Car trip for 18 mo - how to entertain please

[TracyK]

Travelling home to Glasgow this weekend - 5 or 6 hour car journey.
Should we leave early and blast it non stop. Or leave later to co-incide with ds 2 hr lunch nap - but journey may take longer.
Also any ideas for toys to entertain ds?

My little one use to love listening to story tapes or her favourite tunes, ie Tweenies cd, in the car. You can get storytapes in the library so no need to buy new ones, especially with fickle toddlers ;-) She also loved to do those wooden puzzles, the ones that you lift out the pieces and scribble for ages. Its easier for you or your partner to stay at the back as this way she'll be better entertained and you wont have to stop to keep picking up things she REALLY needs but have fallen to the floor. I'd go early morning cuz she'll probably fall asleep with the journey anyway, even if she doesn't normally have a morning nap. Have a great trip !!

Food...snacks...more food...more snacks...
That certainly helps with my 16mo DS. Got quite a bit of time out of a small box of raisins yesterday during a 2 hr journey.
Also, singing especially if theres someone who can do silly hand gestures and actions (ideally not the driver ).

Good luck

We used to get to Glasgow in 5 hours - generally 1 quick stop for a coffee. Discovered since having kids that the quick stop takes an hour, not 20 minutes anymore. By the time you've been to the loo, changed a nappy, little one's had a drink, you've finished your coffee and gone to the loo again you're way behind schedule. Not uncommon for our hitherto 5 hour journey to take 7 hours! This is getting better as the kids get older. It also helps if you can just stop once and make it the lunch stop. Last time we were too early for lunch the first time we stopped, so had to stop again!

I second the suggestions of snacks. A couple of books, the odd soft toy. TBH my kids travel really well, and usually sleep for a significant chunk of the journey, so I've never had to put a great deal of thought into entertaining them.

If you can live with the expense, I can highly recommend a portable DVD player. DS loves his.

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I would recommend training them to expect as little as possible.

The phrase 'rod for one's own back' springs to mind.

My children don't even know that such a thing as a'kiddy' tape/CD exists for the car and that is the way I like it.

Believe me,I travel non stop.

Moondog has a point. Our cars look like mobile versions of DS's room what with toys, books, cds etc.

Can't bear 'kiddy' paraphernalia strewn everywhere.
What did we do as kids?
Looked out of the window and fought with your siblings right? Did it do us any harm? No!

Actually,better for children to be in a situation where they have to challenge themselves and create their own entertainment.