Lyndsey Make road trips easier and more enjoyable with these fun things for kids to do in the car.
Spring break is right around the corner, and for many of us that means road trips! Road trips can be so much fun, but when you take a family on a road trip, it can also be challenging. Road trips, especially with younger kids, can be a lot of fighting, whining and “are we there yet” moments. The reason kids can misbehave so easily on long car rides is purely boredom. Kids are busy, and they like to be busy. Sitting in a car for long stretches can lead to unwanted behaviors due to the lack of, simply, nothing else to do! This is why I have researched the most entertaining things for kids to do in the car.
Don’t worry, this isn’t just research alone. We just recently did an 18 hour road trip there and back (which easily turned into 2 full days each direction). Entertaining my children in the car was one of my top priorities. Your trip will turn out much more fun if everyone isn’t exhausted and angry once the car stops.
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. This does not affect the cost to you, but may provide commission for items purchased.
- Moments From a Tired Mom | Weird Things About Parenting
- Beautiful Succulent Table Centerpiece | A Neutral and Year Round Centerpiece Idea
- Entertaining Things for Kids To Do in the Car
- 10 Exciting Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day With Kids
- Quick Kids Station For Your Entryway | A Small Entryway Organization Idea
Tips for Road Trips With Kids
It’s best to start this whole conversation with some tips for road trips. You can take my advice, or not, but these are the items that have worked best for us!
- Space out driving days
- Leave extra time for stops/breaks/bathroom breaks
- Bring a cooler (if you have room)
- Drinks
- Snacks
- Lunch options
- Bring activities/things to do
- Have seat/car organizers
- Get a phone/tablet holder
- If your kids are young, plan drive time while they are sleeping if possible
- Keep wipes handy
- Have a trash bag/bin solution
- Plan multiple types of entertainment
- Download movies to tablets/phones
- Utilize rest areas (and plan the time into your trip)
- Site seeing
- Run around/play time
- Bathroom breaks
- Lunch breaks
- Let your kids know what to expect on the drive (lay out ground rules and boundaries)
- Have snacks readily available (try to avoid too much sugar, as this can cause a sugar buzz and bad moods)
- Keep everyone fed to avoid hunger meltdowns/crankiness
- Keep Dramamine or Sea-Bands on hand for motion sickness (Dramamine makes a kids version)
- Check the weather for major cities throughout your route (plan ahead)
Entertaining Things for Kids To Do in the Car
Now that we have gone over some of my top tips for enjoyable road trips with kids, let’s talk about the entertainment portion. The car is a very small space, with very limited things to do. Kids, especially young kids, have very short attention spans and need distractions. While it’s great to plan that they will listen to music or you can have conversations with them, they will still get bored. Boredom can lead to misbehavior, and misbehavior can lead to a poor experience for all involved!
My best suggestion to you is to have multiple different selections of things for kids to do in the car. Don’t rest on one or two options, bring quite a few so you can continue to switch things up. My kids really enjoy tablet time and movies, but this won’t entertain them the whole time. Eventually, they will get bored, and they will want something else to do. Be prepared for when that happens. The last thing you want on a road trip is to be locked in a small car with an upset kid (especially a toddler).
So… let’s talk about some ideas for what these different selections or option could be!
1. Download Movies/Games On A Tablet/Device
I know for a lot of parents, this may not be the first thing you want to hear. I wanted to mention this because many people forget that downloading movies/games is an option. This will allow for movies or games to be utilized without service/internet connection. We don’t have service on the kids’ tablets, so the option to download is our saving grace.
Also, I know many people don’t like to utilize screen time for kids, and that’s wonderful! I wish I had the patience to not resort to screen time in some situations, but it’s definitely a good back up in case things go south (metaphorically, not directionally. HA!). Having a movie to fall back on is a savior, and can also be great as a distraction that might let the kids wind down and fall asleep.
We typically download movies from Disney+ and Netflix.
2. Puzzles/Mazes Workbooks
A new puzzle/maze workbook can be a great option for the car. You can even tie a string to a pen/pencil and tape it to the book so it doesn’t get lost or dropped during the car ride.
Take a look at some of these options below.
3. Mad Libs
I will not group this into some other category, Mad Libs must have a category of it’s own. Have you ever heard of Mad Libs? If not, you are seriously missing out. Mad Libs are stories where you fill in the blanks. It will give you the type of words you need to fill in (noun, adjective, verb, adverb, etc.), and you place your desired word in.
Not only are the stories you end up with entirely entertaining, this can also help your kids to get a better understanding of word classes and how to use them. I had to explain to my 5 year old what the word classes were, but once he understood, he loves these activities!
4. Bring A Book Series
If you don’t mind reading out loud, bringing a book series can be a great way to entertain everyone. Or, if your children are old enough to read on their own, let them bring a book series they would enjoy.
The book series you choose will greatly depend on the age of your children, and their interests. I cannot suggest a book series for every kid, but currently my 6 year old is a big fan of the Magic Tree House book series.
5. Play A Word Game/Verbal Game
My son really likes to play simple games when we are driving (even if it’s a 5 minute drive). I have found that these games can actually be a life savor on longer car rides, and can be entertaining for you and them!
Many common games for car rides would be I Spy, Twenty Questions, Would You Rather, or Name That Tune to name a few. My son likes to play a game that he calls Blue Car/Red Car. You have a time limit, and you choose a car color. You have to keep track of how many cars you found in your color, and the person with the most wins. This is simple because each person in the car can have their own color to look for, and it can get you talking and laughing!
6. Magnetic Puzzles/Mazes or Drawing Boards
Magnetic mazes and drawing boards can be a great thing to keep kids entertained in the car. The pens/magnets are attached to the boards, and it’s not something that can have parts or pieces easily lost. Check out some examples below:
7. Stop and Play
I know this isn’t necessarily something to do in the car, but it’s super important during long road trips! Get out of the car and let your kids play. If your kids are older, let them walk around and stretch out. Rest areas are a great way to do this. You can search rest areas along your route, and find out which ones are also scenic stops. This is a great way to experience a new place, see a beautiful view, and work some of the wiggles out!
It may also be a good idea to have some stretches planned that will help loosen up stiff muscles (for you or your kids).
8. Singalong or Dance Playlist
Before you leave for your trip, make a playlist of songs you all enjoy. Your kids may not be entertained by background music normally, but if it’s songs they like to sing or dance to, it will get their attention! Time can pass so quickly with a good sing-a-long.
9. Road Trip Games
There are many different road trip games that you can purchase to be prepared. If you don’t like verbal games, or have a hard time coming up with some to play, purchasing road trip games can be a wonderful option.
My kids are younger, so we got a travel game called Highway Hunt. It’s a scavenger hunt that has pictures of what you are trying to find, instead of just words. The pre-made scavenger hunt is super helpful, and you don’t have to come up with the ideas!
Other good travel games are Shotgun, I Spy, License Plate Game, Travel Journals, Hangman, Scavenger Hunts, Riddles and Brain teasers, etc.
10. Audiobooks
Audible is a very popular audio book platform that many people have. If you don’t already have Audible, don’t fret! You can get a 30 day trial for free, how perfect to try this out for your next road trip! Audiobooks help to keep your kids engaged with a story, entertained, and you don’t have to read it! You can click on the link below to access a free trial for an Audible membership. Also, there are tons of free audiobooks available through Audible on Amazon!
11. Audio Comedy Show
Tying into the audiobooks above, an audio comedy show is a great way to pass time! Audible also offers comedy books/shows you can listen to, but you could also download a podcast, or look up a comedy shown to listen to. What a great way to keep the mood light and fun during a long trip.
12. Give Your Kids a Route Map
This one is a super simple idea that can help to keep your kids engaged with the surroundings and the trip, instead of having their heads buried in a device or book. If you would like your kids to experience their surroundings, print them out a map of the route. You can also give them an atlas, but that could become overwhelming based on their age.
If you print a map of the route, it will have the route highlighted, as well as the state lines. Here are some ideas for this:
- Highlight the state lines and make a big deal about it when you enter a new state. They can mark off each state you enter, or track the route.
- If you are passing noteable places/sites, mark them on the map and give them a heads up before you pass so they can look for it.
- Highlight things to see along the way such as mountains, canyons, waterfalls, or anything else they might enjoy.
- Highlight major cities and let them know when you are approaching, or have made it through them.
These are great ways to get your kids engaged with the trip, as well as to try and put off the inevitable question of “are we there yet?”.
13. I Spy Books or Search and Find Books
I spy books or search and find books are great for kids. They make so many different types and options, as well as difficulty levels. They will be so focused on the books that time may pass much faster. Also, this is something that doesn’t need any additional work or tools, just the book itself. Having a few different kinds handy can be very helpful!
You may also enjoy
10 Exciting Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day With Kids
20 Inexpensive Ideas for Quality Family Time Activities
10 Quick Kids Activities with Little Prep and Little Mess
40+ of the Best Fun Christmas Activities for Families
30+ of the Best Fun Fall Activities
Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions in the comments below!
Keep up to date with the latest posts through email updates. Just enter your email below, click “get updates” and go to your email to confirm.
Don’t forget to follow me on social media for the most current information, advice, ideas, topics, and recipes!
Great tips and ideas! My kids are grown but we did a lot of these things with them. Stopping over from Talking About It Tuesday.
Thank you!
My kids STILL love MadLibs and they are almost 15 and 12 1/2. We STILL use them on road trips!
They are so wonderful! I still love them, and I am much older than that. Lol!
[…] Printable Easter Scavenger Hunt Rose Bakes – Cool Whip Easter Eggs Perfectly Imperfect – Entertaining Things to Do in A Car with Kids Homemade on a Weeknight – Kitchen Tips, Trick and Hacks The Wooden Spoon Effect – […]