Travel worthy "I Spy" games to battle the insanity of traveling w/kids

Being recent East Bay transplants via Los Angeles we find ourselves making tons of road trips down south to visit our dearly missed friends and relatives. With our two kids in tow for the long (boring) haul up the good ol' 5 freeway it's really easy to fall into the electronic trap. And although those special battery operated devices are a necessity...Namely when we're at the end of our trip (and wits), stuck on the 405 fwy with two very exhausted mini-travelers who have to pee and have had it with being stuck in a car for what has turned into an 8 hour trip from hell...I'm always on the look out for other travel-friendly ideas to tuck into their backpacks to keep them from zoning out the entire trip.

That's why I'm loving this idea for making travel distraction games from Rebecca of This Present Life. In her tutorial she shows us how to whip up "I Spy" books and bean bags. Both are super simple and cheap (the books she made for a mere 2 bucks) and sure to be a travel must-have.

"I Spy" just so happens to be one of our favorite road trip games. The I Spy books are great too but because of their popularity they are hard to come by at the public library and they also tend to be kind of pricey. Their large size also make them hard for toddlers to look at from their space constricting car seats. Make a few bags and books and hit the road (and not your head on the dashboard).

(via Prudent Baby)