Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Trip Planning

I just lost this whole post. Very, very angry. I will try to re-write, and re-link. But grrrrrr.

2 weeks until our trip! Once we get there, I'm not worried about entertaining the kids. We are going to be on the go for the 2 full days that we are there! The train ride, on the other hand.... that is 7 hours (x 2) that could go horribly wrong. I know plenty of your out there have done trips like this, and I want to tell you my plans and see if they are approved by my internet buddies.


For entertainment on the train, my plan is to let the kids fill up their little backbacks (Maggie has this one, Cam has this one) with a few toys, their blankies, and one stuffed animal. I've gotten a bunch of great ideas from other moms (laminate a piece of paper with things to look for out the window of the train and let them mark them off with a wipe off marker when then find them, sticker books, etc) but I see those as things that will entertain for 10 minutes and them I'm left with carrying them around. My goal is the least amount of stuff, the better.

My plan? Be that mom that entertains with screen time. My secret weapons will be a portable DVD player with two screens, headphones for each kid, and iPod touches for each (aka our old Iphones). And pray that I can wean them off using them by explaining they are just for the train... after I get home, with Aaron's help!

I researched a bunch of apps for the iPhone - and here is my list of favorites - starting with the most favorites. Most of these are apps you have to pay for, which I did on purpose. I find the ones with ads have the kids handing me back the phones to 'fix' after they've clicked on an ad. Trying to avoid that at all costs.


  • Preschool Monkey Lunchbox. By far the best designed app. Shape matching, color games, counting - and it moves the kids through instead of needing them to 'restart' the game. Cam played with this for 45 minutes this morning while I got ready for work.

  • Alien Buddies. Cute animation, fun games.

  • Interactive Alphabet - good for both kids

  • Wheels on the bus - come with high recommendations and I see why! Fun to play with, both kids liked it

  • Peekaboo barn - Maggie LOVED this one. Again, Mama, again!

  • I hear Ewe - just a noisemaker app, but they both loved it.

  • Up with a fish! You catch things on the Cat in The Hat's head, by tilting the phone. Cam loved it.

  • Preschool Adventure Island. No one tried this one yet - but looks like fun

  • Magic Piano - seems a bit advanced for my kids - but I tried it and it is fun.

  • Shape Puzzle. Haven't tried, but looks fun

  • MRUN Junior. Makes fun pictures, but I can't figure out how to get to the menu screen once you make a picture, which is annoying

  • My Very First App - Based on Eric Carl's art - you pay for the app and get 2 games, and then the other 3 games are .99 each. It doesn't appear to me that the purchase goes up to the cloud, as I synced the iTouches and they didn't get them. Which pisses me off.

I also got a bunch of interactive Dr Seuss books - they are on sale this week (probably because of his birthday?) and Cam LOVES 'reading' those.


Any apps you guys love? I think I need some more Maggie apps.

8 comments:

Serenity said...

Lucky loves the iPhone4Kids app. I downloaded the full version, but the free version is okay too, especially for a smaller one.

We also got this annoying spongebob app when he was little that he LOVED - was just spongebob dancing and talking and you could make bubbles or make him laugh by poking him. You'd think that he would have gotten tired of it, but he never did.

He also liked the Coloring/Paint apps - I can't remember the name of them but if you search Paint, you should come up with a couple. Given that Maggie loves her painting, might keep her occupied for a bit!

Heather said...

We have only done apps for my older daughter so far, but I thank you for this list! We do have some travel coming up and I will need things to keep the two year old occupied.

The apps my 7 year old loves are Stack the States, Piano Tutor and Math Bingo for education; and Fruit Ninja, Temple Run and some Snowboarding game for fun.

HereWeGoAJen said...

The Sandra Boynton apps are great. We also like I See Ewe, which is the paid version. And there is Counting with the Very Hungry Caterpillar. I also have one called Doodle Buddy or something that Elizabeth loves because you can color. That one was free I think, but I don't think she's ever gotten stuck in the ads.

Grade A said...

great suggestions!

We also like splish splash inn, monster at the end of this book, vola friends and starfall abc's

Thanks again,
Magsy

Grade A said...
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Grade A said...
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Grade A said...
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Anonymous said...

I do remember! I think that is about when I started reading your blog. You also got a cold, right around the time of your positive beta, and I was so new to TTC that I was worried it might affect your pregnancy! Oh how little I knew. Yay CAM!