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Yea Cindy,

Welcome to blog land. I remember with great joy the first time we listened to a book on tape in the car. I don't remember the book, that part doesn't matter, I just remember how happy we all were. The best part was when one of them said "I'm hungry" and another said, "can we drive through instead of getting out of the car, and keep listening. I want to make sure we finish the story before we get there". There were even a couple of times that we had to drive around the block for a few to hear the end.

We also soon discovered how important the reader is to the listening experience. Often, during our stop at the library on the way out of town, the argument was not about the title; but about the name of the person reading the book.

Travel on...

Welcome aboard!

Just traveling to pre-school is an adventure, so I'm eager to read your tips on longer trips. The last big road trip was 1.5 years ago and we did cheat with a DVD player on occasion. Thankfully I gave birth to a bookworm, so that goes pretty well. I also think she's writing a NYTimes best seller in the back seat.

Welcome Cindy. I'm excited you are here.

We usually put in favorite CDs and everyone sings. Nearly everyone can agree on High School Musical and Hairspray these days, but even when the youngest was into The Wiggles, my older two couldn't help but get caught up in the music.

We also practice spelling, with them taking turns for a word geared to their grade level. To make it even harder, I sometimes make up words for them to sound out and spell.

Tamara

When all else fails, an exercise stop, as opposed to a rest stop, would often work wonders on our treks to the east coast each year.  Jump ropes, balls, frisbees or simply playing tag or doing jumping jacks helped to get the kinks out.  

For the little ones, we would wrap up little suprises (think dollar store or what you have around the house) for them to open when they got back into the car.  On one trip, a few pieces of velcro kept our 2 year old occupied for quite a while sticking things to the car seat.

Hello Cindy!

My kids and I have taken many a plane trip, and I have a few fun ideas for airport entertainment, but when it comes to car trips, there is one little funny thing we always do that keeps them happy and excited to ride.

When we travel East to PA, to visit the grandparents, we travel on the turnpike peppered with rest stops.  We keep a bag of quarters up fornt, and they earn them for good car behavior...no throwing french fries and kicking the seat in front of you!!

Anyway, at every rest stop they get to use the quarter they have earned to stick into those obnoxious gumball toy machines.  The cheesy toy entertains them for a bit, and there's no more begging for money for those machines...they have to earn it themselves. Our favorites are the sticky bugs and hands to slap up againest the backseat window.