ASK THE NANNY: Holiday road trips and shimmery paint

By Kristin Hall, Columnist

Dear Nanny Kristin,

We are going to be traveling a lot in the car over Christmas to cover all of our family gatherings. What do you do to keep little ones occupied on long drives besides movies? Our kids aren’t babies, but they are still too little yet for road trip games that entail looking out the window and spying stuff such as license plates. We do play “I Spy” though. I feel like we are in survival mode every year that we do this.

Sincerely, Car stricken this holiday season…

Kristin says:

Travel unquestionably affects many families throughout the holiday season – whether it’s by plane, train, or car. While it is a lot of work indeed, the key is to go into it with an optimistic attitude. Here are my tips

First and foremost – make sure the vehicle is completely cleaned out before your trip. In other words – throw out all purposeless food wrappers, empty water bottles, and any other trash. Remove all articles that were left over from the summer season and vacuum the whole thing out with a dustbuster including car seat crevices where snack crumbs get trapped. Wipe down any fingerprinted windows too, if necessary. I always think that starting out in a clean and hygienic vehicle makes for the start of a joyful trip.

Pack a car trip bag for each child making sure they have their own personal bag. Inside each bag, include activities to keep them occupied and snacks. Include items such as storybooks, crayons and paper, miniature toys, a small dry erase board with markers, sticker books, and any particular sleep toy or blanket that your child naps or goes to bed with.

Car trips are a great time to include new toys or activities as it will keep the children occupied longer. Or maybe a toy that the children haven’t used in quite a while – it will seem “new” to them if you pull it out again.

You can use brown paper bags to stuff treats and other new activities inside. The children can open one new bag each hour of the car trip. Prepare your bags in advance using any of the items from above. Or, try these: small puzzles, miniature playdough’s, finger puppets, an etch-a-sketch or magna doodle, wikki stix or pipe cleaners, invisible marker books, marker stamps with post-it notes for stamping, small transportation vehicles, or magnetic travel games. Depending on the length of your trip, this is also a good time to include a new movie or music CD.

Pack snacks in small ziplock bags instead of large containers. Make small proportions in each bag and then you can simply toss the bags after the munchies have been consumed. While it’s not the eco-friendliest route, it’s much easier while traveling. My preference is always goldfish crackers, veggie sticks, sliced up fruit, string cheese, and sandwiches that are cut into quarters – not halves. Of course, you can also add their favorite treats too. Pack small water bottles too.  Include a small pack of baby wipes for cleaning up sticky fingers.

Apart from the children’s own personal bag, have a “master bag” that includes a spare set of clothing for each child, toiletry items, and medications should you need them while you are away. Also include a spare set of clothes for yourself (just trust me…), phone chargers, extra plastic bags, and snacks and bottled water for yourself.

Stop as frequently as you or the children need. Be prepared for this timing-wise as you never know realistically how many times you may need to stop for a break. At each stop, dispose of any wrappers or garbage to keep the car orderly.

Finally, make sure your children are outfitted comfortably throughout the entire road trip. Dress them in light movable clothing. If you’re

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traveling at night, don’t be afraid to put them in their pajamas and slippers. Let them take off their shoes and socks if they get too warm. Don’t worry – you can always change them into their holiday ensembles when you arrive at grandma’s!

Cheers!

Kristin

Shimmery Snow Paint –

Mix equal parts of shaving cream and white school glue. Stir well. Now add a couple teaspoons of silver glitter. Stir again. You should have a very fluffy mixture. The children can paint with fingers or brushes onto heavy cardstock paper or construction paper. Dry fully before hanging. To make it holiday enticing, add a couple drops of red or green food coloring to the mixture before adding the glitter.

Kristin Hall is a career nanny of over a decade and a curriculum book author. She specializes in ages zero to five and loves all things kid-related. Have a question? Send her an email at: kristinhall@charlescitypress.com Or, write to her at:

Ask the Nanny…

801 Riverside Drive

Charles City, IA 50616