Top 10 ways to keep kids entertained on a road trip! Are we there yet?

We are excited to share our Top 10 ways to keep kids entertained on a road trip! Road trips are one of our favorite ways to travel it gives us time to bond, explore new sights and create amazing memories.  Long stretches of travel can also come with their challenges, ARE WE THERE YET?  Kids can get bored and restless; I speak from experience.  We have taken so many road trips with our kids, our longest was over 7,000 miles in 3 weeks. At the time of this trip our kids were 4 & 7. 

Cross Country Road Trip 7000+ Miles and 16 states!

We are lucky to have kids that have grown to love traveling as much as we do, but we have learned some tricks along the way and were going to share them including our Top 10 ways to keep your kids entertained!

Before we get started with the Top 10 ways to keep kids entertained on a Road Trip, lets talk about organization and accessibility.  We have a tote bag for each of our kids.  We really like these bags as they zip up and have outside pockets to stash their water bottle, phone or snack.   They are also are just the right size to sit on the seat beside them for easy access.   Having a designated tote means your kids know where everything is and where everything goes when they are done!   

#1 Electronics

I feel like this is a no-brainer, and something I wish I had when I was a kid on family road trips!  Tablets and iPads are a great option for hours of entertainment.  Kindle tablets are a great budget-friendly option.  Downloading new apps right before a trip will keep the kids entertained for hours.  There are so many educational options out there as well that will keep your kids learning even on vacation! 

#2 Traveling Movie Theater

Set up a traveling Movie Theater and make a big deal of it– pack some popcorn and Twizzlers and pop in a DVD.  I let my kids pick out some of their favorites to take along and always make a selection of my own, they have come to love some of the movies I grew up with like Goonies and Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Homeward Bound.  Don’t have a DVD player built-in, you can purchase travel DVD Players reasonably or pre-download movies on your Tablet.  Don’t forget the headphones for a little serenity! 

#3 Games

Our kids love games, and I’m talking about shutting down electronic devices and spending time together.  A few of our favorites are

Classic magnetic board games such as Othello, Snakes & Ladders, and Chess.  These games are not only great for a road trip as the pieces stay in place but are great to take into a restaurant while waiting for food or into the hotel room for a quick and easy family game night.   

Got a Minecraft Fan, This Think fun Minecraft magnetic travel puzzle/logic game is so much fun!

Road Trip Bingo is another fun one that packs easily in a seat back or in the glove compartment so its always in the car ready for a last-minute adventure. 

Our kids love Mad-Libs and take turns coming up with words to create a story that is sure to make even the driver laugh!

Guess in 10 is a fun game that uses logic and clues along with Yes or No Questions to guess the animal, or place on the card! 

Scavenger Hunt – Get our Free Printable here – much like Road trip bingo you are looking for outside items to complete your hunt!  Print and place in a plastic sleeve checking off with a dry erase marker for endless fun! 

The Best Ever Back Seat Games – is a book with 100 fun games to play while you are traveling.  It does not require any special equipment – just a great imagination , and little sense of humor, and sometimes a pen and piece of paper. 

#4 Conversation

I have said it before but road trips are really about the time we get to bond and create memories.  With jobs, school, laundry, dishes, homework…all the “things” we have to do everyday roadtrips give us a rare opportunity to engage in some interesting conversation.  Having a hard time, check out these conversation starters….

Table Topics Kids Conversation Pack gives your 120 conversation starters for kids and is great for a family road trip.  There are no right or wrong answers, no timer and no scorecard and the driver can participate too!  Table Topics also come in different themes for road trips specifically, family and even teens

Another great conversation starter and is full of laughs for us are “Would you Rather” books.  We are currently reading this one (tucked away in our glove box).  I love hearing the thought process or justification that my kids come up with faced with two equally difficult and sometimes hilarious options! 

#5 Arts and Crafts

I know the thought of arts and crafts inside your car may sound messy but these options are kid & parent approved.

Magna Doodle –  Draw, erase and draw again!  You know you had one of these classic drawing boards and they are still just a popular today!

LCD Writing Tablet, the modern-day Magna Doodle will give your kids hours of fun.  Draw, write or play a rousing game of hangman and press a button to make it all disappear! 

Imagine Ink No Mess Activity books are a great option for younger kids.  One mess free marker bring the magic coloring games and activities to life! 

Coloring books are therapeutic and can relieve anxiety.  Coloring books are not just for kids.  This Graffiti coloring book or Amazing Animals coloring book will be sure to please even your teen passengers and you might even want to join in on the fun!  Don’t forget the colored pencils, a great option when your traveling, a lost crayon in a hot car makes for a bad day! 

Wipe Clean books are another great option and can be both educational and fun! 

#6 Books

One of our favorite options is reading!  No arguments on what movie to watch or game to play!  Everyone has their own books to read and there is a book to fit every interest! 

Our kids love the I survived book series, these are historical fiction books that captivate growing readers with tales of terrifying situations throughout history through the eyes of a kid who survived them!  Another great series is The Campground kids – National Park Adventures.  Being a family who loves to visit national parks these books spark a true interest in our young readers! 

Save even more space by downloading books to your kindle from the local library or signing up for a kindle unlimited membership where you can read or listen to books on any device! 

#7 Journaling | Post Card Memory Book

There are lots of Travel Journals out there you can purchase for kids including this one.  They are a great way to entertain kids while on the road and document and remember your adventures.   I am about to share with you our Memory book idea that will benefit you in more than one way! I’m so excited this is one of my favorite ideas on our Top 10 way to keep kids entertained on a road trip!

If your kids are anything like ours, they want to buy something at every single gift shop we stop at and it can often cause a lot of frustration.  No, you don’t need another stuffed animal, No, you’re just going to lose that trinket in the car, NO our fridge already has 882 magnets on it!  So, give them something to shop for that’s inexpensive and easy to find “Postcards”.  One they get back in the car they can use their new postcard to create a travel journal that will serve as a souvenir they can and will enjoy for years to come… a Postcard memory book! 

Have your kids write on the back of the postcard a “journal entry” about the place.  Give them writing prompts like “My favorite thing about ______ was:” , “While we were at _____I learned about:” or “I can’t wait to tell my friends about:”.  Simply slide the postcards into a small photo album so you can view the front and back and you have a memory book you will enjoy for years to come! 

#8 PodCasts

Pod Casts are so popular right now and that includes kid’s podcasts as well. 

Great for Toddlers: Little Stories for Tiny People,  Sesame Street, and Brains On!, BUT WHY, The Past & The Curious and Tumble.

 

#9 Sing Along or Car Karoke

We love listening to music and this next activity has entertained us for HOURS!  Take turns picking a song and listening/singing along in the car.  We simply connect our phone to the car stereo and pull up YouTube to search just about any song imaginable.   The fun thing about this is listening to different types of music or sharing a favorite song you have.  Our kids love to Take me home, Country Roads by John Denver because of this very activity.  While we might not all like every song, your turn will come around again soon!  Car Karaoke you ask?  Grab a hairbrush out of your toiletry back and everyone takes turns belting out their favorite tune! 

#10 Snack for Days!

Yep, Snacks and sure change the mood of a cranky bunch!  Individual portion snacks are always a hit for us they stay fresh and keep the spills to a minimum.  Buy snack size pre-packaged or save money by packaging them up in snack size zip bags yourself.  We also always keep a cooler in the car to car snacks like string cheese, fresh veggies and water.  For extra long trips we have a Car Cooler that plugs in and no ice required!

Bonus to our Top 10 ways to Keep kids entertained on a road trip! – Surprises!

Everyone loves a good surprise, and I have surprises ready on every road trip. When it feels like there is nothing left to do, pull out a surprise.   It can be as simple as a lollipop they were expecting, its a surprise.  You can save a purchase for many of the activities we talked about in this post like the LCD writing tablet, Travel Bingo, a new movie or an imagine ink activity book.  Dollar Tree and Target bins have fun toys, stickers, fidgets, and coloring pads that can be stashed away in a surprise bag when you need it most! 

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