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Original poster

5 hour car journey. 5 year old and 3 year old ds's. Ideas please!

48 replies

Dottydot · 27/05/2007 14:51

We're off to Southwold on Saturday - will take about 5 hours to get there. Other than the 'how many red cars' game, and feeding them smarties every 20 minutes, any ideas please for stuff to entertain ds's? It'll be the longest car journey we've done with them and I don't normally stress about stuff like this, but am getting a bit anxious they're going to drive me doo-lally...

OP posts:
filthymindedvixen · 27/05/2007 14:56

song tapes and a picture check-list (Count 5 trees, spot 5 cows, spot a caravan etc. Storybooks are also good. Also picture books and those mini-etch-a-sketch things.

oldwomanwholivedinashoe · 27/05/2007 14:56

we have tvs in the headrests of the car and that works but failing that what about a present an hour? i did this on a flight to Turkey last eyar. Wrap up presents (interesting but not necessarily expensive) and allow them to open one each hour.
I wraped up paper and colouring pencils - a book (which they had in their cupboard but hadnt seen for ages) - some plasticine - a barbie doll - an etch a sketch. most of these things they had already but had not used for a bit6.
I also built up the suspense by wrapping in layers (with odd bits of paper I had around) adn getting them to guess what each package was.
take some bin liners for paper mess!!!

Dogsby · 27/05/2007 14:56

NINTENDO DS

Bibis · 27/05/2007 14:57

Buy a dvd player from Argos (half price at moment down from £160 to £84 - just over half price then )

oldwomanwholivedinashoe · 27/05/2007 14:57

the pound shop would be a brilliant place to get cheap interesting stuff

emkana · 27/05/2007 14:57

Nothing beats an in-car DVD player IMO. There doing a great deal in Argos atm I believe.

Bibis · 27/05/2007 14:58

oh and that is for one with two screens

emkana · 27/05/2007 15:00

There???

They're!!!

Original poster
Dottydot · 27/05/2007 15:01

I'm liking the present an hour idea, and the picture check list - could make those this week.

DVD player - the thread I started on that led to this thread! I can't afford to buy one - even at £84, as the car tax and MOT are also due this week (and I can't afford those!). Was wondering if I could borrow one but our friends who live locally and have one are also going away next week, so needed good old fashioned entertainment ideas - hence this thread!

OP posts:
oldwomanwholivedinashoe · 27/05/2007 15:04

my kids also like sounds effects cDs - I got one off ebay. Its got 100 different sound effect - things like trains, river, rain, aoeroplane. They love guessing and the CD runs for about 40mins

Bibis · 27/05/2007 15:06

What about earplugs for you and dp then, at least you won't be able to hear LOs complaining and asking 'are we nearly there yet?'!

filthymindedvixen · 27/05/2007 15:09

dogsby, I do concur but think they are too young for DS!

Dogsby · 27/05/2007 15:11

no i odnt
ds3 ( 4) has loved ours fro a good 6 months

his number skills are fab beacsue of it

Leslaki · 27/05/2007 15:13

Crayloa colour wonder packs are fab so they can draw/colour to their hearts content but won't make a mess!!! I ususlly give them the lap trys so they can lean on them for drawing etc.Do they have fave CDs? Or could you leave at night time? We drive to Scotland quite often and leave at their bed time - amkes for a stress free journey!
Have to admit thoguh that the portabel dvd player was one of our best investments but not a helpful comment for your prob!!!

filthymindedvixen · 27/05/2007 15:20

oh Dogsby, is he G&T?

Dogsby · 27/05/2007 15:20

of COURSE

filthymindedvixen · 27/05/2007 15:22

Well done, you must be so proud. Of course, my Algerno has just finished building his own DS...He is 5.

Dogsby · 27/05/2007 15:22

lol
ponce.

GrandMasterHumphreyLyttelton · 27/05/2007 15:27

Take a tape recorder so they can tape themselves singing/reciting poetry/yelling POO POO BUM WEE.

Make sure you use old batteries so it dies after an hour or two which, trust me,is all you can stand.

Story tapes, sticker books, stock up on comics etc.

I'd avoid the Smarties or anything sugary and hand out crisps/sandwiches etc instead.

Can you take a cool box and put freeze pops in it?

MorocconOil · 27/05/2007 15:33

Fill lunch boxes with lots of snacks,eg sandwiches, crisps, fruit, sausage rolls, unspillable drinks(fruitshoots).
Our Dc love being given their own box of snacks to control at the start of a journey. They always seem to eat all the contents, not just the treats.

They also like being bought a magazine to 'read' on the journey.

Porpoise · 27/05/2007 15:33

go at night?

filthymindedvixen · 27/05/2007 15:33

Have a good run around (10 mins is fine) on grass at service station, then put on Radio 4 or something 'talky' and pray they nod off...!

evenhope · 27/05/2007 19:07

When ours were this small we tried to leave very very early so they were asleep for half the journey. Depends whether yours wake up when decanted from bed to car.

tassis · 27/05/2007 19:13

dottydot, do you have a laptop?

if so you can buy an adaptor thingy for about a tenner that you stick in your cigarette lighter and then you can play dvds on the laptop

works for us on long journeys as we're far too tight to buy in-car dvd players

Original poster
Dottydot · 27/05/2007 19:58

spooky dooky tassis - I've just got back from being out and posted my idea about using a laptop instead - then come to this thread and you've suggested the same thing!

I'm going to see if I can borrow one from work - fingers crossed...

Will also wrap up some presents and do a picture chart of things for them to spot.

Hmm... will need work to be very quiet this week so I can Prepare. Shame it's gone utterly bonkers.

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