Toys/activities for car rides?

MrsBrock · September 2012

LO will be 13 months old next month when we drive 4 hours for vacation. I'm wanting to buy him some new smallish toys for the ride to help entertain. He doesn't like his car seat much and probably won't nap much so I need ideas to help entertain him! Thanks!!

ElatedMom2B · September 2012

There isn't much that they can play with that they won't throw on the floor unless you have a couple of toys that can hang on the seat with hooks. I usually keep a tote behind the seat that I can easily grab a toy to hand to LO to play with. She'll usually play with it for a little while and then throw it on the floor. She has certain toys that she likes to play with and I also offer some board books. My biggest life saver though is our DVD player. If you have an iPad or DVD player that you can mount for him to see, I would definitely consider using one. I use it as my last resort go to. This is coming from a person who drives every couple of months a 5.5 hour drive with both girls (4 and 14 months), by myself, to visit my family.

jcsumm0 · September 2012

Is he into any sort of animals or tractors or something? My LO is obsessed with cats and my friend got her a book at the pet store. It isn't a kids book, it's a book about caring for your cats but there are lots of pictures of cats on every page. She LOVES this book and will look at it the whole time we are in the car.

I would also just have a lot of small things. They don't even have to be toys. My LO loves to play with her shoes, the straw and lid from a fountain drink, etc. Just have lots of things to keep handing back to him. Then when you stop, gather them up and start all over.

Also, snacks! When we went to the beach this summer (13 hours each way) I would hand her back a little snack like blueberries or cheerios and that helped keep her happy.

Soapstone · September 2012

My daughter is older, but we travel a lot. These things have entertained her for long periods of time.

Stickers- I buy sticker books from the dollar bin at Target. This can seriously entertain her for over an hour,

Magnets with cookie sheet- I bought a set of animal magnets that she likes. She takes them in and out of the bag and rearranges them on the cookie sheet. The cookie sheet also provides a flat surface for other activities, like coloring.

Blocks- she likes moving these from one container to another. Any small items would work.

Books- especially the ones with the sound buttons to push.

Flashcards- like books but new and interesting.

Post-it notes- fun to pull apart and stick places.

Plinth roller- ditto

Soapstone · September 2012

That should say lint roller.

HALFM00N · September 2012

Duplo Legos, iPad with seat strap, matchbox cars, crayons and paper attached to a hard clipboard, small puzzles like garamimals or m&d mini wooden puzzles. Oh and mini touch and feel books, she loves all books but these are her faves.

ThatWasAHoot · September 2012

We took DS on a 4 and a half hour car ride. Portable DVD player with the wiggles and a magna doodle and he was happy

momofmanyinthemitten · September 2012

Leaving at nap time will increase your odds of him sleeping. We keep LO entertained with books (lift-the-flap), lots of snacks, an old cell phone without a battery, and small toys that play music.

shootingstars00 · September 2012

Other than the usual - snacks, books, stickers - probably the best thing I got for travel is the aqua doodle. Someone recommended it to me when I posted for travel ideas on FB.

Want a personalized experience?

Toys/activities for car rides?

Re: Toys/activities for car rides?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards