Good Behavior Trip Prizes

I thought I'd share something we stumbled upon last year for our Colorado Family vacation for those of you that might be attempting a trip with little ones this summer.  They are called

GOOD BEHAVIOR CAR PRIZES!!!

Last year before going on our trip to Colorado - a 12 hour journey with a 3 year old and a 10 month old, I decided to buy them a few surprises before the trip .I wrapped them just like presents.  They got so excited about them.  Max would be good as gold as my mom would say...anything to earn a surprise :)  They were a life saver and were fun for us too. Here is a picture of them last year opening their good behavior prizes from last year's trip.

This week we are getting ready to go to St. Louis for our family vacation.  So what did I do today?  you guessed it....bought and wrapped Good Behavior Car Prizes!!

Some things that have worked for us...

1.  How much to spend?
We buy cheap mostly $1 toys.  Go to Dollar store, or walmart, or target $1 section.  Last year I had one bigger prize.

2. What kind of things do you buy?
Glow in the dark sticks, necklaces, balls, etc - especially if you are traveling into the night.  But they are good for hotel rooms too.  Hot wheels has 97 cent cars you can buy.  This year I bought Max a motorcycle and Alex a truck.  Candy could be a good one or fruit snacks.  A new cup or sippy cup. a new coloring book, etc just be creative. maybe a new action figure or book to read. We have a DVD player in our car so this year I bought them a new movie - they had little rasclas for $5 at Walmart. 

3. When do you give them to the kids?
We normally wait until the kids give us some signs.....like when we have 10 more miles til our exit and they are getting a little stir crazy or want to stop etc etc we will say - ok - if i you are good for 10 more minutes when we get to the exit you can have a surprise!! and that normally works :)
Sometimes they are needed immediately.  For example no song, movie or game is working with entertaining them so you just say - it's time for a good behavior prize, have you been good lately? that sure gets their attention,  and than they open it and it gets their mind off of the trip and they have something new to play with for the next few minutes.  We sometimes use them at gas stations.  We will make the boys get out of the car to stretch and use the restroom.  Poor kids have to walk through all that fun candy and coke to get to the bathroom and they always want something.  Sometimes we say if they are good and go potty the first one back to the car gets to open their travel surprise first.  (you'd be surprised how well this one works). 

They work for us and make traveling in a car so much easier.  this trip they each have 4 prizes and 1 prize to share - and I only spent $13 (since the movie was $5) and I wrapped them in tissue paper we already had.

I just thought I'd share our new discovery of good behaivor car prizes!  They work for us....maybe they could work for you!