Road trip with a 2 year old..?

Question

I'm doing a 16 hour road trip (split up into 2 days) with my very active 2 yr old, any suggestions on keeping him occupied?? or keeping me sane??

Answer 1

We go to kentucky every year and I live in central Illinois. We just keep him really busy the day before we set off and then he sleeps the first half of the trip. Then we play little games with him... "do you see cows?" "What color is that sign?" He really loves doing that.  

Answer 2

Anything he/she likes to play with. Coloring books, reading books, small and portable pay-sets, wooden puzzles, snacks. Even a portable DVD player would be a nice investment if you don't have one already. Bring plenty of snacks and drinks, also a pillow and blanket in case the child gets tired. Good luck on the trip!

Answer 3

We went on a 14 hr road trip with 4 adults (two of the women being pregnant) 2 two yr olds and a 4 yr old for christmas.  The babies did better than we thought thy would do.  They ate a whole package of string cheese, played with toys, and did some whining most of the way.  We had a few stops at mcdonalds playplace to let them get some energy out.  On the way back though, we had to break out the tylenol half way through as a last resort.

Answer 4

toys

get some children cd's and music, I usually just use the library.

dvd player, you can rent them from some places

a small pillow so he can keep stuff on his lap

snacks are good... but becareful what you choose. flavored crackers, cheetos, and fruits are a mess in the car. even though fruits are healthy they are oh so sticky in a car. and if you have or can borrow a mini-vac then bring it.

keep him away from sweet treats... it'll make him worse.

have a set time for when you stop... say... half an hour every 2-3 hours. and make sure it's where he can run around and be active.

don't forget to talk to your pediatrician about something like Dramamine or another motion sickness helper, just in case.

if his carseat doesn't let him sleep comfortably invest in one of those neck pillows so his head doesn't flop everywhere.

play car games.

- show him how to get semi- trucks to beep their horns

- find a certain color of car... or point out the colors

good luck with the little guy, I hope your trip turns out.

Answer 5

A portable DVD players works wonders. Get some cartoons of his/her favorite shows and this keeps them occupied for quite some time. Also make sure they have plenty of snacks/drinks and other toys.

Answer 6

My son is also two.  Anytime we take a roadtrip that's longer than a couple of hours we go at bedtime so that he'll sleep - it's just the easiest thing to do..however with a distance like yours, that may not be possible. I'd say do as much of the driving at night as you can while he's asleep, and the rest of the time, sing silly made up songs that he finds funny, pull out some new cheap toys bought specially for the trip, and stop a lot at places where he can run around and blow off some steam - rest stops with playgrounds, etc.  Lots of interesting snacks are always good.  We have managed to make it this far without resorting to a DVD player, as we don't allow him to watch TV much, but most people just put on movies for their kids. If you're not opposed to it for any developmental reasons, I' m sure it's handy. My son would be bored in about 5 minutes, but that's just him. He likes interaction...which is why we drive at night, because if he's awake every hour feels like four when you're "on" constantly - talking, singing, etc. All I can say is good luck, stay calm, remember to smile, and 16 hrs can only last 16 hours.

Answer 7

Take lots of breaks.  Bring his favourite toys.  Bring plenty of snacks.  Books?  Fav. music?

Good luck!

Answer 8

We recently drove from Scotland to the south of France with our 5 year old and "hyper" 3 year old - surprisingly they were great.

We invested in a portable dvd player (and a double socket for the cigarette lighter, sat nav and dvd player in one!)  Also we bought the aqua draw  (the water filled pens - no mess) travel book, kept the kids happy for ages. We made some Cd's to play in the car with the kids favorite songs, find myself enjoying nursery rhymes etc more than ever.  Oh and we all now are champion i spy players!

HHappy traveling wont be as bad as you think, enjoy x  

Answer 9

portable dvd player?

yeah take plenty of "restroom stops" although it will probably only make a long trip even longer...sorry =(  

Answer 10

movies.

games.

books.

coloring.

toys.

food.

music.

Answer 11

If you already have one or if it is in your budget...get a portable DVD player and his favorite movies. That has occupied my very active 3 & 4 year old boys since they were very little. Also...getting new car toys just for the trip like Crayola Wonder Markers & Color Pads. The markers only color on the paper and not on hands and clothes. Doodle Pads (kinda like Etcha Sketch) provides lotsa fun. Just make sure whatever you give him is new so it holds his attention for a lengthy period of time. Good Luck on your Trip!