10 Activity Ideas to Have a Device Free Road Trip!

Ah, summer vacation! Pristine beaches, breathtaking mountains, hiking, swimming, whatever your end destination, there is first the road trip. I've always loved the journey to the destination, and then I had kids! 'Are we there yet?' 'I'm done playing with this toy' *sobbing* 'Mom I spilled all of my ________ on the carseat!!'
Over the past 5 years of being a mom, I've discovered a few ways of keeping my son entertained on the journey. A few of these suggestions are actually my sister's ideas, but I wanted to share them with you, today! If you're like me, and having an unplugged summer, you want the portable DVD player as a last resort. Hopefully these ideas will help you as you prepare for summer vacation! Here are 10 screen free ways to entertain your kids on the road:

Search and Find Books

Is my kid the only one who will look at a search and find book for a half hour or more? Since he was little he enjoyed books like this one Nickelodeon Paw Patrol - Look and Find - PI Kids and even some of the more advance ones. We probably have 5 or so search and find books and they are road trip essentials for us!


Felt Books

My sister made this one for my son. It has sandwhich making, buttoning flower petals, color popcicle stick sorting, and more! She found ideas on pinterest and DIY-ed it herself. If you are like me, and lazy don't have a lot of time, here is something you could buy already made:Melissa & Doug Soft Activity Book – Little Chef (Developmental Toys, Interactive Cloth Lift-the-Flap Baby Book, Machine Washable) It's a bit young now for my son, but the 2-4 age range would be perfect!

On the Go Color packs from the Dollar Tree

Dollar Tree normally has popular characters on these road trip ready packs! I normally pick up one or two every time I go to the store, as I don't go to the Dollar Tree often, and you never know when they will be out of stock of something. Speaking of Dollar Tree, here are a couple more things you can get from there to entertain your child.

Unwrapping through the States

Another sister idea, but when they went on a trip to Vermont, my sister fixed up a small gift for my younger siblings to unwrap for every state. It was normally something from the dollar tree. Perhaps a felt coloring page,  national geographic book to look at, adult coloring book (yes, they have all these at the Dollar tree!). When we traveled a couple of states away, we used a 'every hour' kind of a deal. We will do the same thing this year, since we are traveling several hours, but not leaving our state! For Little Man's age, little toys, craft packs, sticker scenes, and whiteboards are great things to unwrap!

State Printable

Another thing my sister would do once they reached a new state, is have a printout like this one. She would actually have my siblings do the printable before they opened up the gift. This provides entertainment, and education-win, win!

Water Wow

I've talked about these before, but they are great for church, trips, and basically anytime! Something I have noticed about these, though, is that the 'brushes' do wear out eventually and don't 'paint' as well as they used to. We have had them for over 2 years now, so I still think that it's worth the money. They are pretty inexpensive and come in all sorts of different themes. If your child is like mine, and eventually learns how to unscrew the brush, it's only a tiny amount of water that's spilled! I think I may get a new Water Wow for our trip this summer, since ours are getting a bit old. Here are some great ones to choose from! Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow! Under the Sea Reusable Water-Reveal Activity Pad, Chunky-Size Water Pen Melissa & Doug Water Coloring & Painting Book, (Water Wow Animal - On the Go Travel Activity)

Coloring Books

This may seem like a 'duh' one, but I am adding it so I can say that I recommend one that also has activities in it. Even though my son can't unscramble words yet, or do all the activities, he enjoys doing his own thing on those pages. It just adds some extra time to the activity, making it almost like a 2-in-1! Here is my son's favorite one (which I can sometimes find at the Dollar tree!) Paw Patrol Coloring Books - 2 Pack

Sticker Activities

You can normally find sticker scenes, or pads at the Dollar Tree, but I find that those can sometimes have stickers that are hard to get off. I am linking a Melissa and Doug activity pad, since they normally have higher quality products.Melissa & Doug Safari Puffy Sticker Play Set (Activity Pads, Reusable Puffy Sticker Play Set, Double-Sided Background, 42 Stickers)

Toys in a plastic container

This sounds very random, but my son has a small screwable container where he has a couple of hot-wheel cars, a couple of tiny figures (superhero, pawpatrol, etc.) and some plastic bugs...yep, bugs. He LOVES this thing. I used to keep categorized toys in a Ziploc and would give him one category at a time, but he will play with this little container for much, much longer! I have no idea why, but I thought I would share. I don't know if it's because he got to decorate it with his name and stickers, or that it is small enough to fit in his cup holder. I just don't know.


Magnet Tins

One like this-T.S. Shure Farm Magnetic Tin Playset is a great little person thing to play with. I will warn you though, you will not come home with the same number of pieces you started with! They seem to get everywhere! However, my son really enjoyed playing with this, and it can serve dual purpose, as it's a great quiet time or church activity as well.


Did I miss anything? What are some things you've found work well on road trips with kids?

Did you know I'm on Pinterest now? Go follow me there, where you can pin this and other ideas!

Boredom Busters for Toddlers/Preschoolers!

Your child, the same child that has 21,849,874 toys in their room just came to you, wanting something to do. Again. Legoes? 'I already did that' Hotwheels 'Don't want to do that' Super-heroes? 'No ma'am!' 'I just want to do something' Is this just my kid? Instead of instantly grabbing their favorite dvd, or heading over to Netflix to let them watch Moana for the millionth time, here are a few things to do instead!

I have picked things that my preschooler enjoys, and that occupied him for at least 20 min. Also, I know parenting is not all about entertaining your kids. It's one of the reasons that the things you'll see listed here, are helping your youngster develop motor skills. I will say that there are days and times that you need to let your child figure out what to do on their own and play on their own, but if you are wanting something fun and yet educational, I hope this helps!

Next-Level Playdoh

This is not your normal playdoh! My son has an entire box full of playdoh cut outs and supplies, and yet he pushed those aside to play this, and it occupied him for a long, long time. He has since asked to play this again, several times. While looking for activities for our bug unit, I found this pinterest post. On the scheduled day, I brought out googly eyes (my son loves these so much!) pipe cleaners,  as well as the playdoh, and Little Man not only made bugs with it, but all sorts of creatures. This is now our boredom buster activity, when he is not 'feeling' his 100 playdoh accessories (insert rolling eyes emoji).

Paint With Water Sets

I've talked about these before on this blog, and can say it again? These are amazing! If you are traveling, need something for church, or just for an extra grab and go activity, this is it! It's mess free, and it has provided my child with long periods of entertainment. Need I say more?


There are also, many other types of paint with water books. These are great as well, and my son loves watching the colors blend together as he paints. He also soaks the whole table with those kinds of projects too, so proceed with caution! ;)

Water Beads

I will admit that this take a turn for the worse in mess department, and you'll also have to plan at least 6hrs ahead and make these up, but I believe it will be well worth it! Follow instructions, throw in some measuring spoons and cups, and watch the fun! 

The Cat's Pajamas Game

You will definetly have to join in on this one (or if you have older kids, you can rope them into playing), but this is the cutest.game.ever! My son loves it, and he quickly learned the colors and patterns that were on the game. It doesn't take long to win the game, but if your kid is like mine, you will have to beg them to play something else! This is fun, educational, and keeps their attention for a long time. 

Hopefully here is some inspiration for your next indoor play day! What are some of your favorite 'boredom busters' for little ones? 

Little Kids in Big Church

Our church is quite small, and Little man is one of the few (and sometimes the only) little one his age. I haven't really liked the idea of having someone miss worship service to watch my one kid, so I have opted, since he was born, just to keep him with me. Something that was almost necessity, has become something I'm starting to feel quite strong about. At the very least, it's become something I quite enjoy.  I really enjoyed reading this article, and when the time comes and Little Man is old enough for children's chapel, I may make the decision for him just to remain with me.
It's been a learning experience, to say the least, with having him sit (or stand) quietly where he is. I'm no where near perfect, and he's nowhere near perfect. Just recently I had to take him out, when he wanted to whine-loudly. If you are a part of a small church like me, or perhaps you would just rather have your little one with you, here are some tips and activities for little ones from baby to toddler.

Baby-6 months:
I didn't know when I had it good! This stage is easy and hard at the same time. Babies cry, sleep, get hungry sometimes when it's the least convenient. The best thing at this stage is getting a schedule for your baby that will allow you to sit through church. It doesn't always happen, and my husband and I would swap Sunday Morning/Night Service, so that we got at least one a piece. What worked for me was letting Little Man nurse and nap during Sunday School, and be awake during church.

6-12 months:
Things get easier at this point, at least in predicting your baby's schedule. It's also easier than the future, entertaining your baby. At this stage I had touch and feel soft and board books and quiet baby toys. Here are some of my favorite books:


I also liked the 'Is that my..." series from Usborne, for touch and feel books. These are still entertaining him today!

12-24 months:
Here is the hardest time to quietly entertain, in my opinion. One of the things that helps is when you read your child a story, make sure they sit for the entire thing. This will get them used to being quiet and letting someone else talk. At this point they are more likely to start getting bored with just looking at books, but too little for more of the toddler quiet play. Things like stickers, crayons, quiet toys, Cars, little people, etc. are good for this stage. And I'm going to own up to this-but my child ate plenty of those Puffs during this stage! Those things can keep them busy!

2-3 years:
Ahhhhh....We are back to an easier stage! You might be thinking, "What about the 'Terrible 2's tantrums?" I'm not saying it's always great, but at this stage, your child should know when you mean business, and know that church is not the place to get very loud. Also, when you take your child to the nursery if they act up, make them sit in the chair with you and not let them get up. Then the nursery will not seem like the fun option during church. They will want to go back to the pew where they can at least play with their toys! Here are some of my favorite quiet toys and activities:
I love the little 'go' packs from the dollar store. They have a lot of the Disney movies that my son likes.
Also at the Dollar Tree they have those sticker scenes that can entertain for a long amount of time!
Pipe cleaner activity

*My son loves the Water wow!! This entertains him for a long time!
This can be paired with books, stickers, legos, cars, etc. I have a church bag that I try to change out each week so that there is something new and exciting. I also have a few things that he only does at church, so it feels special

4-6 years
Here are the unknown years for me, but I can tell you what my parents did for me and my siblings, and what I plan to do with my little boy. At this point, especially if they are being schooled (by you or elsewhere), they should know how to sit and be still. Because they still haven't reached the point of finding sermons very interesting, coloring books, tracers, and sticker books are really great. Most of these things allow you to listen to what is being said. I was six when I came to know the Lord, so I can tell you that little ears hear more than you give them credit for! Also, make learning about the Bible something you learn about every day in your home. My little boy is not yet 3 and he will tell me when he hears a familiar name or story being told by the preacher. The key is not only making your child quiet so others can hear, but the activity not so engaging that they don't hear what's being said.

7+
I believe that once a child gets saved, it's very important that they listen to the sermon. After they join the church, they are just as much a member as anyone else. This is key growing and maturing time for them. This means that you need to make church going, and Bible time at home a priority, if you want your child to see it as such.
That being said, this is a good time for sermon note taking. When they are just learning to read and write, maybe they can draw a picture of what is being preached about, and maybe a sentence or two of what they learned. The sentences can get longer and the drawings can become more doodle-ish (I myself am a doodle note taker. It helps me to think!).

So there you go. Some tips on helping your child stay with you during church. Of course, I am not against children's chapel (my son went just this last week!), and if you feel like you need to then by all means. I will encourage you to ask your child what they learned and have them pay attention in class. God's Word is so important, and teaching your children young is so important! Let me know what you do to keep your child with you in church.

Toddler Tested: Pinterest Activities

If you read my other blog posts, you'll know that I like books, puzzles, finger paint, blocks, and other activities to entertain my little man. However, you know, sometimes I want to think a bit outside of the box. Not often, which is why I only have three things to share, but there are those days.  Here are three activities we've done that I found on Pinterest. I'll share the pros and cons; what worked and what didn't.

Drive in Movie

In theory this sounded like the cutest idea, ever! Here is the link I found on Pinterest, and what an adorable thing it seemed! I wasn't going to do a projector or anything, just a normal movie, but it was raining that day, and I thought this would be a fun project before so much media time. 

Pros: He liked decorating it! This part was a success! We used finger paint, so it's a bit transparent, but he didn't seem to mind. This gave us probably 20 minutes of messy fun. 

Cons: I needed a bigger box. Little Man did not like curling his legs, so I made a hole for his feet. Even then, he didn't like being in the box so he was out two seconds after this picture. If you have a bigger box handy, then this might work!

Colored Soap Foam Sensory Activity

I used a recipe with half and half water and dish soap, cornstarch, and food coloring that's mixed with a blender on high speed. I put 1/3 cup of water and dish soap and that filled half a large plastic container. I threw in some bath toys, a whisk (his favorite thing to play with when I wash dishes), shovel, and some cups. 

Pros: He thoroughly enjoyed himself! He likes to play in the bubbles when I wash dishes, and this just brought that to a new level. However...

Cons: The food coloring stains! He was almost naked, so it didn't hurt any clothes, but we had a graduation rehearsal to go to in the evening, and we both had blue hands. He had blue on his legs and arms as well. My solution would probably be to either put less, or none at all. He seemed to enjoy the bubbles part of it, and I think he would enjoy it just as much color free. 

Using Paper Towel Tubes to Paint

This last one is a bit of a no-brainer. There aren't really any cons, but I thought I would share, because it's a fun idea, and its easy. Just save your toilet paper tube or paper towel tube and let your little one dip it in paint and go to town. In all honesty, my toddler enjoys using his hands, probably the most, but he had fun with this. You can use a lot of things as tools to paint with, so take inventory around the house for things that can be used. Here is an example of The Very Hungry Caterpillar painted with paper towel tubes.



What are some of your favorite Pinterest activities for toddlers?

Toddler Tested Summer Toys

I am starting a new 'Toddler Tested' series. Today's post will be about toys that my son has played with and really enjoyed. Hopefully this helps you figure out some fairly inexpensive ways to entertain your kid this summer! I am not paid by any of these companies, so you are getting my true honest opinion.

Bubble Mower

This thing. This toy has been played with, and played with, and played with! If you read my post about things to do with pre-toddlers ,then you will know that bubbles are a big hit around here. Add a tot sized mower that my son can push around and bubbles come out, and you have a complete winner! You can find it at Walmart for $15.  It comes with an itty bitty amount of bubble mixture, but a small amount lasts pretty well. I must add, the brand of bubbles it comes with, is the brand of bubbles you want to use to refill. I tried some that I already had, and although it worked, it didn't work as well. No worries though, the brand it uses is very inexpensive!

Splash Mat

I am from the south, and it gets hot. I mean 90 degrees in May kind of hot! Water is always a go to on hot humid days. This next toy was found last year at a garage sale or resale shop, still new in the box for a whole dollar! Unfortunately this particular splash mat is no longer in stock, but there are some similar on amazon. If you want something where your toddler can cool down, a small pool, sprinkler, or splash mat can do the trick!

Chalk Bucket

This next toy can be found at your local Walmart for $10. Sidewalk chalk for ten dollars? Hear me out, this is not your ordinary chalk bucket! This includes stencils, various colors and shapes (eggs, balls, 'paintbrush', etc.), and various chalk holders to draw with. It's really cool and really fun! I love the very bright colors. I am just going to admit this here: I enjoy this toy as much as Little Man!So if you don't mind your toddler 'helping' you color your highly artistic endeavors, this is a great bonding toy!

Other tried and true toys:

Balls

Big dump trucks

Various kinds of Bubbles

What are some of your toddler's tried and enjoyed summer toys? I would love to hear! 

Next post will be on Toddler tested Pinterest ideas.