Tuesday, July 24, 2012

ARE WE THERE YET?


When traveling to visit my parents, we always make sure there are plenty of activities for the girls.  The trip takes six hours and I always become bored, I know if I didn't create activity kits for the girls it would be nonstop, "ARE WE THERE YET?"

I recommend three things to prevent boredom and avoid the aggravating, repeated question. 
A laptop, an IPad, and a filled backpack.

1. Laptop with Sprint Hotspot and videos. 
Did you know you can turn your Sprint phone into a mobile hotspot that can provide an Internet connection for another Wi-Fi enabled device?




  • $19.99/per month for 2 GB of combined 3G/4G on-network data
  • $49.99/per month for 6 GB of combined 3G/4G on-network data. 

  • This allows the girls to get on all their favorite learning sites. 
    www.starfall.com
    www.pbskids.org
    www.ggg.com
    http://www.kideos.com/
    http://www.gameclassroom.com/
    http://www.whizkidgames.com/


    I love the $5.00 movie section at Target.  It always has a good selection and not too pricey to grab a few different choices. This trip we decided to go with Barbie. 


    2.  Then we grab the iPad.  A few apps they love are:





    3.  Fill the backpack-
    If I didn't give the girls a limit, they would pack their entire room.  Each of them pulled their backpack from the closet and they were allowed to fill it with activities. 
    pencil box with markers, crayons, colored pencils, regular pencils, a pencil sharpener, a roll of tape, post its and sticker sheets.  Previous trips have included scissors and glue sticks, but this becomes to messy!
    learning and coloring books- you can get these from Dollar Tree or Target's dollar section
    journal or notebook- I have the girls draw and write about things they see or want to see during the trip.  They write notes to each other or to family they just left.
    pipe cleaners- the girls always come up with a different use for these.  This trip I saw everything from headbands to bookmarks.  They formed the pipe cleaners to spell their name and make a bouquet of flowers.  Endless possibilities...
    favorite snacks and a water bottle- I love to make up a few containers of each girls' favorite snacks to give some choices and avoid asking to get something at every rest stop.
    favorite pillow and blanket- until the day we buy a RV, the kids must remain buckled and in their car seats, so a pillow to lean against and blanket to snuggle with always helps!


     We did consider packing a car charger for electronics, but decided that once the battery on each piece died, they had had enough technology and it was time to get into the backpacks.  We made sure before we left the house or the hotel that the laptop and IPad were fully charged and had no problems, not bringing the car chargers.

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