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Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juhansonin/2960324558/
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Ask any
parent from a family on-the-go how easy it is to keep small children
entertained during a long car ride, and they will roll their eyes and respond
with silly sarcasm. Toddlers have incredibly low attention spans and
hyperactive drives—not a good recipe for a calm and relaxing car journey. However,
there are a number of things parents can do to keep their hyper little ones
engaged and busy to the point that they aren’t kicking the back of the seats
and nagging for apple juice.
Crafts
Nothing
keeps kids entertained like crafting projects. The brightly colored
construction paper, crayons, and fun plastic child-safe scissors will keep them
quiet for hours (you just may have to vacuum up the mess later). Having kids
make their own storybooks or posters will prove to be fun activities. Another
option is to have them create something that can be contributed to the art
projects that mom engages in. For example, 21st Century Insurance is
running a baby on board contest that calls for moms to re-create the iconic
yellow diamond sign from the 80s. This contest has a cash prize of 10 thousand
dollars. Once your toddler learns how many toys 10K will buy, they are sure to
be “on board” in helping with your contest project.
Toys
If you
want to offer a mess-free source for keeping your kids entertained then
consider getting them some new toys for the car trip. Find out what your
child’s favorite toy is, and bring it along. Then go to a toy store and pick up
something similar to it, as well as something completely different. This will
provide your toddler with a loved and familiar option, something new and
similar to his favorite toy, and something completely new and unknown.
If you
aren’t sure what toys to buy you can always go online and search consumer
reviews that are age and gender specific. For example, in one article that
examines the best toys for 4 year old boys, there are some great options to take in the
car. Here are a few:
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LeapFrog
LeapPad2 Explorer. This learning toy comes with 5 apps from over 325 available
ones that include games, videos, and music. They also offer 2500 subject skills
that include reading, science, language, math and many more. It has a fun touch
screen feature, a front and back camera and even a video recorder.
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Vtech
Switch and Go Dinos. Toddlers will have fun transforming dinosaurs into car
carriers, and back to their prehistoric semblances all over again. They can
make the dinosaurs battle each other too. The dinosaurs have moveable heads and
tails, while the car carrier has a built in LCD screen that shows animation and
offers fun dinosaur facts.
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Dream
Lite Pillow Pets Snuggly Puppy. When the sun is starting to set and you have
another few hours left on your road trip, surprise your toddler with this
cuddly plush toy. The snuggly puppy toy is great for cuddling but it also runs
off 3 AAA batteries or an AC adapter to cast stars on the wall for bedtime. If
you have an SUV and a restless toddler in the back, this toy could be a great
option to get them to take a nap.
Keep them engaged and comforted
By presenting your toddler with these fun toys and exciting crafts, they can keep themselves entertained for hours while you and your spouse focus on driving safely to your next destination.
