Traveling with a toddler can get really messy, literally and figuratively.
Imagine your little ms. or mr. high energy quiet and still in the car for hours. AS IF!! Most toddlers are untameable! Ordering them to sit still and behave properly is more like sabotaging their effort to discover the world which could only trigger tantrums. To avoid fustration, it's important that we prepare an entire system of entertainment scheme so they won't feel like we're depriving them of freedom to shake the whole place. LOL.
To keep ours busy, we always employ a "long drive battle plan", that of which includes packing all his favorite toys.
While toys keep them occupied, their short attention span only lets them appreciate a toy for as much as 15 minutes. Which means, if you're in for a three-hour journey, you'll need at least 10 activities to keep them happy. That's a lot of stuff right? But if you want a smooth, manageable, tantrum-free travel, you need to keep the toys and fun flowing.
One momma friend suggested we gift wrap the small toys and present it to your child as a reward for being good so we can buy more time as he would need to unwrap first before he gets to play with it.
Another good idea would be to synchronize the little one's nap time with your travel time. Let them sleep! That way, you'll cut at least an hour or two of frolic.
Do consider the 100 things to do on a car journey if you think toys aren't enough. The lineup of activities is a good transition for each toy and it will surely keep them entertained until nap or snack time.
And yes, don't forget about snacks! It's the best to keep these little monsters busy for a longer stretch.
To give you a glimpse of what it's like to travel with a Tasmanian Toddler, here's a compilation of our videos.
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