To Grandmother's House! Workbox Ideas for the Car

We will certainly go over the river and through some woods, but our journey to grandmother’s house will take at least two days of solid driving in the car before we make it!

We have traveled across the country with our two kids twice before. We will take plenty of breaks, and I do have a tablet set up with plenty of applicable movies. But I am also realistic about tablet time not always being a possibility, and so I also have prepared for the fact that we are going to be squished in a car for a long time, and my two kids (ages 7 and almost 3) are going to be bored and uncomfortable.

To add to the holidays, I also wrapped the games I am bringing for the kids. I was not thinking about this post at the time, so I already wrapped it all! Much of what I wrapped up were things we already owned, but I am excited nonetheless for it to be a “surprise” for the kids as we go along the road.

Here’s what I have for my big kid. Raisin loves to read, and when I asked him what I should pack for him, he said, “packets and books,” and that other than that (and the tablet) “I’ll just look out the window.”

Last time we traveled across the country, I had packets of educational worksheets labeled from 1-8. We only got through three, mainly because there was too much in each one and my son got bored. He is a year older now, but I thought I’d use some ideas I found on Pinterest to make things fun.

Once again, I printed a binder with simple games. Some of them were mine from my Road Trip Games pack. Others I found elsewhere. My son is eager to play “sea battle” aka “battleship” with me again as we travel! He can have this binder from the first day of the drive. I also included Math Mice, Rotation versus Revolution, and various other reading passages and worksheets such as I’ve had from workbooks.

This time, I printed out car bucks. He can earn car bucks by doing workbook pages (this math one is available from day 1) or he can order a “packet” of activities for Car Bucks. I found this idea on Pinterest, but I made my own car bucks that were a little less ink-intensive since my printer is almost out of ink!

For games I have some of these games, wrapped up to be a “surprise.” In addition to those below (affiliate links!), I also included a ring with silly jokes to read and laugh at. My son loves corny jokes.

I have the dices in a clear container, which has been taped shut. He can roll the dice and tell stories without losing the dice!

We will send messages back and forth in the car.

My son loves trivia like this!

Perfect for when the sun goes down and we are still driving! (Model not included.)

Here’s what I have for my little kid. Strawberry loves to “read” to herself, so she too has wrapped favorite books. She also loves hands-on activities. I saw a Pin about making a metal magnetic tray for the car. Since I already had an activity cookie sheet that had holes in the side, I cut out fabric and sewed on hook-and-loop tape to make my own activity tray. I hope she enjoys it!

I included some of the nativity magnets, the vehicle town magnets, and a home-made puzzle (a Christmas card, cut in six pieces, with magnets on the back). I also have a few file folder games put in there (like my shoes and tee-shirt matching file folders). I also have these things:

I made a few other things that I have kind of forgotten. They are already wrapped or I’d show them all to you. I’ll make sure to let you know next week how these went! We will then, of course, have another two-day drive to return home.

Sigh. I am not looking forward to this.

What essentials to do put in your “workboxes” when you travel 8+ hours in the car?

Every Wednesday, come here to link up your workbox posts. If you cannot post it on Wednesday, don’t worry. The linky is open all month. So link up your workbox posts and let us know what you do to teach your kids and keep them busy. Please visit my co-hosts at Chestnut Grove Academy and Tots and Me as well! What is in your workbox this week?