We're going on a 5 hr road trip this weekend with my twin 14 month olds. I was thinking about picking up a couple magnadoodles for the ride, but I'm not sure if they're old enough to be very interested in them. Ideally the magnadoodle would keep their attention for a while so I don't have to sit between their car seats in the back the entire way. Am I delusional to think a 14 month old will be interested enough in the magnadoodle to play independently for a while? When did your LO get into the magnadoodle?
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We have one and DD started playing with it around 15 months? But really, it only lasts for about 5 minutes.
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We just gave our 15 month old one yesterday and she loved it! She's already really into drawing so I knew it'd be a hit (and way less messy!!)
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@lamariniere: I guess 5 minutes is better than nothing? Ha!
@nana87: My LOs like "drawing" (scribbling) too, so I think they would hypothetically like it. Or they will throw it immediately and I'll have to climb into the backseat to fetch it. Ha!
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I got the B. Toys version of the magna doodle at target the other day for our road trip for this weekend. I haven't given it to her yet, but one restaurant we went to had some for the kids and she enjoyed it there, so I'm crossing my fingers that she'll like it! She's 17 months and she loathes the car with a fiery passion. I'm hoping a ton of new toys and books will quell her temper.
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@twodoghouse: i think i bought a small, travel version when LO1 was...9 months and we had a couple flights coming up. it did entertain her pretty well around 1-1.5, but she got more into it around...2 or so?
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@abbydabbydoodlebug: Good luck with the car ride this weekend! I hope it helps a little!
@KayKay: I hope even if they aren't into it now, at least they'll grow into it at some point! I loved my magnadoodle and etchasketch when I was a kid!
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I bought a travel one for a trip we took LO on when she was 15 months - it was ok, she played with it for a few minutes. She likes it a lot more now at 20 months.
What really worked for me at that age was a variety of little toys that I packed in plastic eggs and I put those in a buckle toy bag that I got. At that age LO really liked putting things into and taking things out of bags and she liked opening the eggs.
And when all else failed - snacks. Lots and lots of snacks. I bought some take n toss snack containers and filled them with not too messy snacks like cut up grapes and Cheerios.
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We got one for our 5 hours trip at 18 months. She loved it. Played with it for 2+ hours straight. The way home she wasn't as into it since it wasn't new.
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C will spend a lot more time requesting that I dare something than playing with it herself- which doesn't really help in the car. But I would say around a year and a half is when she started liking it in general. She also likes sticking the magnet pen in her mouth a lot, which I really don't like especially in the car.
I agree that snacks are always good. I like to do a snack catcher with small items, like Cheerios and raisins, that she can't choke on and won't make too much mess, plus are very slow to eat one by one. If you haven't fed them in the car before, make sure to bring lots of paper towels and plastic bags just in case it upsets their stomachs
Good luck. I've done a five hour drive just me and C a few times and it has almost always gone better than I expected. It's really the last hour or so when she is just over it.
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Mine is 21 months and has never really gotten into it. We got it for a trip at 16 months but it bombed. Anything that has to do with art or drawing only holds her attention for like a minute though, so I think it depends on the kid.
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I picked up a cheap little on at Target before our recent vacation (multiple plane rides plus a 6 hour road trip). My LO was 13 months old and we played with it a little bit first so she could learn how to do it. Not only did she enjoy drawing on it, but it seemed to help her fine motor skills.
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My LO is 2 and he likes his but only outside of the car, for some reason in the car he wasn't interested. We love the melissa and doug water wow. It's a pad with 4 different pictures/scenes that when you apply water from the little refillable brush, the colors appear and then it turns white again as it dries. It's a small enough pad, so easy to hold in a carseat and it won't make a mess.
http://www.melissaanddoug.com/water-wow-travel-books-vehicles
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My son loved it at around 15 months of age, he was really into the magnets that you stamp...but I was always right there in case he decided to put them in his mouth. The stylus was difficult for him to grasp, and he had excellent fine motor skills.
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Yes, good for both 15 month olds and 3 year olds! We have two and switching those out with random remote controls, little people toys, cars, and board books worked like a charm until he fell asleep during our Yellowstone trip (40+ hours in a car over 10 days)
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I bought one for my 14mo LO and gave it to him today at an audiology appt. but the doctor had an iPad for him to play with so of course he didn't want mama's toy!
I'm glad to hear other LOs like it at that age & I will try again.
@twodoghouse: good luck with the road trip!
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