Travel with kids isn&apos;t easy. Since airfare is out of this world, many of us are hitting the road for the weekend (though maybe not that far since gas is inching its way towards $5 a gallon). Of course that means loading the kids in the car for a few hours. It doesn&apos;t have to be torture.
A fellow Brooklyn sandbox warrior, David Schoenberger, shared his "DVD Delay Tactics"
1.Rather than permanently introducing your child to the car&apos;s DVD player, bring a PC with DVD as a special once-in-a-while offer.
2.Rather than going straight to the DVD, require the child/children each tell a story or talk about a important issue.
New favorite kiddie tunes:Suzi Shelton, No Ordinary Day. My 3 y.o. is addicted. I dare you to play "Going on Road Trip" and not get it stuck in your head! Want the kids to zonk out? Pop in the mellifluous Putumayo Kids Presents: African Dreamland $13.99. I find it very relaxing (good dinnertime music too) and the melodies are gorgeous and sophisticated. A great addition to the collection.
The folks at Lionsgate and HIT entertainment have made this snowy holiday a lot more fun. Yes, we adore going out in the white stuff, but when mom wants to chill with a cup of tea an her laptop, I’ve been popping in two new DVDs.
First there is Thomas & Friends: Holiday Express. This set came packaged with a Thomas train (can never have enough of those especially on play dates). The actions centered around Sodor and the stories have holiday themes (snowmen, trees, etc.). The second was a bigger hit–Thomas & Friends: Splish, Splash, Splosh!($9.99) again Thomas is on Sodor with Rosie, Percy and all his pals. This series of stories has lovely little messages–(you know…work hard, be a good friend). I got a sneak peak at this one–the official release date is 1/5/10.
Since our girls are 4 and 2, this G-rated entertainment is perfect. I’ve found some of the PG movies a bit scary. We tried to watch UP! last week and it was a disaster–the fire scene got everyone crying. I’m happy to have entertainment that is appropriate for all ages. For free fun, head over to the Thomas the Train website here.