suggestions please?

[FMluvswater]

Got a long ride (2 and a half days) on a bus with my 7 year old son ahead of me.
What do kids like to do to keep from being bored on long rides (car or bus)?
One concern is low noise (don't wish to annoy other passengers if we can help it - I know sometimes it's unavoidable).
So far entertainment list is:
books
pencil puzzles
playing cards
I Spy
hand held electronic math game (no sound effects)
As someone pointed out to me ... sure that's fine for first ten minutes on the bus ... now what about the rest of the trip? :D :idea2:
Love to hear some ideas from anyone who has kids or anyone who remembers what they themselves liked as a kid. :)
Thanks.

[Kilrtoy]

Game Boy
keeps them entertained for hours....

[Tom Brown]

.
gum

[Debbolas]

That sounds good FM, because you aren't driving, you can play with him, that should keep him entertained. Are you allowed to eat on the bus? If so I would bring some snacks. I know you will have a great trip!
:D

[hoolign]

Hustler is my choice..just don't let him read the jokes..might corrupt him to soon! :eek:

[Debbolas]

oh, maybe some dramamine in case he gets carsick. Doesn't hurt to take it, we give it to the kids when we travel in the motorhome..... :D

[FMluvswater]

Game Boy
keeps them entertained for hours....
He doesn't have a Gameboy .. if he did he'd hound all the adults in his life to play it to "win" the games for him kid hates to lose but likes to watch. :) He's getting better about that but he's not ready for Gameboy just yet. :)
Tom - gum .. it's on the list actually :D not as entertainment but he will have plenty of it nonetheless (Trident - helps fight cavities ;) )

[PHX ATC]

Portable DVD players with a few movies.
We have a 7" screened portable DVD player. I think you can get them nowadays for around $200 to $250 or so. I'm not sure how long the battery will last, but I believe it was for 4 to 5 hours (I remember reading...) so at least 2 movies. If you have access to a cigarette lighter, mine came with a plug in for that power source.
Magnetic checkers. Magnetic chess. Magnetic backgammon. Bingo boards with crazy stuff (windmills, dead cows, etc). Travel trivia. Books. Magazines.
Our 7 year old daughter likes the DVD player.
Does he like Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars? Bring some of them. Our daughter plays with her little plastic horses and Polly Pocket dolls on truck trips. Maybe some army men or something similar for boys?
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Toby

[Big_Gunz_]

I have a 7 yr old too, he always brings his game boy and a portable DVD/CD player (ear phones so he's the only one that can hear the sound). My truck has an adapter to plug into near the rear seat, if the bus doesn't, bring lots of extra batteries.

[ahhell]

FM,
VALIUM, lots of it cuz you can either feed it to him OR take it yourself. Time'll just fly by either way! lol
Rio>just full of great ideas> puppy
I agree...enuf for both :D :D :smilespi:
or the gameboy ....do the slug bug thing, just dont hit him too hard

[FMluvswater]

That sounds good FM, because you aren't driving, you can play with him, that should keep him entertained. Are you allowed to eat on the bus? If so I would bring some snacks. I know you will have a great trip!
:D
I gots plenty of snacks for us and yes we are allowed to eat/drink (except for alcoholic stuff ;) damn) on the bus.
oh, maybe some dramamine in case he gets carsick. Doesn't hurt to take it, we give it to the kids when we travel in the motorhome..... :D
Check and double check!
FM,
VALIUM, lots of it cuz you can either feed it to him OR take it yourself. Time'll just fly by either way! lol
Rio>just full of great ideas> puppy
Valium dramamine same diff ;) :D LOL!

[FMluvswater]

Portable DVD players with a few movies.
We have a 7" screened portable DVD player. I think you can get them nowadays for around $200 to $250 or so. I'm not sure how long the battery will last, but I believe it was for 4 to 5 hours (I remember reading...) so at least 2 movies. If you have access to a cigarette lighter, mine came with a plug in for that power source.
Magnetic checkers. Magnetic chess. Magnetic backgammon. Bingo boards with crazy stuff (windmills, dead cows, etc). Travel trivia. Books. Magazines.
Our 7 year old daughter likes the DVD player.
Does he like Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars? Bring some of them. Our daughter plays with her little plastic horses and Polly Pocket dolls on truck trips. Maybe some army men or something similar for boys?
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
Toby
I love the magnetic board game idea and the dinky cars idea too. :idea2: DVD is not an option for this trip. Maybe I'll encourage him to keep a travel journal (me too) then I can tell about how it all works out when we get back. :)

[FMluvswater]

I have a 7 yr old too, he always brings his game boy and a portable DVD/CD player (ear phones so he's the only one that can hear the sound). My truck has an adapter to plug into near the rear seat, if the bus doesn't, bring lots of extra batteries.
Portable CD player and lotsa extra batteries ... check! :D

[Debbolas]

Go get one of those composition books for like 99cents. He can draw or write in it. We use to buy one for each of our kids for our trips. :D

[FMluvswater]

do the slug bug thing, just dont hit him too hard
I can't believe I forgot about that game! I used to love to play that. :cool: We could probably make up stuff to do for other kinds of cars too.
I knew asking on here was the right thing to do. :D

[riverbound]

The portable DVD is the way to go. I have built in DVD's in both my cars and my 2yr. old will stay quiet the whole trip. Mobile video is the best thing to ever happen to a car. :D One of my buddies flies to viriginia twice a year and he takes his portable player for his daughter to watch. They aslo have headphone plugs so you dont have to hear what he is watching.

[FMluvswater]

Hustler is my choice..just don't let him read the jokes..might corrupt him to soon! :eek:
My son tells me I'm being rude if I happen to cuss in front of him ... don't think he'd like those jokes! ;) :( He might like the pics though :eek: his favorite video is J. Lo's Love Don't Cost A Thing ... the part where she whips off her top ... he got up early one morning and put it in the DVD player and the ex woke up thinking the song was skipping ... his Dad has now hidden the dvd on him. :D

[FMluvswater]

The portable DVD is the way to go. I have built in DVD's in both my cars and my 2yr. old will stay quiet the whole trip. Mobile video is the best thing to ever happen to a car. :D One of my buddies flies to viriginia twice a year and he takes his portable player for his daughter to watch. They aslo have headphone plugs so you dont have to hear what he is watching.
I don't currently have a DVD player portable or otherwise. The ex's DVD player is not portable. From all I'm hearing I need to invest in one ... maybe for Christmas. :)
Thanks for all the suggestions everybody. :cool: I really appreciate it and I will put as much of it to use as I can. :)