Comments on: Surviving Long Road Trips with Toddlers

By: angela

angela — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:28:52 +0000

Great suggestions. We’re 1 week into a year long VW camper van adventure with a 4 year old. I’ve discovered many of these suggestions the hard way. Our guy has food allergies, which adds a challenge, but he’s ok with McD’s fries, and we’re ok letting him burn off some energy there. Sounds like we are on a similar route as you, please send any suggestions to us! http://www.bodeswell.com
Angela

By: Jenny Jensen

Jenny Jensen — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:25:06 +0000

We just did our first camping trip with our kids (4 and 6 yrs) and bought a 2 room tent for the occasion. So nice! Our kids also wouldn’t settle together so if they were chatting past the cut off time, we could slide one over to the other side of the tent and zip down the divider. Somehow they didn’t figure out that they could still talk even though they couldn’t see each other. When it was time for us to go to sleep, we slid them back together again. Worked like a charm!

By: Bridget Smith

Bridget Smith — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:43:25 +0000

Kathleen great tips! Sounds like it was a fun adventure. Always fun to join in the DVD debate. From my anedectotal evidence I would say this:

My five and ten year olds loved the Beverly Cleary audio book, my four year old not so much. I think with toddlers it’s a little trickier and sometimes that DVD can come in handy in emergencies. We also try to have some long stretches of just hanging out, playing, etc.

I’m a fan of fast food playgrounds, but regular parks can be great to and can let you use up some of that extra traveling food with a picnic.

By: Jamie Pearson

Jamie Pearson — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:16:27 +0000

Mara and Kathleen: I think you’re both right. =) We have a DVD player in my car. We don’t always use it, but I swear it has SAVED us a time or two.

By: Heather @ Vegan Deluxe

Heather @ Vegan Deluxe — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Fun! I took my two children when they were 9 and 10 on a month long cross country trip. I think it will go down in history as one of the best adventures ever! We camped in the Grand Tetons (FREEZING), on the beach at Dana Point in CA (WARM AND LOVELY!), in the Ozarks and generally traveled all over the place on a very, very tight budget. I went with my best friend and her son, so it was just two gals and 3 kids in the back seat of a Camry. We were crazy back then ;)

By: Mara

Mara — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:26:44 +0000

Nice post, but I’d like to put my vote in for road trips without screens. I’ve done it lots, to great effect, and now that my kids are 4 and 7, they don’t even expect it and will happily read or play car games for hours (we drove 3700 miles this summer).

By: Kathleen Wiersch

Kathleen Wiersch — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:47:27 +0000

Amy – you live in the Bay Area? lets do Yosemite or Kings Canyon this fall! Seriously any other crazy people, I mean parents of toddlers, want to camp in September or October, reach out to me through examiner.com. cheers,
Kathleen

By: Sharlene

Sharlene — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:41:21 +0000

I took my 2 toddlers on a 24 day trip this summer and it was alot of fun. Yes people, it can be done!

By: Amy @ The Q Family

Amy @ The Q Family — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:43:23 +0000

Great tips!! I’m thinking about doing our first camping trip. It won’t be as big as your road trip but being non-outdoor person it’s kinda scary. These tips will come in handy. I guess now I have to go find a few friends who might be interested in camping with us. :)

By: Marla Taviano

Marla Taviano — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:45:15 +0000

This is awesome. Thanks for sharing! We just went to 52 Zoos in 52 Weeks (loony, I know), and we’d love to take up camping here in the near future. I’m just a little scared though.

http://52zoos.com