Being the first time mom that I am I scoured the inter-webs to discover what would make the trip as pleasant as possible with a very active 1 1/2 year old in tow. First of all I research things, okay. It's what I do. It's part of who I am. The person who likes to be the most prepared that is humanly possible ever. Alright so maybe that's a bit of stretch, but you get the idea. So I planned and executed. And by executed I mean I drove to our closets Dollar Tree. List and toddler in hand.
I love the Dollar Tree! Who's with me? If you know the right things to look for you can find some major jackpots. Everything is a dollar!! A DOLLAR! It's magical I tell you. Our Dollar Tree isn't even that big and it's still great. Especially when your timing is just right. I don't know the secret to Dollar Tree timing...sorry. But it's right next to where we buy groceries so it's not that hard to just stop by and see if they have what I'm looking for.
Today I'm going to share with you what I found that's going to help keep our little man happy and entertained. AKA mommy and daddy will be happy and also entertained. Thumbs up all around!
My DT usually keeps these flexible baskets in stock and they are so useful for a variety of things. For this trip I'm using one to keep all of David's activities and toys handy and in one spot for easy access and so that nothing gets lost or squished. On past trips I've kept his things in a bag or nothing at all. Neither worked well at all. Things ended up all over the place and squished. I'm learning.
I'm also going to put some diapers, wipes and a change of clothes in here for easy access during bathroom stops and in case he has an accident. That way I don't have to dig through all the luggage to find what I need.
I found these adorable little books for him to look at. He inherited my love for animals so I know he's going to be so excited to look at these! How cute are they?! They had several to choose from and I chose the three I though he would be most interested in. These are cardboard so they're very sturdy and just the right size for his toddler hands. Your DT might have something different, but I'm sure they'll have books. Like I mentioned earlier my DT is small, but most of them have kid friendly books.
Next up, more animals! On the left is an activity book with two pages of animal stickers. David has had so much fun with stickers lately so I was super excited to snag a book that included them. It does say it's for 3+ which is understandable because you are technically supposed to match the stickers to certain spots in the book. David can't get the stickers off the page by himself yet so this will need to be one we use in a restaurant, the hotel, or if I'm sitting next to him in the car.
David is a huge Paw Patrol fan (are you considered a fan at 1 1/2?) so I know he's really going to have fun coloring in this Paw Patrol coloring book. And I am a huge fan of the Playskool brand (can you be a crayon fan at 24?) so I'm really glad they had this big pack of crayons. For a dollar! I'm going to use one of my cookie sheets to tape a page down for him to color. Since it's rimmed it will also keep the crayons from rolling away.
Here's the tape I'll be using and it also came from Dollar Tree. It's super cute and Disney themed. I'll also be using this at the hotel to cover all the electrical outlets. Which will be much easier than unplugging and transporting the ones I'm already using here. Also washi tape won't leave a mess and will peal off easily enough when we leave.
Who knew DT had so much Paw Patrol stuff? Grab bags are so neat! The one I picked up has two coloring boards (those are the white pictures on the front), 3 washable markers, and 25 stickers. Dollar Tree had several to pick from, but I knew David would be most excited about this one.
On the right is a pack of reusable stickers. I was so excited to find these because David hasn't really grasped the concept that once you put a sticker somewhere it's not supposed to come off again. Not so with these! Oh and it also comes with a reversible background to put the stickers on.
Now before any of you fellow moms panic over the sight of glitter let me explain. I made David a calming bottle. This will be great for settling down before he goes to sleep. We'll be on the road during his nap time and bedtime at different points on the trip. To make one of these yourself all you need is an empty plastic water bottle, glitter, and glue to keep the top closed. Ours turned out really pretty and they're fun to watch as the glitter settles. I found a 3 pack of glitter and this craft glue at Dollar Tree.
Now this last one has nothing to do with David's road trip entertainment, but I was too excited about finding this that I had to share it with y'all. It's a collapsible clothes hamper! We have a clothes bad to put dirty clothes in, but it doesn't work great for keeping dirty clothes in when you're staying somewhere a few days or longer. It's hard to get the dirty clothes into and usually ends up spilling a few items of clothing at some point. Hence my excitement to find this pop up one! It stands and will be so much easier to put dirty clothes into. It folds up into a small circle and tucks into the pocket on the outside which you can also use to put things in while it's unfolded. I think this is going to be so handy and well worth a dollar.
Well that's it! I'm hoping David loves all the new activities and toy to play with and enjoy. I'm thinking this will also help keep him entertained at the hotel as well. I'm not going to give him all of these toys on the way there. I've divided them into two groups so that he still has new stuff to play with on the drive home. I also have plenty of things for him to snack on which I think is super important in keeping a toddler content. No body is happy when they're hungry, grown ups included.
If you have a toddler and you're planning your next road trip I hope this has given you some ideas. If you have a Dollar Tree (or any kind of dollar store) near you, check it out and see what you can find to provide some entertainment for your kiddos! Thanks for visiting my blog! Come back soon!
