Keeping a 9 month old entertained on a loooong car journey

[mountainmonkey]

We're planning a very long journey (basically from the far north of England to the far south) and DS (9 months) is now at the age where he gets bored pretty easily without something to play with. Any suggestions for good in car toys? He'll be in a rear facing car seat so it'll be pretty difficult for us to do anything with him.

[liamsdaddy]

One of my friends travels from the South East up to the North West. His technique is to go overnight and thus the kids sleep in the car.

We have used the same trick for doing our 3-4 hour bi-annual cross country dash.

Seems to work OK for the most part, the only issue we have had is on light nights, DS doesn't sleep as well as he could.

Although your length of journey might be a bit tricky on a over-nighter.

[wonderingwondering]

One of you should sit in the back seat with him while he's awake. As well as being able to see you, you'll be able to pick up toys that he's flung out of reach. But I suspect he'll sleep most of the way, traveling seems to tire them out.

Is he too small for a front-facing seat? Mine were much better in the car once they reached that stage.

[mountainmonkey]

Thanks. We tried travelling at night last time but it didn't work- he woke up after a couple of hours and screamed at us! I might sit with him for at least part of the journey- I do hate not being able to see him.

[wonderingwondering]

I had a hand held mirror to check they are OK (nice and pink, not sick, sleeping etc) without clambering over your front seat and hanging round their baby seat. Much easier. Or you can get mirrors that hang down the back of the seat they are facing, but they tend to be the toy mirrors that don't reflect very well.

[tvfriend]

We've succumbed to DVD players but they're a bit older. Probably want to try and avoid them for as long as possible but they do work a treat! (Got one when DS was just 1).
Mine were also much better when they faced forward.
You can get a mirror which fixes on the headrest and reflects very well. They sell them everwhere.
Trouble is with toys is that they'll drop them all the time.
Overnight always works with us or at least starting off when it's nap time etc.