When I finally decided that I could take a day trip three hours from home I started looking for road trip ideas for my 21 month old toddler. I thought the
cookie sheet activity tray was brilliant. Then I found this plastic
activity tray idea- a tray hot glued to a pillowcase. So, not having time to check the dollar tree for a cheap cookie sheet, I decided to use my crusty, thirteen year old cookie sheet that I want to replace anyway.
I learned the hard way that it works best to hot glue a section at a time and lay the pillow case over as you go. Turns out that hot gluing the entire tray and then flipping it over in the air to the pillowcase behind you is not the best way to go.
I put a bunch of Melissa and Doug magnets in a zipper bag and when the novelty of the zipper bag wore off she thoroughly enjoyed the magnetic tray. We also tried coloring, but my little darling is still rear-facing so the coloring on the tray didn't go as well because her seat leans too far back.
The tray occupied her for the better part of an hour which is a big deal for the parental ears and nerves! Videos, new books, dolls, a few new cheap toys, stickers, and her favorite snacks and we did pretty good. Daddy had to ride in the back for the last half of the ride back.
(Photos taken of rear-facing toddler in moving car with phone camera at end of stretched out arm from front seat.)
