remember what they're called) -mad libs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 Some things we've brought on car trips: -scratch art books -those booklets with invisible ink puzzles and pens (I can't remember what they're called) -mad libs where do you buy the scratch art books from?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 where do you buy the scratch art books from?? Michael's, sometimes Target, Rainbow Resource Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaHadley Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Bingo and scavenger hunts made for car trips - check out momsminivan.com for these and more - i laminated some and bring along wet erase markers so we can reuse them over and over audiobooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneRoomSchoolHouse Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Thinkfun games are one person strategy games that can be taken in the car, we LOVE these. Also, Timberdoodle has many more strategic games like Lonpos 303. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 thanks for the ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 We have these for long car trips: http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=61 . They work well just lying them across your lap for older kids, so its not just for carseats. This way, kids can actually do something in their lap. I would love to get some sort of "conversation starter" type thing. Actually, I'd love to have one for both the dinner table and long car trips as well. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Table-Topics-Conversation-Cards-Family/dp/B000FFET52/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1263944943&sr=8-7 These would be awesome to have!!!! Pretty cheap too! They are sold per card, so you have to decide how many cards you like and which type. I'd like to have several of each type! http://www.amazon.com/Regal-Travel-Auto-Bingo-Game/dp/B000FPCWYC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1263944988&sr=8-1 New chapter book for each child to read while traveling. That's all I can think of for now. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb in NZ Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 we've really enjoyed story cds on our long journeys. Swiss Family Robinson is 10 hours, The Hobbit is 11.25 hours. Even if you don't listen to the story the whole journey, you have time to hear it during the journey there & the return journey. Sometimes libraries have a good selection of story cds. Also, paint with water books are fun at that age. Wet some Q-tips & put in a snacksize ziploc bag to keep damp. These are great mini paintbrushes. JMHO, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Okay, I thought of a few more LOL. I Spy books are great!! Those are great for traveling. Make an "I Spy" jar......http://www.momtriedit.net/2009/11/i-spy-jar.html . They actually sell these for like $25 or $30, but this would be cheaper to make! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share Posted January 20, 2010 Okay, I thought of a few more LOL. I Spy books are great!! Those are great for traveling. Make an "I Spy" jar......http://www.momtriedit.net/2009/11/i-spy-jar.html . They actually sell these for like $25 or $30, but this would be cheaper to make! I think these are great too...so I actually bought one of those $20 ones for Christmas last year and I was the one playing with it...not my kids...sometimes they are SOOO frustrating...just when you think you the perfect thing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 The think that went over best on our last long car trip was actually a bag of colored pipe cleaners, it was $1 at Wal-Mart, I should have bought at least 5! (It was divided in half, and they made little creatures, a heart for me, etc. It lasted an hour, but they would have lasted more if there had been another box to dole out an hour later.) I bought a bunch of small things that I doled out every few hours or so each day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share Posted January 20, 2010 is it fair of me to bump my thread one more time this morning hoping others will have some really cool ideas for me. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prim*rose Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 (edited) We did a 10-day cross-country move a few months back and I had a bunch of travel activities for my 8 yr old dd. Here are some of the things: -workbooks on the states we were passing through. Got these from Rainbow Resource & Amazon -magnetic playsets for American girl and a state one -Travel bingo - purchased from Amazon, I think -I made little cards for a fun game - I wrote on them things like "Find a bird in a field", "Find someone riding a bicycle" and other silly little things. She had a fun time looking for these as we drove -Travel Trouble (board game) EDIT - Rubik's Cube was a big hit, too! And maze books. She loved doing mazes. That's all I can remember right now. I'll edit if I think of more. Edited January 20, 2010 by prim*rose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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