DIY Dry Erase Activity Book for Toddlers + Preschoolers (+ Older Kids Too!)

I was just refreshing the little books and toys we keep in our car, when I realized I had never shared about this Dry Erase Activity Book I made for our first kid years ago (and now our youngest uses it). It was incredibly easy to make and tailor to each child with what stage they were at/needed to work on. Here’s the super easy how-to, hopefully it will inspire you to make one yourself! | This post contains affiliate links |

Materials

• Mini 3-Ring Binder (5 1/2" x 8 1/2" Binder)
• Mini Sheet Protectors
• Mini Binder Pouch
• Low Odor Dry Erase Markers
• Computer Paper

How-To:

Really the how-to could not be easier! All you have to do is cut the computer paper in half to make it the correct size to fit in the sheet protectors, and then create your worksheets however you would like. I used dots for the kids to trace as well as made some free-draw pages and pages for them to practice writing out their whole names. In the pocket we keep a dry erase marker and some folded up paper towels to wipe the pages when they’re done.

We love this as a car toy and activity to do while the oldest is doing soccer practice, etc. And as your child grows you can update the pages with anything - math problems, maps to label, spelling practice, etc. Have fun tailoring it your kids and their age groups - we love that this can grow with our kids.

Page Ideas (for both young kids and older kids):

• tracing shapes

• tracing letters (uppercase and lowercase)

• tracing numbers

• writing name (all uppercase as well as with lowercase)

• free draw pages

• matching

• math problems

• spelling practice

• labeling maps

• labeling planets

• draw features (eyes, hair, etc) on a blank face

• draw details on a landscape photo

• come up with your own - the possibilities are endless!

This Car Seat Organizer where our DIY Dry Erase Activity Book lives (along with other various car toys/books).

How We Keep Our Family Car Organized

When you have kids, the chaos of their stuff seems to follow you everywhere - including into your car. I accept that our cars will never be pristine (dirt, crumbs, and dog hair will always be present), but I make sure that despite that we have a simple system to keep our things organized and to make sure we always have our essentials at hand. | This post contains affiliate links |

Disclaimer: Use organizers and other items at own risk. Make sure they are properly installed and compatible with your vehicle.

Keeping Toys in Check

I got tired of loose books and small toys spilling all over the back seat and the floor, so I got a backseat organizer to corral the kids’ items and keep them within easy reach for long car rides. In the organizer we always have some small books, an electronic kids toy, and some puzzles like a Rubik's Cube, as well as sunglasses for each kid in the small pockets in the front. I like this organizer because it fits between the car seats and can also buckle in so it doesn't slide around. (Side note: Where's Waldo has become a favorite car read and keeps the kids entertained for a long time.)

Trunk Organizer

With young kids we always carry supplies like a first aid kit, full change of clothing for each child, trash bags for wet/dirty clothes, extra towel and blanket, etc. For awhile all those items lived in a diaper bag in the trunk, but we are past the diaper stage now and it was time to retire the diaper bag and upgrade to something sleeker and space-saving. I am really loving this sturdy SUV trunk organizer for keeping everything hidden but still within reach.

The Infamous Car Potty

If you know, you know… With small kids traveling with a potty is a must, even for awhile once they’re past potty training age. You never know when an urgent bathroom request will happen, and these days with the pandemic it’s great to have a clean personal potty for your kid to use, rather than a dirty rest stop bathroom. Pro tip: We line our car potty with an open diaper to absorb liquid and waste and reduce the risk of a spill (makes for easier clean up too!).

Registration/Insurance Holder

It’s a good idea to keep all your car paperwork handy and organized in the glove box, because if you need it you don’t want to have to go digging for it - especially if it’s of an urgent nature (if you got pulled over, fender bender, etc). I personally like the little portfolios that keep everything ready and easy to find.

Roadside Kit / First Aid Kit

Always keep a roadside emergency kit and first aid kit in your car in the event you break down or have an accident. You may be able to find a kit that covers all your bases, but often you may have to purchase these separately or at least supplement with some additional tools or first aid items. Our trunk area has a hidden compartment underneath where we store all our roadside and first aid gear.

Extra Masks

It’s a sign of the times… make sure you always keep a spare set of extra masks in your car for the whole family. That way you’re never caught without one if you need it. We made our mask case using a slim wipes container (similar container linked here).

Disclaimer: Use organizers and other items at own risk. Make sure they are properly installed and compatible with your vehicle.

Cloth Face Mask Organization and Storage

We’re definitely living in different times right now… and it’s becoming clearer that it looks as though we will have to co-exist with the COVID-19 virus for the foreseeable future. Because of that anything we can do that might mitigate the risk of virus transmission, like always wearing face masks or face coverings when outside our homes, have become a part of our “new normal.” Since mask-wearing should be part of your new routine whenever you leave your house, it’s a good idea to have a system in place to make sure you always have clean masks at the ready and you never leave home without one. | This post contains affiliate links |

Disclaimer: I am not giving medical advice. Make sure to always consult the CDC and local health officials for up-to-date recommendations on mask wearing, storage, and care. Cloth masks are not considered medical grade and should be washed in between each use… check with individual mask makers/companies on the best way to store/wash/care for your masks.

Mask Storage at Home

It’s a good idea to keep your clean masks in a designated area of your home, preferably in a place where you’ll be sure to grab one on your way out the door to do errands, go to work, etc. At first glance it might look like we have a lot of masks, but we really don't considering we're a household of four and it's essential to have enough masks to get through between laundry loads. We're still staying home and social-distancing very seriously, but whenever we have to do an essential errand/appointment or just go for a drive to get out of the house, we always make sure to have a clean mask for everyone that’s leaving the house.

In our home, we've designated a special basket that sits up high on our mudroom shelf, full of clean masks. We put the adult masks towards the back, and then kids masks in the front. I was unable to find a basket the same size on Amazon to link to, but I did find this sleek bamboo box that looks to be the perfect size. If you don't have shelf space for a basket, you could alternatively use wall-mounted baskets for storage.
Our masks are a mix of ones made with love for us by family members, as well as ones purchased from Old Navy and Miss Harlow VT (one of the local makers I featured in my "Masks by New England Makers" blog post).

If you don't like the idea of using a basket like we do and would rather hang your masks by the door, another option would be using a small set of hooks such as a set of compact coat hooks or key rack - or even just simple Command Hooks.

Mask Storage On-The-Go

We have found a slim wipes container is the perfect size for holding several face masks on-the-go! In fact, we always make sure to leave our case packed with an extra mask for each family member in the car. That way we're always covered if we forget one or need to change masks while we're out of the house.
I think this would be a great way to carry extra face masks in your bag for work, or your child's backpack whenever they return to school. It would probably be a good idea to also keep a ziplock bag or separate sealed container in your bag in case you have a dirty/used mask that needs to be brought home to wash.

And if you wanted to take it a step further and have an organzied mask system on-the-go to put in your work bag or child's backpack, you might want to consider having two cases - one for clean masks and one for dirty masks. I ordered these clear mask cases from Amazon and cut labels for them on my Cricut. We'll be packing one with extra clean masks, and the other will be empty for dirty masks to come home in. Since we recently invested in some better quality masks I wanted to make sure they stay in cases when not in use to keep them in good shape.

Alternatively, if you don't have any slim wipes containers hanging around you could also use Small Craft Storage Cases , which come in clear and a variety of colors. This might be more cost effective too if you needed multiple cases - especially if you needed one or more cases for each family member, or if you were a teacher and wanted to make a case for each student in your class.

You can also easily label any of these cases with a label maker.

We always make sure to keep the car stocked with our plastic case of extra face masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes to help protect ourselves when we’re out doing errands.

Mask Care

Always refer to individual mask makers/companies on the best way to care for each of your masks (hand wash only vs machine wash, line-dry vs dryer, etc.) But in general, all masks should be washed and allowed to thoroughly dry in between each use.

Since all of our masks are machine washable, we've found using a mesh lingerie laundry bag is perfect for keeping the masks from getting lost in the wash or caught on other items.

Quick Adjustment Tips

If you feel like your face mask is a little large or isn’t fitting as closely to your face as you would like, you can typically adjust it very easily by making a small knot in the ear loop elastics (as shown above) to make it smaller.

There are also lots of options for "ear saver" or "mask adjustment" straps available out there, though we have not personally tried any ourselves yet.

One mask accessory that we've found super helpful lately are Mask Lanyards. We personally use them most often when we're out hiking or going for a long walk, that way the time we're out alone we can keep our masks down, however in the event we see someone coming up we can easily put them on if we need to pass others on the trail. We made a point to choose lanyards that have a breakaway safety feature, but use at your own discretion/risk.

Disclaimer: I am not giving medical advice. Make sure to always consult the CDC and local health officials for up-to-date recommendations on mask wearing, storage, and care. Cloth masks are not considered medical grade and should be washed in between each use… check with individual mask makers/companies on the best way to store/wash/care for your masks.

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Vaccination Card Protector

Vaccinated? You may want to consider getting a Vaccination Card Protector for your vaccine card to help keep them protected and clean at home or while you're traveling. These are nice because you can remove your vaccine card to record updates/boosters if needed.

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Potty Training On-The-Go

You know that potty training is getting serious when you start driving around with a tiny toilet in your trunk! Thought I’d hop on here real quick and share some of our potty training “on-the-go” hacks. | This post contains affiliate links |

First, while we may be doing undies in the house - we still use pull-ups at night and when we leave the house… why? Because Mama don’t like having to change wet or poopy clothes in Target or get a carseat full on a drive. That is not fun for anyone and doesn’t set your kid up for success. Also, cleaning carseats is the worst.

For us we potty train our kids 100% at home and let them be flexible (by using a pull-up) whenever we’re out and about until they are VERY good at it, before transitioning them to undies all the time. During this transitionary time, we always keep a small potty in our trunk in case they need to go. It’s a lot easier and more comfortable for them to use a little potty that they’re used to, rather than having you dangle them over a public toilet at Starbucks.

The biggest helpful trick to the trunk potty? Line it with a clean diaper to absorb waste - that way you’re not driving around with a cup full of pee sloshing around in your trunk. It also makes for much easier cleanup!

And it goes without saying to keep wipes, clean pull-ups, a change of clothes, and a towel within reach in the trunk as well too… just in case.

Best of luck on your potty training adventure!

Emergency Preparedness: Preparing, Sheltering in Place, Having a "Go Bag," and Evacuating

God forbid you or your family ever encounter an emergency situation, evacuation, natural disaster, etc. But if you do, it’s best to be prepared. Now, you probably can’t prepare for everything but even some level of preparedness is much better than none. In this post I’m sharing some general ideas on ways you can prepare your home and your family if you’re stuck or need to evacuate, but please do your own homework and contact local authorities for the best advice on what situations are most likely to arise for you. | This post contains affiliate links |

Disclaimer: I am not a survival or emergency expert, but just sharing my opinion on ideas and discussion points on how you might prepare. Do your own research and contact local authorities on the best way to prepare your home and your family for any emergency situation which could arise.

Prepare Your Home

First let’s talk about the home front - it’s a good idea to make sure you have a generator (correctly installed and well ventilated) and extra fuel (safely stored) in the event you’re without power for awhile. Make sure you have shovels, flashlights, extra food that doesn’t need to be cooked (like crackers, canned goods, etc), pet food, water, blankets, matches, and candles too. Some people recommend filling bathtubs and sinks with water prior to bad weather coming so that you have a supply of water for cooking/drinking/washing/flushing toilets. Make sure phones and electronics are charged and you have extra charging packs.

Whether you have a generator or not to run your refridgerator or freezer during a power outage, it's a good idea to keep thermometers inside both fridge and freezer to monitor the temperature for food safety. Do not open the doors unless you really need to (opening them lets the precious cold air out), but by having thermometers in place you can make sure your food is still safe to eat after a prolonged outage.

Have a battery-operated or crank radio on hand - if the power or cellphone/internet services are disrupted you’ll want to be able to listen to the radio to get updates.

It’s also important to have a First Aid Kit and enough medications on hand if someone has a pre-existing medical condition, as well as general medications that you and your family may need like fever/pain reducers. If someone in your family has an allergy or restricted diet, make sure you have a backup of enough “safe” foods in the house for them to have. It’s also a good idea to have medical information for your family posted in the house for first responders if needed.

Make sure to also have working smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers in your home. Keep important documents in a Fireproof Safe.

In the event of a local outbreak of illness (flu, stomach bug, - edited to add COVID-19 too), it’s a good idea to have basic over-the-counter medications on hand as well as disinfectant supplies and face masks.

Decide Where and How You May Need to Shelter In Place

Think about different scenarios that could ever happen, which is probably most dependent on where you live. If you live in tornado or hurricane-prone area, maybe you need to have a plan in place to quickly bring in lawn furniture and other items that could go air-born, shut your storm shutters, and shelter in the basement or bathroom. If you live in a city, maybe a scenario that’s more likely is you may have to shelter in place due to violence or riots - where would be the safest place in your home or apartment to do that? If you live in winter-storm prone area, maybe that’s making sure your heating vents stay clear from snow and you have a roof rake and shovels ready to make sure your roof doesn’t get overloaded and you can shovel your way out of your front door. If you live in an earthquake-prone area, maybe that’s being aware where the safest place in your house to shelter would be (maybe a strong doorway), or know if it would be safest to evacuate the building entirely and wait it out outside.

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What is a “Go Bag” and Why Your Family Should Have One

A “Go Bag” is something you have packed and ready in the event you needed to evacuate your home immediately and potentially survive outside (in the woods or on the road in your vehicle) on your own for several days… situations that may arise where you may be put in that situation could be quick moving storms, flash floods, wild fires, etc. A Go Bag is something that is ready to go with emergency supplies including food, water or a water flirtation system, survival blankets, first aid kit, personal medications that you/your family may need, medical ID cards, masks (to help filter smoke/dust/germs), etc. It’s also a good idea to have local maps in there as well, as phones and internet may not work.

You can put your own Go Bag together or order a pre-made Go Bag and add what personal things you may need to it.

Have an Evacuation Plan

First, it goes without saying you should have plans for things like Fire Drills. Consult your local fire department for tips, but in general make sure you and your family (including kids) understand what a fire/evacuation drill is, how to safely and quickly exit the building, what to do if you get trapped, and where to meet outside afterwards. Practice this a few times a year so it’s second nature, but hopefully you never ever need to do it for real.

Now to take that one step further - take some time to think through different scenarios that could happen where you might have to evacuate your area/town (God forbid they ever do), and plan how you would react. If a wild fire or flood was happening nearby, how would you and your family evacuate your area? Take some time to familiarize yourself with area roads and which ones would be the best to evacuate by - make sure you also come up several backup plans too as your first choice exit plan may be blocked off. Also be aware of which roads may be most prone to fall victim to a natural disaster - for example, a low-lying road near a stream would be likely to flood, and probably shouldn’t be counted on as an exit road in a weather emergency. Keep maps in your car too as phones/GPS may not work and it would be beneficial to have a paper map to consult. It's also important to have cash on hand as ATMs/credit card machines may be down as well.

Always try to keep your car gas tank fairly full too, that way you’ll be ready to go anytime and won’t have to worry about running out of gas or being able to buy gas (as gas stations may be out of gas or there could be long lines) wasting valuable time for your family to make an efficient exit.

Hopefully you will never fall into a scenario where you’ll ever have to use any of your emergency supplies or shelter/evacuation plans, but it’s best to be prepared. Make sure to re-evaluate your plans and supplies regularly as roads and situations can change and supplies will expire over time (check those expiration dates on medicine, first aid items, and food/water). May you all stay safe and well!

Disclaimer: I am not a survival or emergency expert, but just sharing my opinion on ideas and discussion points on how you might prepare. Do your own research and contact local authorities on the best way to prepare your home and your family for any emergency situation which could arise.

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Related Posts:

• Cloth Face Mask Organization + Storage

• Preparing for the Novel Coronavirus

• A Message of Hope Facing the Unknowns of Coronavirus

• My Recipe for “Quarantine Chili”

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Why We Skipped the Infant Car Seat

Picking a car seat for the baby you’ll soon be bringing home is such a stressful choice - so many options and opinions out there! Ultimately do your homework and pick the car seat that you feel is safe, fits your lifestyle, and fits correctly in your car. For us, we decided to skip the Infant Car Seat completely (don’t worry, we still used an appropriate car seat, I’ll explain) and I’ll tell you why we did… | This post contains affiliate links |

When my sister had her first baby I remember helping her carry the baby in her Infant Car Seat when she was about one or two months old and thinking (excuse my language) “this sucks!” It was exhausting, and extremely awkward to carry the weight of the baby and carseat (probably around 25 lbs total) by a handle away from your body, trying not to let it bump into your legs or anything else around you. Depending on the model of infant car seat you buy the seat itself can weigh 11-20 pounds, then you add the weight of the baby which will be an average of 6-9 pounds at birth and quickly get heavier as time goes on. That’s a lot of weight to awkwardly haul around.

However, my sister-in-law had decided to skip the infant car seat all together for her kids, and opted for a Convertible Car Seat from day one. I thought this was genius and we decided to do the same. A true Convertible Car Seat is one that’s good from birth through a particular weight limit, typically fairly high. For us the seat we chose was good for 4-65lbs, which meant that it would be rear-facing and perfect for bringing home the baby from the hospital and could grow with us and eventually convert to a forward-facing carseat up to the 65lb weight limit (which will take them into elementary school-age most likely) - and some Convertible Car Seats even go up to a 120lb limit!

By going with a Convertible Car Seat from day one, we only had to purchase one car seat instead of two, as most babies will outgrow their Infant Car Seat well before the age of one. Rather than buying a car seat that would only get used for several months, we invested in one that would grow with our baby and our needs. This saved us money in the long-run, and was less wasteful on the environment.

Since the Convertible Car Seats stay in the car (they don’t disconnect from a base and get carried around like an infant seat), I chose to wear our baby whenever we got to our destination with a Soft Structured Baby Carrier. I found this to be far more convenient and easier than lugging around an Infant Car Seat. Wearing your baby is also great for bonding, can help keep them healthier (they’re closer to you and less likely to be touched by strangers), and so much better ergonomically for your back and body than carrying an infant seat.

But what about waking up the baby, people ask? Yes, you tend to rouse the baby a little when you take them out of their car seat. But they reality is, it’s not recommended for them to sleep in their car seats for any signifiant amount of time as it can supposedly increase their risk of SIDS. Anyways in our experience with our two kids, they often woke up when we turned off the car, before I even tried to take them out of their carseat. And if they are tired enough, you should (hopefully) have no trouble getting them to go to sleep in their crib once you get home.

*Disclaimer: I am not a car seat expert, and my opinion should not be taken as fact. I am simply sharing our opinions on why we preferred a Convertible Car Seat over an Infant Car Seat. Before making your carseat decision, do your homework and discuss your options and concerns with your pediatrician and car seat experts like Car Seats for Littles.*