I hope I don't jinx us by saying this (I've got the leave slips signed and in my purse, so it would have to be something big) but...
Disneyland here we come!!!!
Now I need some serious help. We are driving. I think it's something like 6 hours to drive, all interstate/freeway. We are taking our little Audi, and I may have a friend who can loan us their dvd player for the car, and I have bought a couple of cheap little toys for the kids, but I would still like to ask if any of you have any advice for semi-long car rides with little kids.
My sister gave me some good ideas, like trying to get them to sleep for a couple of hours would be good. I have some of those little neck pillows, we'll see if those work out.
I should probably say this first....anything to do with crayons, markers, liquids, or playdoh are absolutely out. I bought Hunter a little aquadoodle travel pad thing, since it only uses water. I also got him a magna doodle to replace the one we had before that he seemed to like. I also have a couple of cd's and a little ipod with his music on it, so we're pretty set in that catagory.
So let me hear all of your fantastic ideas!!!!!
We travel with sippy cups, snacks, DVDs, books, small toys, and Magna doodles. For older kids, finding as many of the 50 states license plates works great! Hubby and I even got in on that one!
ReplyDeleteHave a great trip...I love Disney!
Sounds like you've got yourself pretty well covered to me.
ReplyDeleteHave fun!
I think you've got everything that will help, stuff wise. My MIL told me that when taking a trip with young kids, that it's a good idea to stop every 1.5-2 hours to let them stretch their legs and it helps with their circulation, which would help to keep them from getting cranky, too. That's only 2 stops for a 6 hour drive, which isn't that bad - bathroom breaks! haha
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have a good list started. I would add to bring lots of different snacks. Also, when we have long car rides we make sure to stop often to let Carter run around and burn off some energy. When he is asleep though, peddle to the metal!
ReplyDeleteI don't know how we ever survived without the portable DVD player but you've already got that covered as well as the magnadoodle. I always try to stock up on snacks and bottled waters before we leave so we don't have to stop and spend $2 on a candy bar.. those little gas stations charge ridiculous amounts of money for food.
ReplyDeleteOh, and cute blog by the way! It's nice to "meet" you. :)
ReplyDeleteMP3 players, books on CD or downloaded to the MP3 players, but you will need one for each child. Another thing that I have done that worked well is give each child a roll of quarters, every time they fight they lose a quarter, what ever is left, they get to spend.
ReplyDeleteyou need to go to this website...
ReplyDeleteamazing ideas... tons of them...
http://www.momsminivan.com/
stickers always keep them busy too...
good luck!
no real advice here...just safe travels and have tons of fun!!
ReplyDeleteI was going to suggest the magna doodle..it works well. And, the DVD player is a must, too!
ReplyDeleteHave a great time.
Ok, here's a list for you, as a veteran of many road trips with the urchins. Water pad, great. Make sure it's easy to refill the "pen" before hitting the road. Color Wonder pens and paper work great too.
ReplyDeleteOn the road, try stopping at the Patton Museum in Chiriaco Summit. The kids will love the tanks and stuff, and it's a good place to refuel and stretch your legs for half an hour before hitting the road again. You can also stop in 29 Palms for In N Out burgers, a fantastic California treat & great pit stop.
If you can schedule a character breakfast, do. They are the best for little kids. Also try to get FastPasses for the popular rides early, to get a scheduled time to ride them. You & Seth can each still enjoy the "big rides", as they will let you each ride while the other one watches the kids.
Have fun!
One more thing--parades are a great way to catch a break with the kids and get off your feet for a bit. Just find a good spot and sit down early. Or try taking the train all around the park if you want another break for tired feet and still let the kids be entertained.
ReplyDeleteCan you travel at night? That is ideal with kids so they will sleep the majority of the time. If not, I would say the DVD player is a life saver for sure!! Oh, and snacks, lots and lots of snacks. Just don't let them have drinks or you will have more stops than you care for ;) j/k
ReplyDeleteWe've had way too much experience with this! The DVD player is a Godsend, at least for Hannah. What really got us through our on last road trip was My Little Ponies. Now, I'm assuming Hunter probably doesn't have tons of those laying around. But maybe some sort of toy like that (whatever he is into) that taps his imagination. 6 hours actually sounds like a picnic for us, we usually go twice that long, so I'm sure you'll do fine.
ReplyDeleteOK, so I'm obviously a bit behind on this one, but I hope your drive was fairly easy. Only 6 hours to Disneyland? I'd be there at least once a year! That is awesome!
ReplyDelete