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Family Road Trip Tips

Top Tips to Prepare for a Family Road Trip


Ready for a mini-vacation? There's no better and more flexible way to see the wonders cross country than by taking a good old-fashioned road trip. Of course long car journeys with kids can be challenging,but they don’t need to be!Here are the top ways to beat backseat boredom and prepare yourself and your children for a stress-free family road trip.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Family Road Trip Tips


Make Plans in Advance
Start your family road trip preparation off right by making your vacation plans well in advance. This includes things like planning your route, downloading maps for the area you’re visiting, and booking your accommodations. This will help to make your trip as organized and as hassle-free as possible. If you need to rent a car for your road trip, be sure to look around for the best deal and book well in advance to get the best rates. Click here to find some great deals on car rentals.

Ensure Safety and Comfort
No one wants to have an uncomfortable, cranky kid on a long car ride. When kids sit in a car for hours, it’s important that they are comfortable, safe, and also have good head support. Make sure that kids are safely buckled in a car seat, booster seat or seat belt for the duration of the trip. To make the journey more comfortable for your kids, bring along a neck pillow and their favorite blanket or stuffed toy.

Plan Lots of Stops
Before hitting the road, be sure to map out your journey. Plug your destination into your smartphone’s map or a mapping website to get a realistic idea of how long your road trip will take. This will also allow you to plan some fun stops along the way. Make sure that you schedule a stop every few hours so the kids can get some fresh air and you can stretch your legs. Bring along a Frisbee or ball, in case you can’t find a playground or other entertainment, at least, you'll be able to toss them around in a parking lot.

Bring Plenty of Snacks
Keep your kids happy when traveling by providing lots of snacks. Things like whole grain crackers, sliced fruit, individually wrapped cheeses, and cereal bars all make excellent road trip snacks. Pack these in separate containers and give them out throughout the trip to keep the kids busy. Packing some snacks for the trip will also save you money as you won’t be at the mercy of whatever roadside food stops have available.

With kids snacking onboard, spills and crumbs are unavoidable. The dirt and grime may damage your car’s original upholstery. This ruins your vehicle’s overall aesthetic and lowers your car’s resale value. A great solution is to install a custom-fit car seat cover to protect your leather seats from stains, fading, and scratches.

Arrange In-Car Entertainment
Make sure you arrange some entertainment to keep kids occupied on long trips. You can download audio-books and films to watch on an iPad, pack chalkboards and activity books, or plan road trip games to keep kids entertained on the journey. According to Tripsavvy, there are several mobile games and apps that provide hours of entertainment on the road. Check out Road Trip Travel Games on the Google Play store for plenty of classic road trip family activities.

Family road trips don’t have to be stressful. In fact, with a little preparation and planning, your next journey could even end up being the best part of your vacation! Follow these tips to have a fun and stress-free family road trip.

Do you have family road trip tips? In the comments,tell us what has worked for you.

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Looking for 1 Year Old Birthday Gifts?


Best Toys and Gift Ideas for 1 Year Old Girls




Have a one year old baby's birthday coming up? So, what are the best toys and gifts for a one year old? Nothing feels better than watching your baby girl grow. You want to be there when she makes her first step, and you want to be the first one to hear her alter her first word. These moments are magical. Believe me, it gets even more exciting when she turns a year old. It's her first birthday and it's normal to feel super excited and overwhelmed. How do you make it special and unforgettable? Other than holding a birthday party and inviting all your friends and their kids to celebrate, getting the perfect gift is the best way to ensure that your baby girl never forgets the day.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.


Best Toys and Gift Ideas for 1 Year Old Girls


But wait! Which is the best gift for a one-year-old girl? A toy is the best catch here. You want the best for your daughter, something that she will like and even if you were to keep it and show it to her when she is already all grown up, she would have the same smile she had when you first showed the toy to her when she was one year old.


What to get a 1 year old girl on their Birthday? 

Choosing such a toy can be a daunting task. This article aims to make the work easy for you by outlining a list of the best gifts and toys for a one year old girls.

A VTech pull and sing puppy

Kids love puppies, and they find them to be the cutest thing, and it gets even better when puppies and toddlers are combined. Not all girls are into barking, taking dogs for walks and having a pooping pooch. You do not have to get a real puppy to match the experience for your baby girl. If she loves puppies, a VTech pull and sing puppy is an excellent choice.


Gift Ideas for 1 year old birthday baby


The little guy can do tricks and other stuff that real dogs can do and more. He can sing, teach numbers, body parts and colors as the baby pulls him around his leash. It comes with over 50 songs and melodies to keep the kid entertained, and she will never get bored even if you were to leave her alone as you do chores around the house. You, however, need to include a battery.


Baby Einstein take along tunes

Kids are sensory. Its smell and touch alone are enough to make the baby glued to the creature as she tries to figure out how the machine can respond to her queries. If your kid is already a young jammer trying to get her tune in line, this toy will do her good. It's a kind of jukebox that switches between a total of seven melodies.

What's more? It lights up as it sings. It also comes with a volume control button and two AA batteries. It's a perfect toy for small hands, and your kid will not struggle as she plays with it. Even better; it is made of a soft polypropylene surface which makes it safe for children. The color and design are cute, so it does not scare the baby away.


Fisher Price brilliant basics first doll

Girls love trying to play-pretend at this age, and a baby doll is a perfect gift to help foster her imagination. She can tote the doll around as she tries to learn new words and understand different body parts like the mouth, legs, hands, and eyes. Dolls are soft and cuddly which makes it ideal for helping the baby in social recognition and giving them a sense of comfort when playing with it. She will carry the doll where she goes which is also a way of learning a sense of possession.


Fisher-price Baby’s first Blocks playlist

Your child will have a blast with this gift set on her birthday. It features two Fisher-Price toys a baby’s first block and a rock-a-stack. What she has to do is sort them for fun, which is a perfect way to keep baby busy and put her mind at work.


Best Toys for 1 year old child


Such toys help develop problem skills too. The toy is meant to prepare kids for preschool through mental development. Grasping, sorting, and stocking the blocks is a fun way for your baby to stay happy as she explores. It will teach her a sense of discovery as she tries to see what happens after all the rings are sorted and stacked.


LeapFrog count and crawl number Kitty

Get your child on the move on many skills with this unique, cute kitty. The doll is designed to enhance a great push and play experience for little ones, keeping them busy and offering them a positive way of having fun. It comes with keys, that when pressed, make the cat start counting in a rhythm. How exciting is that? That's not all.

There are also music mode keys that command the cat to play meows in low and high modes as she makes silly sounds. Pushing the kitty makes her produce fun counting songs that your baby girl will want to listen to the whole day. The kitty can sit, bat, scoot, and crawl. This toy is a perfect way of nurturing mental development and balance in your baby as she explores and counts numbers one to twenty and learns new music. It comes in beautiful colors to keep your baby's attention.

The choices are endless, and these are only a few of the best and highly reviewed toys. The best part is that they are all durable and you can keep them and show them to your baby girl when she is all grown up.


How do you choose a good toy for a one year old?



You shouldn't choose the first toy that comes when conducting an online searches in sites. Let's take look at what should inform your purchase of a one year old's gift. 


Considerations when buying a present for a one year-old girl

Safety – some toys are just not safe for babies and they even come with a safety warning signs. You will realize that some of them have been written to explain that they aren't recommended for kids under the age of five. This is probably because the toy has some aspects that could compromise the baby’s safety. Kids at this age love putting things in their mouth and you have to ensure that what you get cannot choke your baby. Also, make sure that the toy is non-toxic and doesn't have sharp edges.


1 year old birthday gift ideas


Go for educational toys – it shouldn't be all about play and fun. The child should be able to learn something when interacting with the toy. This is the developmental stage, and therefore, the toy should at least sharpen her mental development, communication skills, and cognitive capacity. Your baby will probably be spending most of her time with the toy, and therefore, it should be in a position to help her learn.


The toy should enhance coordination – it's around this time of her life that a baby girl will be learning how to roll over and pull up as she tries to take her first step. Choose a toy that can help her enhance her motor skills and coordination as she starts to stand and walk. Keeping baby's hands and legs busy improves her strength too.


Color and material – these are also aspects to keep in mind. You want something that will attract a baby girl and you should choose brightly colored toys over the dull ones. Pink, blue, yellow, red, and white are the most recommended colors for girls. The material takes you back to safety. Choose something soft but durable.



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Baby Articles for New Moms from Kids Creative Chaos

Best Selling Toys for One Year Old Girls

Gift Ideas for Girls





ECE Continuing Education Online


Where do you go to get Early Childhood Education Training Online?


As a childcare provider, early education teacher, and summer camp director, I know how important continuing education and professional development is to childcare programs. There’s always something new to learn, new milestones to meet, and new knowledge to obtain. As an owner/operator of a school-age summer camp program, I want my staff to have a wide range of childhood development knowledge. Obtaining certification in early childhood education can improve your earning potential in the childcare profession.

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.



Where do you go to get Early Childhood Education Training Online?




Personally, I’ve taken many courses online and offline receiving certificates and credits toward my ECE (Early Childhood Education Certification.) ChildCare Education Institute offers certificate programs and coursework that meets the requirement for national credentials including the CDA. CCEI also has online certification programs for Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition CDA Gold Standard™ comprehensive training provider, is nationally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and is accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

I recently was given the opportunity to enroll in some of their courses in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Many early childhood and school age programs require a certain number of continuing education courses each year. The courses are also a great resume builder for anyone who wants to become a professional child care provider.

As a homeschool mom, education blogger, and summer camp provider,  I want to keep up on the latest information in child care. So, when CCEI asked me to do a review, I jumped at the chance to look through the course offerings and take and earn a certificate.  

I’ve completed my certificate for Attention Deficit Disorders by taking this course: Attention Deficit Disorders: Course ID: SPN102 Course Level: Beginner Course Hours: 1

I’ve had some prior course work and even written about ADD and ADHD on my blog and on other education websites. However, this course was very informative, I even discovered some new methods for dealing with behavior problems.

The course took about an hour to complete and came with a printable study guide handout. At the end of the course, I took an exam and earned a course certificate which will fulfill continuing education needs.

It was easy to navigate through the CCEI course. As I was taking the class, I was able to scroll forward or backward as needed. At the end of the class, you’re given several questions for review before allowed taking the final exam. The review is designed to help you prep for the test.


With my prior experience, I knew many of the answers already, but there were a couple that I missed. When you miss a review question, the program takes you back to the place in the lesson where the information can be reviewed again before the test.



ECE Continuing Education ADHD



If you score poorly on the exam, you are allowed to take it again. So, there’s no need to be nervous. Earning your certificate online is easy and won’t take up too much of your time. With most courses taking about an hour, you can easily fit them into your busy schedule.

As a participant in the CDA Gold Standard℠ pilot, ChildCare Education Institute successfully demonstrated that its early childhood education training is based on the Council’s three industry-leading principles:
  • Alignment with the CDA formal education coursework found in the CDA’s Eight Subject Areas.
  • Sound business policies and practices.
  • Quality student services that meet their educational and professional needs.



CCEI currently offers a general Child Care Orientation Certificate, a Diversity and Multiculturalism Certificate, and a CCDBG Health & Safety Training for ECE Professionals in Nevada Certificate. CCEI’s Professional Development program acceptance varies with each state, so be sure that you know your organization and state’s requirements before signing up.  Click here for more information.
ECE online course offerings. Classes in Early Childhood Education

As an added bonus to CCEI’s over 150+ online PD courses in English & Spanish, if you purchase a center-based annual subscription for your staff, you’ll have access to over 10,000 unique activities like the sampling above to implement in the classroom.  An extra perk of learning with CCEI over others!

CCEI offers a wide array of courses for ECE staff and caregivers. I encourage anyone working with children to get their continuing education with CCEI. CCEI is convenient and easy to navigate, there are a wide array of classes, they offer classroom curriculum, and most classes take about an hour. If you’re a daycare operator, you’ll definitely want to take a look at the courses to implement continuing education for your staff.

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Popular Preschool Activities from Kids Creative Chaos.

What to do at Purdue West Lafayette IN with Kids: 30 Things

Visiting Purdue: 30 Things to do Lafayette Area


If you're planning a road trip to West Lafayette, Indiana, you will find lots of family things to do with the kids. Visiting Lafayette, West Lafayette, and Purdue University is a great field trip idea and can get your kids excited about attending college. So, what's to do at Purdue in West Lafayette with the kids? If you haven't been to West Lafayette in awhile, you're in for a big surprise. The growth is incredible! My kids especially liked the bananas (once you visit, you'll know what I mean.) Keep reading for our 30 best things to do family activities and road trip ideas.


What to do at Purdue in West Lafayette with Kids: 30 Things


In Lafayette you can tour North America's only Subaru Factory. This factory tour takes 1-1.5 hrs. It is completely free and worth every penny. :) Even our Mayhem enjoyed the tour. Asthmatics may want to wear a mask or keep their inhalers handy. Some parts of the tour are smellier than others. Outside of the entrance the paint fumes are strong and inside the factory the die section had some fumes. Overall, it is an incredibly clean factory with an amazing safety record (just like their cars.) For homeschoolers, it is a great way to learn about all of the possible positions you can learn to do within the automotive industry. Purdue University even has a hub there. We toured on a Monday. Keep in mind, that while Monday is a great day for the tour, many other things to do in Lafayette our closed on Mondays. Plan accordingly. 5500 Indiana 38, Lafayette, IN 47905

Note: Cameras and Phones are not allowed on the tour.

Subaru Factory Tour: Micah Wright/Autos Cheat Sheet

Explore STEM at the Imagination Station hands-on science museum. (Closed Mondays, Open Tuesday- Sunday) Check the website for hours of operation, they are only open a few hours per day. Weekdays = 2-5 p.m. Tickets are only $5 per person. 600 N 4th St, Lafayette, IN 47901

McCord Candies offers an old-fashioned soda and sandwich shop. In November and December, you can tour the candy shop as they make candy canes. Be sure to try the chocolates! Closed on Sundays. 536 Main St. Lafayette, IN 47901

Triple XXX Family Restaurant or Route 66? Both restaurants are owned and operated by the same people. Which should you choose? It depends on what you want to accomplish. For nostalgia and atmosphere, Triple XXX is best! Don't let the name discourage you. Triple XXX is their specialty brand of root beer. They tout themselves as Indiana's first and oldest drive-in family restaurant. From what I can tell, it's no longer a drive-in. Even Guy Fieri stopped by, check it out on their website. Expect to be packed in like sardines (with lots of college students and retirees) and wait outside for a seat to become available. For the true diner experience, this one can't be beat. A super important note, as of 2018, they are CASH ONLY- yikes. They do have an ATM inside the restaurant. As for Route 66, they are off the beat and path, not nearly as busy, and have plenty of parking. Shakes are a little pricey, but hey everything is handmade. They even hand cut and grind the steakburgers. 2 N. Salisbury, West Lafayette, IN



Triple XXX Family Restaurant West Lafayette


Columbian Park Zoo Lafayette this cute little zoo is part of Columbian Park, where you'll also find play ground equipment, picnic areas, and a small water park. Tropicanoe Cove opens the end of May. The zoo opens mid to late April. The zoo includes a farm animal petting zoo. 1915 Scott Street Lafayette, IN 47904




Museums at Prophetstown Learn about 1920's farm life at Prophetstown. Prophetstown is named for Tecumseh's younger brother the prophet, Tenskwatawa. What was once a Shawnee Native American village is now a state park5545 Swisher Road West Lafayette, IN 47906

Just outside of Lafayette, don't miss Battle Ground, home of the Tippecanoe Battlefield Museum.  It marks the site of the November 7, 1811, Battle of Tippecanoe between the United States’ forces, led by William Henry Harrison, and representatives of Tecumseh’s Native American confederation. This one is closed on Wednesdays. 200 Battle Ground Avenue, Battle Ground IN 47920

Fort Ouiatenon Trading Post and the Feast of the Hunter's Moon, seasonal, fall. 
3129 South River Rd, West Lafayette, IN 47906 

Battle Ground Wolf Park  see a wide variety of wolves, coyotes, and foxes. Winter season through April 30, closed Sunday through Friday. Open season starts May 1, closed Mondays. Read our review Visit Wolf Park, Battle Ground. 4004 E 800 N Battle Ground, IN 47920

Relive the Battle of 1812 in Mississinewa. This is a great immersion history program. See battle reenactments, military encampments, rivertown, Indian village, food and more. Fun for the whole family. One weekend a year. Check the map for location. 6000 N. 300 W 27, LaFontaine, IN 46940

This one is in nearby Delphi, Indiana. Wabash and Erie Canal Museum includes canal boat rides. Closed Mondays, and winter months. 1030 W Washington St. Delphi, IN 46923

While on Campus, there are many things to do with kids (Triple XXX Restaurant is near campus.)

The Purdue Bug Bowl is in mid April. This is a fun event that offers tons of insect activities, like cricket spitting and an insect petting zoo. Bug Bowl is part of the Purdue Spring Fest.

Purdue Family Fun Day is in March in the Union Ballrooms.


Purdue Convocations are open to the public. Get tickets (some events are free) to a music concert, a musical, or a lecture. Not sure it is family friendly enough? You can catch shows like Curious George: The Golden Meatball. Click here to see the Purdue schedule of events


Got a future Boilermaker? Check out this list of Purdue Summer Camp opportunities. Warning: These are pricey! In July, they also offer a free one day engineering camp for girls.

Purdue Grand Prix go kart race. Click here to see the Grand Prix schedule of events.
West Lafayette, IN

There's always something cool going on at the West Lafayette Public Library: Kids Activities.

Get Air Trampoline Park 3540 State Road 38 East, Suite 400, Lafayette, IN

Elite Air Trampoline Park 3832 Fortune Dr Lafayette, IN 47905

Riverside Ice Sating Rink 100 Tapawingo Dr N West Lafayette, IN 47906

Mike Auby's Arrowhead Bowling includes Cosmic Bowling and an Arcade. Lafayette, IN

Market Square Lanes includes Cosmic Bowling Jerilee's Pub. Lafayette, IN (close to West Lafayette)

Landmark Lanes includes Cosmic Bowling and Roddy's Sports Bar. (closer to West Lafayette)

Puccini's Pizza and Pasta 300 Brown Street, West Lafayette, IN

Dog N' Suds Drive In 401 Sagamore Pkwy, West Lafayette, IN

Mary Lou's Donuts 1830 S 4th St, Lafayette, IN 47905 (Catch the food truck on campus.)