Long Drive With 4 & 7 yr olds

[lucyem]

It looks like we will have a 3 day drive this winter to Florida. Then 3 days home after a week there. We have some audiobooks & a dvd player. We have a cooler for snacks in the car. I have stops planned out, etc.

What I am looking for are specific "things" that might keep the kids busy and not screaming at each other. Meaning specific toys or books or games. Actual names. We will be leaving after Christmas so I thought I could pass on ideas to family members for gifts. Thanks!

[ChetMC]

Some Ideas

MagnaDoodle - get the actual MagnaDoodle one if you have to buy them, it's better made than the knock-offs from Fisher Price and other companies.

Chapter books to read aloud or books on CD - there's lots of threads on MDC regarding read-alouds for kids that age, stuff like Charlotte's Web, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, etc.

Window Decals - they're like stickers that aren't sticky, they stick to glass and smooth surfaces and can be repositioned.

Cookie sheets and an assortment of magnets for each child.

Painter's Tape - I don't know why this is fun, but kids will spend hours tearing off pieces and covering things in painter's tape, it comes in lots of colours though, and it's easier to remove, not to mention cheaper than stickers.

Both of your kids are probably old enough to finger knit in the car.

[LynnS6]

Some of it depends on what your kids like to do and whether they get carsick. My kids get carsick and so we can't have them color or read in the car.

We took a driving trip through Yosemite last year when our kids were 4 and 7. We chose not to bring the DVD player because my MIL and SIL were along and thought that would be too noisy for us to be able to talk. Our kids each brought 2-3 stuffed animals and entertained themselves for hours by making up stories and playing with the stuffed animals. But that's something they do a lot at home.

Nice long audio books - you can get chapter books. I think we did the Magic Treehouse series from 1-15 on one trip.

Some sort of comfy neck pillow so they can take naps. Your 7 year old might not, but your 4 year old most likely will, even if they don't nap regularly.

Lacing cards.

Find it

Easy travel games - Travel Bingo (there's a version where you look for highway signs to do Bingo)

If your kids can do them in the car - coloring books or pads and pencils for drawing.

A kids atlas so they can follow along and see your route on the map.

Stop every 2 hours and let them run around. Find a local park if you can, sit down on a bench with some snacks. Let them run around and check in for snacks. 20 minutes of doing that will make a huge difference.

[lonegirl]

CAr Bingo cards. I loved them as a kid. You can get them with licence plates, objects, street signs.... http://www.amazon.com/Regal-Travel-B.../dp/B0019WXAPU

[4Marmalade]

We did an 18 hour trip in April and our oldest were 6-1/2 year and 4 years. I did so much planning. Bought new books, bingo game, small toys, etc... Honestly, it was barely used. They had no interest in anything other than looking out the window, asking a million questions, eating from their cooler and the 4 year old napped once in a while. They did watch a few DVD's and we listened to music or stories on CD. So, just be prepared for all your hard work and planning to be disregarded . But really, they did great on the trip and other than a few hairy moments here and there it was fine. We would do it again. Have fun!