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I love going home for the holidays. What I don’t love? The 12 hour drive. Which as you probably know turns into 14 or so hours depending on how many times the kids need to go to the bathroom (or in my case, how many times I have to go to the bathroom… ) and you need to stop. And don’t even get me started on the fact that it’s cough and cold season which makes me super squeamish to begin with, and then throw in rest stops and gas stations? ICK. However there are ways to be prepared for not only this but for surviving a lengthy journey with kiddos. Since we’ve done this a few times now, I’ve learned what I need to successfully travel with children.
One of the things that keeps them occupied are these DIY Busy Bottles. I got the idea from a gift my mother-in-law gave them and thought well what a great idea! I can totally make my own!
Here’s what you’ll need:
An empty bottle (sports drink, water, vitamins, etc) I used a vitamin bottle and bonus points because it’s child-proofed.
Small objects; bobby pins, beads, little figurines, pennies, rubberbands, play jewelry, etc. Anything that can fit into the bottle and would be fun for them to “uncover”.
Rice
Glitter
Hot glue (optional)
- Drop a few of the objects in the bottle.
- Scoop a few scoops of rice until the objects are covered.
- Sprinkle glitter.
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 until bottle is full.
- Twist lock so it’s child-locked, or add hot glue if it doesn’t have that option or for extra protection.
So easy right?! You can totally make a game out of it too if you want. Give them a list of things to find. Find things that start with certain letters, etc. Or make different themed ones; one for the beach, a princess one, a sports one, etc. The possibilities are endless.
In addition to the DIY Busy Bottles there are a few other things that are must haves when traveling with toddlers:
These items include:
Extra socks; they always take them off and I can never find them at the rest stop when we need to get out.
Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes; they kill 99.99% of the germs and I am a germ freak, especially at rest stops and restaurants along the way. These also make it easier for the kids and keep them from dropping globs of hand sanitizer everywhere in the car. Not to mention they’re made with an Aloe formula so they won’t dry your skin out. Target has a 15% off Cartwheel offer until 1/23 on any Wet Ones Travel Packs or Wet Ones Big Ones, so you should probably stock up
Snacks
Doodle Pad; they were seriously entertained with this for hours. One person would draw a picture and we would have to guess what it is and vice versa. Not to mention watching them draw things was hysterical.
Medicine; for fevers, belly aches, coughs… you’ll need it when you don’t have it.
Bandages; because someone always gets a boo boo right?
Lotion; kids skin can get super dry while traveling, especially if you’re heading somewhere like we went…it was cold! The Wet Ones also help avoid this like I mentioned above.
A 12 hour drive doesn’t have to be terrible, but rather think of it as an adventure! Instead of focusing on your destination, focus on the journey (so profound, right? haha)
What are your tips for traveling long distance with toddlers? How do you keep the germs away, especially during cough and cold season?
