I take my boys 400 miles by myself every summer...I pack a storage box with iPods or CD players, books, word searches, Sudoku, etc. I put in a new pack of colored pencils, and then find some other new things they don't know about--just little games and stuff they can use in the car. They enjoy digging through the box to find what's new.We play ‘Read Moreword’ games... the eight-year-old’s favorite is "I'm thinking of an animal that starts with ___" then we take turns guessing, asking for hints, etc. We also hunt for license plates from as many states as we can find.
I plan to stop every 100-125 miles just to get out and run around, usually at rest areas. I also pack a cooler and snack bag so we can have snacks/drinks with us and not have to stop.
Buy them spiral notebooks with covers they'll like (characters like Lightning McQueen) and each a new set of crayons (only Crayola doesn't melt in the heat of a car). Also Etch a Sketch or Magna Doodles.
Make bingo cards for them with stuff to find as you are driving. Example - a McDonalds, a cow, a RV, a purple car, etc. Put some hard items so it takes them a long time to find everything.
Three letters...DVD! A portable potty and Benadryl to keep us sane. A few prizes for every few hours of being good. Otherwise, we try and drive when they are sleeping.
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