Thursday, September 9, 2010

Toddler Talk Thursday: Travel



Every year we take a trip to Minnesota to visit relatives.  There is a 3 hour plane ride and a 5 hour car drive.  It makes for a very long day.  This year my son was 20 months.  At this age, he moves constantly and I was trying to figure out how I could entertain him during these travel times.  One major quirk about my little guy is that he does not sleep on trips.  I think on the way over this time he probably slept a half hour in the plane and maybe 45 min in the car.  That's it!  The rest of the time, it's busy.

So I asked around and I came up with some ideas.  First, I gathered lots of different and NEW toys that he had never seen before.  I also brought a lot of books and snacks.  Suffice to say, the only thing that really helped my son during travel times was SNACKS and singing!  Needless to say, I was exhausted.  None of the toys interested him and it seemed that they mostly frustrated him.  I brought flannel board stories, pipe cleaners and a quiet book.  The quiet book was probably the best bet.  I found that on Etsy.

However, with normal everyday travel in the car around town and short trips, my son is content with snacks, water, a stuffed animal and books.

We go on this trip every year, so I'm going to begin now to research what would be best for a 2.5 year old.  Any ideas?  Send them my way!

I'm linked up to Toddler Talk Thursday.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My 3-year-old LOVES his travel-size etch-a-sketch & coloring books when we are in the car. Good luck next year!

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~Dawn~ said...

I think snacks, books, and a favorite toy are the very best bets when it comes to traveling with toddlers. I've learned that dum dum suckers last a long time too, in keeping them occupied and quiet. Maybe not the healthiest choice, but hey..they work.

Where in MN do you travel to? I've lived here all my life. :)

~Dawn~ said...

Oh, it's beautiful there!!
My sister-in-law goes to college up at UMD in Duluth, so we've taken a few trips up there. We go to Gooseberry Falls and whatnot. I love it.