Entertaining DS in the car

[Friskyfluff]

I'm off on holiday next week with family and DS and am dreading the long drive to the ferry and then a long drive across Ireland.

As it is also his birthday next week (he will be 3) i was think that i could take a bag of wrapped presents in the car and let him pick one every few hours/when needed to keep him entertained (fingers crossed he'll also sleep a lot!)

So has anyone got any ideas for suitable things which he can play with/do whilst in a car seat and hopefully keep him occupied for a good length of time??

Thanks

How long do you think you'll be in the car?

etch-a-sketch type drawing board
cbeebies download on an ipod (have to use old walkman stylie headphones though)
books
games like "I spy" with chocolate buttons each time you get it right (with initial sounds obviously, unless your DS is a genius)
one of those colouring books which uses "magic pens" (i.e. won't mark clothes/skin)

etch-a-sketch type drawing board
cbeebies download on an ipod (have to use old walkman stylie headphones though)
books
games like "I spy" with chocolate buttons each time you get it right (with initial sounds obviously, unless your DS is a genius)
one of those colouring books which uses "magic pens" (i.e. won't mark clothes/skin)

It will be about 6-7 hours to the ferry and then a further 4-5 hours the other side.

Thankfully i'm not driving!!

Hmmm - that is a long time.

Maybe some age appropriate story cds? Some small animal figures for imaginative play?

I think this may be a time when a portable dvd player is called for. We have one, and the only time it is used is on long car journeys.

Hmmm - that is a long time.

Maybe some age appropriate story cds? Some small animal figures for imaginative play?

I think this may be a time when a portable dvd player is called for. We have one, and the only time it is used is on long car journeys.

we drove to france last year and it took ages!!!!!!! i was worried about long journey for my then 3.5 year old daughter so i bought a in car dvd, (dd doesnt usually watch tv at all- her choice) best investment ever! i was a bit sick of barney by the end of it though! its not like she was watching tv for 8 hours or anything, she would watch an episode then turn it off then colour in for a bit then chat for a while then "read" a book or two, then we would each pick a colour and we would have to spot something that colour, the journey wasnt nearly as bad as i had anticipated, just try not to get stressed out and make it fun, it is a holiday after all! you might want to sit in the back with him so you aren't constantly turning round in your seat.

Sew and lace cards
washable pens and paper
audio books
selection of car/travel games to buy here

BBC ideas for Things to Keep Children Amused on Long Journeys

Play 'spot the red car/cow/aeroplane' games
I spy
I went shopping
The minister's cat is a ....... cat

Thanks all

All great ideas and have jotted them down and written a shopping list of bits i need to buy.

Not sure whether books would cause car sickness though. I know i get sick if i try to read in a car!

That's why audio books are brilliant. He might even fall asleep listening to them .

If he has a favourite DVD (or a few favourites), extract the audio onto a CD, and play that in the car. Works well for things like Thomas the Tank Engine, Nursery Rhymes, that kind of thing.