Ten tips for travelling with a toddler

Last week, I travelled to St. Louis with Eli for my dad's surgery.  From Lexington, that was about a six hour-ish trip.  It was our first time travelling that far without my hubby (Eli's "Dad-Scott").  Before the trip, I decided to come up with a game plan for our travels:  the best places to stop, what to pack, how to cut costs, etc.  Having this game plan helped so much!  It kept me from turning (excessively) toward Eli and away from the road.  It kept him well hydrated and fed without us having to stop for snack and drink breaks.  It saved us big bucks from having to buy fast food and gas station snacks and beverages, aside from lunch.  We were well prepared.  The thought, planning, packing, and effort were well worth it!

Here are my top ten:

1. Buy, rent, or borrow a portable dvd player and dvds of favorite cartoons.  I do realize that in this day and age this really doesn't even need to be stated.  However, this can provide hours of easy entertainment while on the road and help the trip to go by a little more easily.  Ours just happens to be broken at this point, so we did without for this trip.
2. Pack and bring a bag with new and different toys (some faves too).  Favorites, along with things that are new and different, can bring lots of entertainment value.  These toys/activities should be rotated often to keep interest.  A few examples from our trip are:  dinosaurs from Target's $1.00 aisle, dinosaur coloring books from the same, $.25 Crayola crayons (24 pack), balls from Wal-Mart's $1.00 bin.  The list of cool stuff for cheap can go on and on, but those are a few.
3. Pack and bring a snack bag.  This bag should include items for you to munch on, but it should also have some favorites for the kiddo in the backseat.  These snacks should be non-choking hazards that are easy to eat in little finger friendly containers.
4. Pack and bring a small cooler.   Our cooler had sippy cups full of milk, juice, and water.  It also had cheese sticks and grapes to munch on. 
5. Keep comfort items close.  I made sure that at any given point I could reach Eli's blankie, Buddy (his plush dino), and the 4 million pacis.  Really, all of the items listed above should be in easy reach.  You should be able to grab each item without looking away from the road.  My passenger seat was FULL. 
6. Show the sights that pass by based on interests.  Eli really likes ball fields, fountains (or any water for that matter), and horses.  Each time I saw one of these, I made sure to point it out to my little man.  It momentarily entertained him and got him talking.
7. Bring an audio book for you.  If you check one out from the public library, it's FREE entertainment for you.  Yay!  Anyway, it will keep you entertained and bore the little one to sleep.  Double yay!  Any sleep that can be had by that little one in the back seat is a good thing...
8. Avoid stopping the car.  Taking the little one out of the seat is exciting, but when he/she has to get back in, it's bummer central.  I like to avoid this.  However, when you do stop, make it count.  Go to the bathroom, change the tyke's pants, eat a meal (if it's that time), and PLAY!  Find a restaurant with a playland, park, grassy area beside a busy restaurant and get moving!  Side note:  I avoid rest stops like the plague unless I'm in a group. 
9. Turn up the peppy tunes and have a dance party.  This gives you both a little exercise and entertainment (and other drivers a good laugh).  When Eli and I commuted, he only danced with one side of his body, because that's all he could see of me in the driver's seat.  But that's neither here nor there...  He now dances whole body and whole heartedly.
10. Give the little one something to look forward to when the driving ends.   It's nice to have goals and little ones understand quite a bit of what you say--whether they say a lot or not.  Giving them something to look forward to helps build excitement and forget the "butt in seat" feeling for a bit.  It's also a good conversation starter for you and your little one.  Examples:  "When we get there, we'll have dinner with Noni & PawPaw."  or "When we get there, we'll swim in the hotel pool."

There are tons of other travelling tips.  Fill up the tank the night before the trip.  Make sure there's been a recent oil change.  Check the tires.  So on and so forth, but I really wanted to keep this toddler centered.  If you put the thought and work into it ahead of time, travelling with a toddler doesn't have to be totally stressful.  Don't get me wrong, it will still be a little stressful.  But, you can cut back on the stress of long trips for them and yourself. 

Lingering thought of the day:  I have so many sewing projects that I want to get done.  If I finish all of my cleaning tasks from my list for tomorrow, I might just do that!