Carpe Diem Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 He has a ninetendo ds but the battery will run out. Is there any way to charge the battery with a hand held crank or something along that line? What else? I don't want it to be too big and lots to carry. I have a NOOK color. We have a dvd player but I don't think the battery on that is very long lasting. We also have an ipod but really don't know what we can do with it. Can I put movies on either the NOOK or the IPOD? Is there some sort of super charger that will work in a few minutes in the event we stop for a breakfast break or something? Of course I plan to bring snacks. Maybe shop for a new big sticker book. Paper and markers. Any other ideas? Oh also a headlamp. It will probably be dark before he is ready to sleep. I don't know if there will be a light. Ear plugs for everyone? LOL. I've got to keep him happy or there will be a lot of adults annoyed with us! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 what ds games is he into? My son got a game guide( a book) for his pokemon ds game, he spends HOURS reading that thing. Bakugan are also fun and small. pack of cards and teach him solitaire, go fish, etc... print out of the 50 states and DC, and see if he can find all the license plates. mad libs Then just charge whenever you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Crayola color wonder books, magna doodle (kept mine busy for hours), pipe cleaners, play dough, look for magnetic travel games, a white board and markers or use the magna doodle for games like tic-tac-toe, hangman, etc. hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaffodilDreams Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Does he like stories? If so, load tons of audio books and stories on the ipod. Story Nory has lots of wonderful free audios. Does your Nook Color offer apps? If so, Angry Birds and the art apps are popular with kids. The license plate game is a fun way for kids to pass time, too. You could provide a map for him to color in as he finds the different plates. You could also make up some sort of road trip scavenger hunt. My dd has made up her own version of twenty questions revolving around her favorite books and movies. That has been a fun way for us to kill time, too. Way better than endless rounds of I Spy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamrachelle Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 We had a 20+ hour plane ride when we moved to Korea. I went to the dollar store and bought 20 "presents" for both of my DC (seriously, it was $40 WELL spent) and lovingly wrapped each and every one. Every hour, on the hour, they got to open one. A new book to read, coloring book, lip balm, hand sanitizer (handed that one to them to open just before our first meal was served), stickers, piece of candy or different snacks (wrapped, of course), silly putty, canned slime, match box cars... you name it and I probably had it wrapped in my bag. It made the trip soooo much easier. There was something to look forward to, and an incentive to be polite, quiet and still so as not to disturb the other passengers on our flight. Plus, I kind of liked playing with the silly putty after it was opened too. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photo Ninja Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 You can put movies on a Nook Color and on an iPod, depending on the kind of iPod. I wouldn't rely on the electronics exclusively, though, because as you said, the batteries will eventually run out. You can try to charge whenever you stop, but may not be able to fully charge them. I would still charge as much as possible, at any opportunity. Videos/movies use more battery than just reading books or listening to music, so I would use those features more and save watching a movie for a time when that distraction is really needed. Get some books on mp3 for the iPod so he can listen to books. Coloring books and colored pencils/crayons and a pencil sharpener can be fun. How about map of your route so he can watch for landmarks and trace where you are. He can draw things he sees from the window on the sides of the map as you go along. How about an activity book with mazes, dot-to-dots, etc.? A deck of cards doesn't take up much space, and you can play Go Fish or War without needing much space. Sticker books are fun, especially if they are reusable stickers so he can change the scenes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 You might want to consider ordering a second DS battery online (I'm just thinking of how MY son would be on a ride that long without his DS haha) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Does he like stories? If so, load tons of audio books and stories on the ipod. :iagree: This is what saved us on our long trip this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Less is more, and go for variety. He'll be happier if he has to use his brain in different ways, rather than a string of movies. Alternate his screen time with other types of activity. --Bring a folder of assignments such as workbook pages. Split it into two sessions if need be. --Play cards together. Consider Dutch Blitz for fun. You'll need some sort of flat surface for this but with a little creativity it can be done, even on a bus. --Craft of some sort. My ds loves latch hook, lol. There's also scratch art, where you trace the lines with a sharp tool (look for a kit at Hobby Lobby or Michael's). A new kit of some sort can be a wonderful thing. --Read aloud together or bring a story on tape. I LOVE Jim Weiss' stories. --Food. Bring something he has to work with a bit. For example, a small tub of peanutbutter with crackers or pretzels for him to dip. Avoid sugar and junk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 We travel quite a bit (my kids are 5 and 7). He will sleep for part of the trip (5 or 6 hours if you're lucky). Bring a small travel pillow and blanket and have him put his head down and close his eyes an hour or two after what would be his normal bedtime. You can expect about two or three hours to be spent eating and looking out the window. For entertainment I usually bring a ds for each kid which they get to play in half hour increments (helps the battery last and keeps them out of that technology induced haze kids get in). They play for 30 min then spend at least 30 min doing something else. They love drawing games (just bring paper and colored pencils and make things up...draw a new planet, draw what you would see if you went on a submarine, etc), tic tac toe, hangman and making mazes for me to complete. I also bring a book and read a chapter to them after each 30 min of ds time. Wiki sticks are good because they can be used for crafts and then they can be used for play (my kids like to make people then role play with them like action figures). We don't normally eat sugary cereal but when we travel I always bring a ziploc bag of fruit loops for each and yarn. One of their activities is to make "candy" jewelry by stringing the cereal. That always occupies a fair amount of time. The biggest thing I have learned is to pack things that serve more than one purpose, aren't messy and aren't loud (plus that you won't be heartbroken if you lose). Also, if you will be flying as part of the trip or going through any kind of security scanner silly putty and playdoh aren't the best (they look like plastic explosives...and you DO NOT want to deal with the questioning). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Dimetapp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpe Diem Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 I love the ideas! Wrapping the little presents. Wow. He would get into that but I think he would have a melt down if he unwrapped hand sanitizer! ha ha! Remudamom! LOL! Good thing I wasn't drinking anything when I read your suggestion. It doesn't hurt to bring first aid kits/medicine. You never know when someone might have a little sniffle! "Do you need some Dimetapp?" Alternating DS/tech time with other activities is wise. Latch hook rug. I would have never thought of that. He did do some knitting for the fair with my help in throwing the yarn around his finger. Everyone had great suggestions. Thanks so much. Oh, I just thought of something scary. We have to ride the bus home, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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