On holiday to France, in three weeks it's time! Really looking forward to it! But also a long car ride... Luckily, I've come up with something to break the boredom: the countdown suitcase. Inside the countdown suitcase are little things like toys, candy, books, etc., that you can give your child every so often. It breaks up the time, giving them something to do and look forward to. They can also actually see how long the trip is left because the presents in the suitcase are gradually decreasing. Do you also think a suitcase like this is a great idea? Below, I'll share what my suitcases will look like and give you some tips for variations.
Contents of the countdown kit:
I need quite a few things, so in this case I went to the cheaper stores like Action. With these kinds of things, it's not so much about quality, but about quantity... right? I also mainly looked at whether it's usable in the car, otherwise it's not much use in the end. For our 5-year-old son , I have a mini fishing game, a window-stick spider, a Playmobil game, slime in a jar, finger toys that shape into a dinosaur, and bouncing putty (and now I just hope it doesn't stick to the ceiling huh?).
For our two-year-old daughter: a wind-up Hello Kitty and a wooden police car puzzle (she loves dolls, but also cars). And then I came across a set at a toy store with an elf in a carriage behind a large snail with an apple-shaped house and furniture... I had to get that, you know. I'm dividing this set into four gifts.
Suitcase and organization:
Depending on your destination, you usually can't be sure the suitcases will stay looking their best, so I wouldn't go for the really fancy, expensive ones. For example, Xenos and Hema have some really nice and affordable suitcases. I really like the Woodland bags, so I went for them. The practical thing about them is that you can fold them, and having two identical bags prevents envious glances.
Thinking positively, we'll be in the car for about nine hours. We'll spread this over two days. I figure the kids will get a present after about every hour of driving. I have six packages, so I'll add three more with treats. A surprise egg, for example, is also a nice idea. I'll label the packages with the numbers 1 through 9, taking the contents into account. Everything goes in the suitcases, and moms will watch over them during the car ride. Otherwise, the fun will be over by the time we're around the corner. I'll hand out the presents after every hour. The oldest can try to remember which number is up, so we can keep track. You can give the last present when you're all settled in.
Tips and variations:
- If you have more than one child and don't want to give each one a suitcase, you can use a different color of wrapping paper for each child and put everything together in a suitcase or a nice bag.
-
I hope you have a fun trip with the help of the countdown kit, and if you have any other ideas, please let me know!
