Keeping happy on 5 hour train journey

[JumpJockey]

We're going up to Scotland to see the ILs and have a 5 hour train journey. DD will be 18 months and we've booked a seat for her so that we could reserve 3 seats around a table, and hopefully the 4th seat would stay free. So far the longest she's done on a train is about 1.5 hours, and that's when she was little enough to be boobed to sleep successfully.

Any ideas for how to keep her occupied and/or happy?! The journey goes across the start of her usual nap time, but we're not necessarily expecting her to go to sleep as it will probably be a bit too interesting/noisy.

Thanks!

holy moly it's goign to be HELL

it was either that, with the possibility of taking her walking up and down the train, or a very long day stuck in the back seat of the car with her getting impatient to be out and about... Rock/hard place!

I have done 3 hours since ds was about this age, and honestly its not too bad, especially if you have 2 adults. I have always been alone.

Break it into half hour blocks.

First half hour - getting settle, unpacking bag a little, having a look outside chatting etc

Second half hour - walk along the train, toilet to wash hands, buffet carriage cup of coffee and such like.

Third - picnic at the table - plenty of nice wee bits for her, lots of her favourite snacks etc.

Fourth - quiet time - reading/colouring

etc etc

I bought a personal dvd player for ds at this age - it was one of the best things I have ever bought for him - cbeebies dvd will usually fill in a couple of half hour slots.

books/colouring/dvd player/ little wee presents to open (raid £1 shop)/walks along the train/ripping up pieces of paper/looking out of the window to spot cows/sea/windfarms etc

Good luck!

We've always done train travel and agree it is LOADS better than cars. It's a couple of years since DD was your DD's age but from what I can remember...
Time-consuming snacks and treats that she doesn't usually get - those fruit flakes used to take dd a long time.
MAKE her sleep - worth the crying for an hour or more's peace
Mini aquadraw - cost abt £5 from amazon/ tesco - DD loved them at that age and no mess really.
Is she old enough for magazines, eg, ITNG? - I get 2 solid hours on a train out of one these days. If not, lots of paper and crayons, etc.
Simple things work best, esp if there are two of you - we used to play endlessly with a ball or a helicopter or car at this age espe if there was a 2nd adult.
If there are other - even older - children around consider moving - DD is nosy a people watcher which helps.

Thanks for the ideas - am intrigued by aquadraw, that sounds like a great idea as she keeps chucking her crayons everywhere and don't fancy having to repeatedly crawl under other passengers' legs...! Magazines often work as there's lots of pictures to point at, not old enough really to read them yet but pointing is always good fun.

Mini dvd player... hmmm, will ponder that one!

Definitely like the idea of breaking the journey up as otherwise it could stretch onwards endlessly!

Aqua draw is fab. Can be done with a wet piece of tissue/cloth if pen is lost.

We did 6 hours to Cornwall last summe,r when DS was about 20 months old. It was actually fine! The motion of the train sent him to sleep on my lap after an hour or so, and he slept for a good while.

We took plenty of snacks - finger sandwiches, apple slices, raisins etc. and a big bottle of water so we could top up his beaker. He loves reading so we packed 2 or 3 of his fave books, and read quietly to him. Also took some crayons and a spiral bound notebook to colour in.

Apart from that, the view out of the window kept him occupied. On the return journey, I overheard the couple behind me whisper about how good he was

We booked a table for the three of us and it worked realy well.

Oh and even though he is now 2.8 and slightly more challenging on long journeys, I would sooner poke my eyes out than attempt the same journey by car with him pinned into a car seat

Just want to add to Aquadraw enthusiasm. Fantastic! Took kids to Dubai (8 hour flight) and they used them a lot.

You will need to go straight to bed once you get there, though!

my best tip for travel with littlies is a handbag (the type with lots of zips and pockets) filled with different bits and bobs
eg keys, compact mirror, pack of tissues, glasses case with glasses in, post it notes and pencil, old 35 mm camera, photo book with photos of family in, purse with some coins or play money in, old credit / loyalty cards, etc etc etc

just basically all things that you might have in a real handbag, plus other things that would amuse a small child eg pack of raisins, little picture book etc

you can pick it all up at charity shop or rummage around in your old handbags for things to put in

give to small child and leave them to it, they will have marvellous time exploring all the pockets and playing with the things
you KNOW how quiet they go when they have got hold of something they are not meant to - this is the ultimate distraction
i guarantee you a quiet half hour - it works a treat IME

once you have made the amazing travel handbag of joy, only bring it out on long journeys or it will lose its potency

did a lot of five hour journeys when my dd was that age,take plenty of books and crayons etc.Walking up and down the train takes time and they really enjoy it.Also I don't know if you are still bf,but I took a pillow and bf her and she slept at her usual time,which was good.The worst thing is finding somewhere to change a nappy.DH ended up changing her on a towel in the bit where the carriages meet,on the floor,and there really was nowhere else.Mine also liked playing with little animal toys on the table.

CoupleofKooks that is BRILLIANT! I am definitely trying that one!

Oooh thanks for the extra hints, CoupleofKooks dd is a total handbag obsessive so that sounds absolutely brilliant. Her favourite game is "trying to get mummy's purse out of mummy's handbag and pulling all the coins out" [sigh]

Am feeling a lot more positive about this now