things to occupy my 2.5 year old DD during a 5 hour drive

[FairyFay]

We are driving to Cornwall in a couple of weeks' time and I desperately need some suggestions of things that I could get to occupy DD on the drive down, and back.

We have one of those 'etch a sketch' type drawing boards and I've got some aquadraw mini mats, but any and all other suggestions will be very gratefully received.

bumpety bump

the best investment we have ever made as parents has been a set of in-car dvd players

they are worth their weight in gold on long journeys

Have a 9hr drive tomorrow and I'm praying that ds will sleep alot! Taking his favorite cars, books, drinks, little toys....Argh!

Big expense but have you thought about a portable DVD player? I wouldn't suggest it for a shorter trip but for 5 hours ...

We have one built into the car (was there when we bought it) and it's a godsend on long trips.

Argos do one for just under £60.

We have a 2.10 year old and a 19 month old and regularly do loing car journeys and we too have a portable DVD player. It is fab. we just take a selection of disney DVD's or ones we have receorded of the TV.

It was a fantastic invention and investment.

Portable dvd player they are a god send, fuzzy felts, lots of snacks and drinks

i divide up the time - i regularly do 4 or 5 hrs train or car with my twins who've just turned 3. so in the car it's nursery rhymes cd = 1hr,passing pack lunch back to them = 1/2 hour, basic eyespy/ can you see a red car and so on= 1/2 hr, touchy feely board books they can 'read' themselves/ magna doodle = 1 hr, sleep = 1 hr, last hour is more food/ pointing out local landmarks/ speak to grandma on phone/ talk about where they'll be sleeping and so forth.
Trains are so much easier - we do playdo and jigsaws and can go to the loo!

Thanks everyone. I have been thinking about investing in DVD players and Peppa Pig DVDs and I now think this may well be the time to go for it.

I also hadn't thought of fuzzy felt and will get that and also pack loads of snacks/packed lunch, the nursery rhyme cd (althought that may drive me potty!) and remember the games suggestion. Unfortunately she's unlikely to sleep.

Thanks so much for all your help

if you regularly travel long distance then it is worth investing in a portable dvd player, we regularly drive from south west france to Bristol and the lake district and its been a real life saver

if you don't want to buy a portable dvd player and have a laptop, you can buy some connector that enables you to plug laptop into cigarette lighter so you can watch DVDs on laptop.

and do consider story tapes/CDs too

I tend to go into the local charity shops and find stuff for DD like a pair of sunglasses, some small cars, dolls, books etc, then I wrap them up in cheapy paper and stuff them in a bag, every time she runs out fo thigns to do I chuck one over the seat to her, takes her a good 5 minutes to unwrap it and then another 10 minutes playing!
Raisin boxes are good for this too, I buy a pack and empty the raisins out of some and fill with popcorn or other snacks for her, that wya lunch takes aaaaaaaageeeeess!

More fantastic tips, thank you

Drive at night i.e their bedtime. Put them in their jarmies, give them a drink of milk and a blanket and hope they sleep. You'll get there 10/11pm but at least you'll have a peaceful journey!

We had a 5 hour drive last year with ds1 2.6 and ds2 11m. We set off late morning, they looked out the windows etc for a while then had a good sleep. When they woke up hungry and grumpy we stopped for a picnic/nappy change etc then carried on but the fighting over the toys was really bad!
So this year same trip, same plan for time of departure, nap and picnic but we bought a twin screen dvd player so for the last section instead of fighting they will hopefully settle down to watching Thomas or something.

I have a big old lady handbag with loads of pockets, and i stuffed it full of things that a 2 year old would find intriguing and that you might find in a real handbag - eg purse with cards in, old camera (non working), compact mirror, pen and notebook, small book of family photos etc

it only comes out on car journeys and ds (4)still asks to play with it

you are all so imaginative! I might well steal that 'old lady handbag' idea . Also, good point on peppa, I may have to get a film instead to avoid endless renditions of intro music

the first time I did it, I pretended it was my handbag and would he please look after it

cue lots of furtive rummaging and little stifled excited noises

I got all the bits to put in it from charity shops - an old camera for 50p, etc

Sadly the handbag idea would not work for us. Car journeys are an extension of home life - ds's fighting and grabbing over every single thing. The handbag would not last 5 minutes
But then DP would not let me give HIS SONS a handbag to play with anyway!

A good story CD - if his attention span for stories is good.
Play I spy (not with letters, something red/moisy etc)
Nursery rhymes cd, games around nursery rhymes (i.e. spot the mistake)
Food/snacks
Travel at a time he is likely to sleep (make sure you and he, if potty trained, go to the loo just before leaving)
If he doesn't get car sick, an activity book - colouring, join the dots etc etc