It is tough to admit that summer is winding down, but the school calendar does not lie. Some of us, however, are clinging to summer tooth and nail and still have a road trip or two left in us. If your travels include a kid in the backseat, and you are handy with the needle and thread, here is a project you may want to tackle before the rubber hits the road.
Jacinda at Prudent Baby may have created the perfect travel companion for little backseat passengers. Her Travel Lap Tray has it all--a flat magnetic surface for crafts and snacks, pockets to hold books and supplies, and even a pillow built in for naps. Plus, it folds up into a slick shoulder bag that kids can easily carry themselves.
This project requires what appears to be some significant sewing machine skills, at least to this untrained eye. But I know a clear and well-written tutorial when I see one, and Jacinda has that part covered hands down.
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(Images: Prudent Baby)
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This is A-doreable & would be an awesome gift. Since I don't sew, my cheater version was to bond the velcro to the pillow & tray, corral the entertainment in an oversized ziplock & slip it inside the pillowcase. Can't hold a candle to the cuteness factor here but it's functional & usually lives in the van. It was definitely a sanity-saver when we helped move the kids + 3 cross country couple yrs ago. Sendin this link to dd who does sew. Love.,it.
LAZY PERSON VERSION: pack a cookie sheet and a pillow and some coloring books in a tote bag. DONE.
That said, this is way cute, and there is a lot to be said for having special things that only get used on road trips. My grandma made me a special basket full of sticker books and so forth and I loved it.
Just a note: all the unsecured objects on that travel table are projectiles in the case of an accident. It's cute, but the less movable objects in the passenger compartment, the safer the ride.
I agree DULUTHGIRL. Sorry to be such a downer, but my that was my first thought when I saw this too.
I trust you two secure your cell phones, purses, backpacks or briefcases, etc in the trunk before turning the ignition. And heaven forbid, traveling home from the grocery store with bags tossed in the back seat. Horrors! I wonder if you have kids and have ever taken an extended road trip with them. Distraction at the wheel is at least as dangerous as possible airborn projectiles. Keeping little ones occupied/happy lends much to a peaceful and SAFE trip.It's all about balance and weighing the pros & the cons. Perhaps might consider this in the future before tagging yourselves as "Debbie Downer's".
Safety is surely important and of utmost concern esp to parents of wee ones. That said, it's incredibly sad to see some walk through life motiviated by fear. All the *what-if's* must make your lives miserable.