SparklyUnicorn Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Kids are 11 and 14 and the adults are younger at heart than that. We each have a tablet so we'll have books, movies, music, and apps/games, but this will be a VERY long trip so it would be nice to have some other dodads to play around with. When younger I would get them stuff like Klutz books (which I may still do). What else is out there? This will be part bus, part plane, part car, and a LOT of waiting in between. But, except for being in the airports waiting, we'll be stuck in a seat. Silly works too. Whimsical. Anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 MadLibs! You can buy them on Amazon, and they have so many different kinds nowadays. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 (edited) we had long car trips (11+ hours one way) the last two years. (and have done many over the years) they watched anime. or read. when needed with younger kids - we'd find a park with play equipment so they could get some energy out. the increased travel time was worth the trade-off. eta: one year a HP book came out the day after we left (we'd made it two days to where we were going). so, we stopped at a costco on our route and bought the book with intent to have someone read. not everyone could hear, so we stopped at the next costco and bought the cassettes, then ran it through the car's speaker system. Edited July 13, 2016 by gardenmom5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 MadLibs! You can buy them on Amazon, and they have so many different kinds nowadays. Yes! We have a Big Bang Theory one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahmama Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Stick on mustaches? Those things always crack up kids of all ages. At least my whole extended family had a blast and a lot of laughs with them at the last reunion. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 audio books coloring books really, we do this every year, and ever since the kids could read, books and movies were all that was required. The brain is so fried, watching mindless films is the best thing to deal. Besides drugs. I wish somebody could put me under after boarding and wake me in time to deplane. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 we had long car trips (11+ hours one way) the last two years. (and have done many over the years) they watched anime. or read. when needed with younger kids - we'd find a park with play equipment so they could get some energy out. the increased travel time was worth the trade-off. eta: one year a HP book came out the day we were leaving. so, we stopped at costco and bought the book with intent to have someone read. not everyone could hear, so we stopped at the next costco and bought the cassettes, then ran it through the car's speaker system. Yeah stopping won't be an option. The car part is only from the airport to my MIL's. Two hours for that, but my husband won't want to mess around because he'll be very tired and I'm already worried about that part! The rest is a bus or plane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Will they sleep in the car? Mine barely ever sleep during the plane ride, but usually fell asleep as soon as they got in the car for the drive after the transatlantic flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 audio books coloring books really, we do this every year, and ever since the kids could read, books and movies were all that was required. The brain is so fried, watching mindless films is the best thing to deal. Besides drugs. I wish somebody could put me under after boarding and wake me in time to deplane. LOL I feel the same way. Drugs don't work for me either. Tried that. I end up wired. The 14 year old will be fine. The 11 year old will be the one that will complain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 Will they sleep in the car? Mine barely ever sleep during the plane ride, but usually fell asleep as soon as they got in the car for the drive after the transatlantic flight. Yeah they might. That part is the shortest. Only 2 hours. I won't sleep because I have to keep DH awake. I'm not thrilled about this part because after being that tired I don't know how that's going to be. We always took a train, but we need to rent a car this time and decided to just do that at the airport. I can't sleep at all the entire time no matter what. It's awful. And then I'll have to force myself to stay awake to adjust to the time. I'm too old for this shi*. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 (edited) Thinking putty to keep hands busy some app to make stop motion and a few legos to make a movie battleship or connect 4 travel board games individual logic games like IQ Fit or kanoodle pads for playing tic tac toe and the like: https://smile.amazon.com/Knock-Go-Mini-Game-Pad/dp/1601066929/ref=pd_sim_229_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=51v63PvuwdL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=TF86KM4KB1RN6AD0QGFG rubiks cube ETA: really complicated maze books (or free printables) Edited July 13, 2016 by Um_2_4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Make-a-Face stickers Koosh balls Hair Do Harriet, Wooly Willy, etc. Thinking Putty 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 I won't sleep because I have to keep DH awake. I'm not thrilled about this part because after being that tired I don't know how that's going to be. We always took a train, but we need to rent a car this time and decided to just do that at the airport. I can't sleep at all the entire time no matter what. It's awful. And then I'll have to force myself to stay awake to adjust to the time. I'm too old for this shi*. I hear you. I don't sleep a wink on the plane. I can't sleep well in cars either, but by that time, I am usually so tired that I could - if i did not have to stay awake to keep DH company. I HATE air travel. I wish I could apparate. I love love love being home, but I dread traveling there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Sudoku? Erica in OR 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Yahtzee Othello Checkers Word find books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Thought of one more: handheld water games. I loved these when I was little. The Tomy ones are the best. Hope you have a great trip! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displace Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 New crafts (loom knitting, friendship bracelets, other?). Travel games are a great idea. Cards and teach adult card games (poker, whatever). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinnia Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 UNO. We always have fun with UNO, and it's easy to carry. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Audio books! I use them to keep myself awake as much as the kids entertained. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tita Gidge Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 We travel a lot. We don't have tablets nor do the kids have kindles or smart phones. They usually read the entire time, or nap, but other things that they do (especially my 11 year old): seconding these: card games mad libs regular games: drawing - each person picks one item (e.g., ant, lightbulb, toast) and everyone draws their own picture with those items. drawing - one person is blindfolded while another one tells them what to draw; (e.g., an eyeball, an airplane, a smiley face). bingo - plan ahead; make and laminate some sheets, bring a wet erase marker (e.g., a pub, an elderly man, a woman in a hat). flashcards - my 11 year old loves Latin. She brings her Memoria Press flashcards and makes me quiz her against her brothers! flashcards - we're just competitive people; I found $1 World Monument flashcards at Target and quizzed the kids on our last train ride memory - go through the alphabet one person at a time with a theme (e.g. "Cities") each time repeating every answer prior to yours. with a clip board: origami paracord projects duct tape crafts (it gets loud for a car with the tearing, though) and this seems hokey, but even my teens jump in: Competitive Etch A Sketch :lol: we each suggest 3-4 ideas, write them out and fold them up, then draw an idea (blind) to sketch 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 MadLibs! You can buy them on Amazon, and they have so many different kinds nowadays. :iagree: :iagree: :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 audio books coloring books really, we do this every year, and ever since the kids could read, books and movies were all that was required. The brain is so fried, watching mindless films is the best thing to deal. Besides drugs. I wish somebody could put me under after boarding and wake me in time to deplane. Same here. We just did 5600 miles in the car, over 48 hrs of driving. I freaked out and bought some activity books before we left but they didn't really need them. They watched movies, looked at or read books, talked, sang and that was about it. They were 11, 9, 6.5 and 3.5- I was stressed about it but it wasn't really a big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Alex Toys may still have these satchels that fit easily on the back of seats. The front then folded down to make a desk. Inside, we kept a 3DS and games, colored pencils, coloring books, tablets, etc. If your kids have tablets, I recently downloaded a jigsaw puzzle app that is fun. There are also tons of word game apps, scavenger hunts, and number games like sudoku. I had some dancers last night who had fun in the backseat taking selfies and running them through one of those silly filters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Thought of one more: handheld water games. I loved these when I was little. The Tomy ones are the best. Does not strike me as very convenient for air travel, because - water. You'd have to empty it out completely before each pass through security and hope that they do not confiscate it anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 14, 2016 Author Share Posted July 14, 2016 Does not strike me as very convenient for air travel, because - water. You'd have to empty it out completely before each pass through security and hope that they do not confiscate it anyway. I probably wouldn't get these, but they are pretty tiny. One measured a bit over 2 inch by a bit over 3 inch. There probably is little enough water to make it through the check points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Does not strike me as very convenient for air travel, because - water. You'd have to empty it out completely before each pass through security and hope that they do not confiscate it anyway. LOL. I didn't even think of that. The larger ones are the most fun, and they are a bit difficult to empty and fill. Yeah, probably not the best idea for air travel. :blush: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 There's a new app for airplane travelers called "Flyover Country", where you pre-load your route on your device, and as you fly, it uses the GPS to display points of interest and geological features as you go over them. Might be fun for the right crowd. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted July 14, 2016 Author Share Posted July 14, 2016 There's a new app for airplane travelers called "Flyover Country", where you pre-load your route on your device, and as you fly, it uses the GPS to display points of interest and geological features as you go over them. Might be fun for the right crowd. I assume this would be for something like a phone. We don't have that. You need certain phones to use in other countries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 I assume this would be for something like a phone. We don't have that. You need certain phones to use in other countries. Depending on what kinds of tablets you have, it should run on those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 (edited) There's a new app for airplane travelers called "Flyover Country", where you pre-load your route on your device, and as you fly, it uses the GPS to display points of interest and geological features as you go over them. Might be fun for the right crowd. There is a lot of interesting water between the east coast and Europe... Edited July 14, 2016 by regentrude 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 I probably wouldn't get these, but they are pretty tiny. One measured a bit over 2 inch by a bit over 3 inch. There probably is little enough water to make it through the check points. ... if it fits in the one quart ziploc bag with all the other liquids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 There is a lot of interesting water between the east coast and Europe... I don't know where the OP is flying, but because of great circle routing, and the requirement that commercial airline remain some maximum fixed distance from a landing field, even a transatlantic flight can cross over a fair amount of land, and interesting landforms at that -- Greenland, Canada, the UK, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 I'll recommend the game Love Letter. There are a number of versions with different themes ~ Love Letter The Hobbit Boxed Edition Game Love Letter Batman Boxed Edition Card Game Love Letter - Kanai Factory Edition Love Letter Adventure Time Boxed Card Game Munchkin Loot Letter Boxed Edition Game Love Letter: Legend of The Five Rings Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 (edited) For some reason Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith came to mind. It's a book full of weird instructions for "wrecking" it. I'd approach it as a family project. Eta: if y'all don't mind sharing ;) I see it at Barnes and Noble all the time. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0399162712/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468535228&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=wreck+this+journal&dpPl=1&dpID=51c7u7HsPKL&ref=plSrch Edited July 14, 2016 by happi duck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 International flights usually have built in tvs with games etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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