Budgets are tight when family vacations come up. Here’s 5 free ways to entertain your toddler to help your budget stretch farther and make your car trip smoother!
1. Puppet fun. Draw on your hands to make little puppets. Demonstrate to your child how to make her hand talk and sing or have an older sibling teach or a puppet show. Check out “Puppets and 5 Traveling Tips” for more ideas.
2. Listen to music and sing it, LOUD! Make sure your toddler is learning those classic songs and fingerplays as well as some of your favorite radio songs. For more ideas on great traveling music, see these other posts: Dancing and Singing Along, Together, Making Your Own Fun, and My Own Special Music.
3. Print an activity binder. Use this site’s free printable page for sites with fantastic printables to help provide coloring pages, games, and puzzles.
4. Create your own bubbles! Take an empty water bottle from the trip, fill it with water and soap. Seal it VERY TIGHTLY and shake! Demonstrate to your child how to make more bubbles. For added safety, use duct tape to seal it even better.
5. Make use of audio books. Libraries have great selections! Look also at free podcasts if you already own a smart phone or ipod.
Question: What other free things have you found to entertain your kids?
