{"id":56721,"date":"2017-09-27T08:00:32","date_gmt":"2017-09-27T12:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/?p=56721"},"modified":"2022-04-09T00:31:32","modified_gmt":"2022-04-09T04:31:32","slug":"journey-distract-disney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/journey-distract-disney\/","title":{"rendered":"Making the Most of the Journey – Top Things That Can Distract Little Ones On the Way to Disney"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For most of us\u00a0any Disney vacation is going to involve some travel. \u00a0Car, bus, train, plane, no matter what transportation you choose, your children will likely need some distractions to help the journey go a bit faster. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a list of magic items and tricks that can help avoid the ceaseless cycle of questions that sap the life out of parents, such as \u00a0\u201cHow much longer?\u201d and \u201cAre we there yet?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Colorforms.<\/a><\/b> \u00a0Early in my Mom years I used to take stickers for my kiddos. C<\/span>rusty looks from flight attendants and broken fingernails from peeling those stickers off of windows led me to search for a better option. \u00a0Yep, these colorforms are the same ones that were around when you were a kid. \u00a0They still make them in all of the popular characters and fads. Frozen<\/a>, Cars<\/a>, Doc McStuffins<\/a>, Marvel<\/a> – whatever your kids are into, they probably make it. \u00a0They are just as awesome as they always were. \u00a0Kids can stick them to the windows, doors, table tray, books, or the fun mat that comes with them, and they are super easy to peel off and reuse. \u00a0Plus you don’t end up looking like this: \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Magna Doodles<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> \u00a0They make these in a travel size for portability. \u00a0We like to play the drawing game, which works best if you have 2 children or an adult who is not driving! \u00a0The first person makes a mark on the screen; \u00a0it can be anything – a circle, a line, a zigzag. \u00a0The second person then has to turn it into something. \u00a0This is a great game for building creativity and imagination, and we play it alot even when we aren\u2019t traveling!<\/p>\n

Cheerio Necklaces.<\/strong> \u00a0All you need for this activity is a snack bag full of cheerios, tape, \u00a0and some dental floss. \u00a0Cheap, easy, and doesn\u2019t take up much space! \u00a0Tear off a length of dental floss long enough to make a necklace or bracelet. \u00a0Make sure you leave enough room to for tying the ends. \u00a0Tape one end of the dental floss to any surface. \u00a0Your child can practice fine motor skills by threading the cheerios onto the dental floss. \u00a0Tie it off when they are done, and voila! \u00a0It is snack time! \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to Disney\u2026\u201d game.<\/strong> \u00a0Start off by saying \u201cI\u2019m going to Disney, and I\u2019m going to take___________. \u00a0Do you want to come along?\u201d Fill in the blank with anything that starts with the letter A. \u00a0Apples, Ariel, asparagus, etc. \u00a0The next person has to follow the pattern, \u201cI\u2019m going to Disney, and I\u2019m going to take_____________.\u201d \u00a0If they fill in the blank with something that starts with the next letter of the alphabet, say, \u201cGreat! \u00a0You can come along!\u201d \u00a0If they don\u2019t pick something that starts with B, say \u201cSorry. \u00a0Maybe you can come next time.\u201d \u00a0If they do pick something that starts with the correct letter, say \u201cGreat! \u00a0Let\u2019s go!\u201d \u00a0Go on to the next player and keep going until either everyone has figured out the pattern or everyone is sick of the game. \u00a0\ud83d\ude42 \u00a0My daughter knows it is the alphabet game and we still play on long car trips. \u00a0Sometimes we pick a theme (animals, colors, songs, etc) and try to things to bring along that fit the theme. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Snacks.<\/strong> \u00a0Lots of them. \u00a0Hunger is the fastest way to create grumpy travelers. \u00a0We try to avoid sugary snacks because, well, have you seen my children after sugar consumption? \u00a0If you aren\u2019t sure what I mean, join your child\u2019s class for their school Halloween party this year. \u00a0<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Some of our favorite portable snacks include:
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\n<\/span>* Applesauce pouches
\n<\/span>* Carrots\/Celery sticks
\n<\/span>* Gum\/Mints (not really a snack, but it keeps mouths busy for a bit!)
\n<\/span>* Water bottles (for air travel, we take empty water bottles through security, then fill them up before boarding)
\n<\/span>* Hard crunchies (Cereal, pretzels, nuts, crackers, popcorn)
\n<\/span>* Puffs
\n<\/span>* Hard-boiled eggs
\n<\/span>* Fresh fruit (bananas, oranges, etc)
\n<\/span>* Bars (protein, granola, fruit)
\n<\/span>* Dried fruit
\n<\/span>* Zollipops (lollipops made with xylitol, no sugar. \u00a0Bonus: \u00a0They were created by a 9-year-old<\/a>!)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tiny Presents.<\/strong> \u00a0This doesn\u2019t need to be anything expensive or extravagant. \u00a0They are going to Disney, after all! \u00a0But I like to stash away a few tiny new toys (you can stock up at the dollar tree or Target\u2019s dollar spot for not much money!) Squinkies, card games, small plastic toys, Matchbox cars\u2026 I wrap them to make it more fun. \u00a0\u00a0Dish them out as prizes for winning a game, pass out one new one each hour, give one out when the troops start getting restless. \u00a0There are lots of options. \u00a0The one thing I do not recommend is giving all of them out at once. \u00a0I tried that when my daughter was 1 \u00bd; I got her a bag full of fun new toys. \u00a0She tore through them in the first five minutes and starting complaining that she was bored. \u00a0Dish them out slowly to keep the fun going. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Screens.<\/strong> \u00a0\u00a0Stuck on an airplane in close quarters with 200 strangers, an iPad can be the difference between compliments about how well behaved your children are and flight attendants escorting you off of the plane. \u00a0Yes, we too try to limit screen time while we are at home. When your tiny person is unnaturally confined for extended periods of time, being both over- and under- stimulated, it is not the time to stick to those screen time rules. \u00a0We give our kids free screen reign when traveling. \u00a0I usually try to load a new movie, new apps, and new books onto my kids’ kindles prior to traveling. \u00a0With so many great Disney flicks and apps to choose from, I\u2019m sure you will find some they will love.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Band-Aids<\/a>.<\/strong> \u00a0My kids have always loved bandaids. \u00a0\u00a0For Christmas when she was 2 I filled my daughter\u2019s Christmas stocking with different types of bandaids. \u00a0They love opening the package to see what fun colors and characters are waiting underneath. \u00a0Give each child a new box of band-aids (they have some great Disney kinds out there!) and let the fun begin: \u00a0<\/span>
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