Dear Diary.

Every parent traveling with children probably heard the question, Are we there yet? To keep kids busy on long road trips you have to get a bit creative. Sometimes toys, cartoons and coloring books don’t keep children’s attention for long. Here are five ways to entertain a toddler during holiday road trip.

1. Peek-a-Moo: Despite the falling temps, my daughter and I visit the zoo regularly. We talk about the different animals and mimic the silly sounds. When we’re not at the popular attraction, we play pretend and make up a game called Peek-a-Moo. It’s pretty simple. Just swap out the traditional game Peek-a-Boo and replace the ending with an animal sound. We cover our eyes and call out, Peek-a-Baaa, Peek-a-Squeak, Peak-a-Roar and much more.

2. Story Time Tag: Often, I must sit on my suitcase to zip it shut, so I can’t pack all of my daughter’s favorite books. Thankfully, we typically travel with my nephews, and they keep my child entertained by telling her stories. Like the game of tag, we take turns telling the tale, and then tag someone to take over. We ask questions to their younger kids, allowing them the opportunity to be a full participant.

Click here for more fun, family activities.

About The Author

Vlog Mom/DFTM Creator

Not long ago, Heather Hopson hosted a television show in the Cayman Islands. Today, she's back home writing a different kind of story as a new mom. In her 15 years working as a professional journalist, this by far is her best assignment! Growing up, she dreamed of becoming Oprah Winfrey. She was the features editor for her school’s newspaper and a teen talk show host for her city’s most popular radio station. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Michigan State University. After graduation, she worked as a television producer and reporter at CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates throughout the U.S. Instead of heading to Chicago to join Ms. Winfrey on her set, she bought a plane ticket to the Cayman Islands instead. She arrived five days before a category five hurricane! She lived in paradise for seven years, hosted an award-winning television show and traveled the globe with a government delegation. She also served on the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters and spearheaded a Send a Kid to Camp campaign. Then, she relocated to Washington, D.C. to obtain a teaching certification and instruct 8th grade reading at a high needs middle school. She later returned to her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA to raise her daughter Caitlynn, now 4-years-old. During her 10-month-stint as a stay-at-home mom, Caitlynn inspired her to create this blog, and Diary of a First Time Mom was born on Mother’s Day 2012. Two years later, she expanded the family to include 20+ writers. Currently, Heather serves as the communications director at Allies for Children. In addition, she is the owner of Motor Mouth Multimedia, which ranked #49 in Startup Nation’s Home-Based 100 Competition sponsored by Discover Card and Sam’s Club. Recently, The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments selected Heather to receive an Emerging Black Artist award to develop Diary of a First Time Mom.

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