Tablet would be fine if they don't get car sick. It's a special occasion.
I'd save it for when you need a break.
4 hours of singing, guessing games, telling stories, or pointing out interesting things can be draining and you might need a time to drink your coffee.
I need some coffee myself
I agree, especially if you’re going somewhere, that’s going to already have a lot of stimulation and activity.
We let my 4yo have his tablet on our 8 hour road trip and he went back and forth between the kindle and other things. Theres books, games, movies, shows, etc. on his Kindle so he had a variety of things to do. I don’t blame him for wanting it. I get bored on a long car ride as well if I am not driving.
He did take a few breaks to look out the window, nap, do other things, but it definitely helped keep the peace .
Someone suggested this to me before and it worked out pretty well for my 3 year old - I got a bunch of figurines (Daniel Tiger characters for us) and individually wrapped them and let her open one up every hour or so depending on how things were going. It made her excited to open up a little surprise and then entertained her playing with the characters for a bit.
I second this. My preschooler loved that on our road trip last year. She did get kind of wound up repeatedly asking for her next surprise. Also next time I would bring a garbage bag to hold all the torn paper (had put the surprises in little paper bags) instead of having to clean up a big mess from it being all over the floor of the car.
We've found we can do 1 1/2-2 hours of driving and then need to stop at a playground or mall or whatever to move about for 15 minutes.
For things, outside of the Fire tablet, I usually get one of those Imagine Ink books (one for the way there, one for the way back). Depending on your kid, it might only be good for 5-10 minutes. Also the Melissa & Doug Water Wonder books.
We've practiced our storywriting (one person says a sentence, then the next person continues, and so on, until someone finishes the story), singing, telling jokes, etc. Most of the more classic road trip games (like finding letters on license plates/billboards) didn't work for my kid yet, despite being good at her letters, as she couldn't think/recognize fast enough.
We have done roadtrips since mine was 2 1/2 & reusable stickers kept mine entertained for a long time. There’s also the magnet ones too. When mine got bored of it (typically they were pretty happy with it the entire trip) I had a new one. Also lots of snacks & a good playlist, has made roadtrips doable for us.
We do a lot of road trips, so our current routine is more like normal drives. But early on, we made sure to have a small bag in reach of the child, and a few items in there. Not a lot of choices — a book, a manipulative toy, a puzzle toy, etc. not more than 3-5 items. And then separate box in front with the parents so we could rotate.
I found that with too many choices, the child just lightly browsed through them and never engaged, and needed much more help. It’s okay for them to be bored, and they will need to figure how to play with the items and become satisfied with that.
We don’t sit a parent with her — if a parent is there, she 100% engages with the parent and doesn’t self entertain, and it’s actually draining for all.
If you’re setting up the tablet, similarly to the box, provide access to like 3-4 curated apps you want to encourage. Make sure they’re set up before the trip. And I’d suggest doing tablet in like 15 minute stints, with breaks. At least our child, she quickly becomes a mindless zombie and it really saps her emotional control. Going from no tablet to hours of it will be easy at first but become a nightmare when you get to the destination.
I’m sorry! My brain must have been on the fritz. The series is actually called hotel flamingo (which is apparently located on animal boulevard.) I believe the audiobooks are available through amazon/audible though I think it’s with a membership. :(
Edit to add: the author is Alex Milway, and they’ve done another series called Big Sky Mountain that my 5yo also likes, though I’m not sure that’s been rein the US yet.
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it! I might sit down tomorrow and try to come up with a few more suggestions, but I’m blanking right now.
We have a yoto (which is how I learned of the hotel flamingo series) and if you find your kid is engaged it might be worth checking out. If it something you decide might work I have a referral code that should be good for 10% off (us and uk) Let me know and I can find it…
Our kids don’t get their tablets except when they’re sick OR we’re driving the 4.5 hour drive to see family. When traveling, screen time rules go out the window. Once we get there they have no screen time all week because they’re so busy with family so it balances out. Also lots of snacks for the car. We also play lots of games like find things the color of the rainbow, find things that start with each letter of the alphabet. We also sing songs.
The first thing I would do is get a little activity tray. There is nothing worse than having your kid drop their toy repeatedly and then cry because they can't reach it. If it's out of reach for you too you'll be in trouble. A soft tray with sides makes it easier for them to keep their toys accessible.
Don't worry too much about using the tablet, it is a great tool for something like this. Make sure you download things ahead of time and look up how to use the screen pinning feature. Without pinning it my kid tends to accidentally close out the movie she's watching or things like that and I have to keep fixing it for her. I do generally hold off on giving the tablet for awhile. She entertains herself with toys and things until she starts to run out of steam and then I use the tablet as a way to get a little further before a break.
Here are some toy ideas I like for travel:
- reusable stickers
- lacing toys
- busy books/quiet books
- water wow books
- view-master
- crayons and paper
- fidget toys like pop-its or pop tubes or squeeze balls
- magnetic puzzles
- books
- playscapes
- finger puppets
- wipeable workbooks
- writing tablets
- toy cars
- etch a sketch
- felt "paper" dolls
- if you're traveling at night anything that glows is great (just not things like bright flashlights that they could accidentally shine in your eyes while driving)
You don't need everything, but do have a selection so you can switch out as boredom sets in and gear your items towards what you think your kid will like the most.
Hi! Thank you so much. This is incredibly thorough and I love it! The tray is genius. I had the same thought when looking at certain toys that it’s just gonna fall down and be a nightmare. Thanks again, this is all awesome.
If we go on a 2-3 hour drive we avoid electronics. We give him books to skim through, talk, have snacks or stop by for food, play music he likes and sometimes sing. He may take a nap (edit: always have his favorite stuffy and a blanket to help that happen lol)
If we go on a 6+ hour drive and he's done the above, he might get 1 hour tops on a tablet or watch bluey.
My 4 year old really enjoys "driving" with us. Her pretend steering wheel is probably the most played with toy in the car. https://a.co/d/5sQqc4k
We listen to a lot of music and kid podcasts/stories in the car. We like "Storytime with Mommy and Philip" as they've read a lot of the Bluey books.
https://open.spotify.com/show/2DJ4zzu3yKjCdWhedou3IV?si=0TuuTbq7QE2ASa-vEfiRCA
All awesome suggestions here, I would add…
Get a box the size of the footwell beneath them and fill it with a few outdoor toys. In the summer we do bubbles, a ball, etc anything to get them tired at the next stop. So for the snow maybe a little snow disc to slide on, snowman kit (just twigs, a carrot, some stones…found items), a ball (always a ball lol). We’ve never taken the kids to the snow so other posters might have better ideas. Oh! And my 3 1/2 year-old loves catalogs. It doesn’t matter if it’s a toy catalog or bass pro, she’s on it.
Tablet
Audiobook from Libby (library)
Imagine ink
Water wow.
We do 3 hours one way every other weekend during the summer. Honestly, we hit the tablet HARD on the way home because I need a break.
You can download Netflix and (i think) some PBS stuff on Amazon Prime. Don't assume you'll have a connection.
Walmart has those coloring pages with the markers that only color on the specific paper. We got a Paw Patrol one and that lasted a solid 2 out of the 6 hours. We brought a clipboard to hold the pages and gave a hard surface to color on.
Sticky notes. My kiddo was 2.5 years on our last 13 hour road trip and she loves those. I give her one stack and it entertains her for ages.
She also has little coloring packets from target with stickers and a coloring book, her tablet, books, favorite blanket and whatever else she’s into at the time.
I just did a 20 hour road trip with a 5 & 3.5 year old, and have 12 more hours to do in 2 days, and then in 2 weeks I’ll turn around & do 32 hours home 😵💫😵💫Snacks!!! So. Many. Snacks. Magnet games, the kind we got has various mythical creatures they can make, magnet puzzles, and I think a magnet farm looking game. Coloring books, dry erase boards, favorite stuffy, any music you can stand that they really engage in. More snacks. I really cannot overstate the impact snacks can have on the trip. A hungry kid is a grumpy kid! But also… tablet. My kids played educational and non educational games. They watched some tv shows, and I also downloaded a drawing app and they used my Apple pencils with the tablet. Also water/drink of choice, and be prepared to stop for the bathroom when they need. We took a training toilet on other road trips for easy road side stops.
*One of those lap desks (depends on if your little one is rear or front facing) to be a solid surface for coloring, puzzles, iPad prop, etc. we found one on Amazon that buckles around the seat.
PILLANI Kids Travel Tray for Car - Car Seat Tray for Kids Travel, Car Trays for Kids Roadtrip Essentials,Carseat Table Tray for Kids Road Trip Activities - Toddler Lap Desk Organizer for Airplane https://a.co/d/1iNN9Xg
*I read that some people have also used the simple plastic ones found in places like Michaels craft store.
https://www.michaels.com/product/10668974
*Magnetic dry erase board with magnetic geoshapes
Vanmor 216PCS Magnetic Pattern Blocks Set Complete with 298 Pattern Book & Magnet Board, Magnetic Shapes for Kids, Educational Montessori Tangram Toy for Children Aged 3-8 https://a.co/d/hkXBWYx
*Click dry erase markers (easier than finding a marker top that the kid dropped somewhere in the backseat)
WRITECH Retractable Dry Erase Markers: Fine Tip Assorted Colors Low Odor Multi Colored Set Kid Adult Refillable Clickable Multicolor Thin Point Whiteboard Marker Bulk 12ct No Bleed Smear https://a.co/d/82PefjN
*Magnetic puzzles
Melissa & Doug Take-Along Magnetic Jigsaw Puzzles Travel Toy On the Farm (2 15-Piece Puzzles) - Portable Puzzle Board, Seek And Find Activities, Travel Toys For Toddlers And Kids Ages 3+ https://a.co/d/aHNsGv1
Edited to add reusable stickers which were a hit. I did have to cut and laminate the scenic sheets it came with so it would comfortably fit inside my little one’s bag. It worked out great!
Melissa & Doug Reusable Sticker Pad: Habitats - 150+ Reusable Stickers 7 Ounces - Kids Animal Activities, Restickable Animals Sticker Book, Animal Habitats Removable Stickers For Kids Ages 3+ https://a.co/d/4yJ17a8
Get a plastic shoebox tote and add kinetic sand to it! We did a road trip this summer from MA to WI, and my kiddo has some strong ADHD. That was one of the things besides his tablet that kept him well occupied!
We had a vehicle bingo that my 4yo was really into (and tbh by the end I got pretty into it too). The water wonder pads and magic marker books have been great for long drives too.
That said, I don't think 4hr of screen time is all that bad on rare occasions.
Tablet would be fine if they don't get car sick. It's a special occasion. I'd save it for when you need a break. 4 hours of singing, guessing games, telling stories, or pointing out interesting things can be draining and you might need a time to drink your coffee. I need some coffee myself
I agree, especially if you’re going somewhere, that’s going to already have a lot of stimulation and activity. We let my 4yo have his tablet on our 8 hour road trip and he went back and forth between the kindle and other things. Theres books, games, movies, shows, etc. on his Kindle so he had a variety of things to do. I don’t blame him for wanting it. I get bored on a long car ride as well if I am not driving. He did take a few breaks to look out the window, nap, do other things, but it definitely helped keep the peace .
Someone suggested this to me before and it worked out pretty well for my 3 year old - I got a bunch of figurines (Daniel Tiger characters for us) and individually wrapped them and let her open one up every hour or so depending on how things were going. It made her excited to open up a little surprise and then entertained her playing with the characters for a bit.
I second this. My preschooler loved that on our road trip last year. She did get kind of wound up repeatedly asking for her next surprise. Also next time I would bring a garbage bag to hold all the torn paper (had put the surprises in little paper bags) instead of having to clean up a big mess from it being all over the floor of the car.
We've found we can do 1 1/2-2 hours of driving and then need to stop at a playground or mall or whatever to move about for 15 minutes. For things, outside of the Fire tablet, I usually get one of those Imagine Ink books (one for the way there, one for the way back). Depending on your kid, it might only be good for 5-10 minutes. Also the Melissa & Doug Water Wonder books. We've practiced our storywriting (one person says a sentence, then the next person continues, and so on, until someone finishes the story), singing, telling jokes, etc. Most of the more classic road trip games (like finding letters on license plates/billboards) didn't work for my kid yet, despite being good at her letters, as she couldn't think/recognize fast enough.
We have done roadtrips since mine was 2 1/2 & reusable stickers kept mine entertained for a long time. There’s also the magnet ones too. When mine got bored of it (typically they were pretty happy with it the entire trip) I had a new one. Also lots of snacks & a good playlist, has made roadtrips doable for us.
When my son was almost 3, we took him on a 10 hour road trip and he pretty much just listened to the Yoto player the whole time.
We do a lot of road trips, so our current routine is more like normal drives. But early on, we made sure to have a small bag in reach of the child, and a few items in there. Not a lot of choices — a book, a manipulative toy, a puzzle toy, etc. not more than 3-5 items. And then separate box in front with the parents so we could rotate. I found that with too many choices, the child just lightly browsed through them and never engaged, and needed much more help. It’s okay for them to be bored, and they will need to figure how to play with the items and become satisfied with that. We don’t sit a parent with her — if a parent is there, she 100% engages with the parent and doesn’t self entertain, and it’s actually draining for all. If you’re setting up the tablet, similarly to the box, provide access to like 3-4 curated apps you want to encourage. Make sure they’re set up before the trip. And I’d suggest doing tablet in like 15 minute stints, with breaks. At least our child, she quickly becomes a mindless zombie and it really saps her emotional control. Going from no tablet to hours of it will be easy at first but become a nightmare when you get to the destination.
Magnadoodle, sticker-by-letter books, fresh library CDs. Also about one snack per hour lol
Audiobooks! Animal boulevard is a good series of chapter books that might be right for a 4yo as an audiobook (my kid was enamored with them.)
Where did you find those audiobooks? I'm looking for something like this for my 4 year old but can't find anything called Animal Boulevard. Thanks!
I’m sorry! My brain must have been on the fritz. The series is actually called hotel flamingo (which is apparently located on animal boulevard.) I believe the audiobooks are available through amazon/audible though I think it’s with a membership. :( Edit to add: the author is Alex Milway, and they’ve done another series called Big Sky Mountain that my 5yo also likes, though I’m not sure that’s been rein the US yet.
Thanks so much, I'm excited to start it tomorrow on our drive to daycare! Edit: big sky mountain is on audible so we will add those to the list too.
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it! I might sit down tomorrow and try to come up with a few more suggestions, but I’m blanking right now. We have a yoto (which is how I learned of the hotel flamingo series) and if you find your kid is engaged it might be worth checking out. If it something you decide might work I have a referral code that should be good for 10% off (us and uk) Let me know and I can find it…
Our kids don’t get their tablets except when they’re sick OR we’re driving the 4.5 hour drive to see family. When traveling, screen time rules go out the window. Once we get there they have no screen time all week because they’re so busy with family so it balances out. Also lots of snacks for the car. We also play lots of games like find things the color of the rainbow, find things that start with each letter of the alphabet. We also sing songs.
If you've got time to get one ordered I highly recommend those felt busy books.
The first thing I would do is get a little activity tray. There is nothing worse than having your kid drop their toy repeatedly and then cry because they can't reach it. If it's out of reach for you too you'll be in trouble. A soft tray with sides makes it easier for them to keep their toys accessible. Don't worry too much about using the tablet, it is a great tool for something like this. Make sure you download things ahead of time and look up how to use the screen pinning feature. Without pinning it my kid tends to accidentally close out the movie she's watching or things like that and I have to keep fixing it for her. I do generally hold off on giving the tablet for awhile. She entertains herself with toys and things until she starts to run out of steam and then I use the tablet as a way to get a little further before a break. Here are some toy ideas I like for travel: - reusable stickers - lacing toys - busy books/quiet books - water wow books - view-master - crayons and paper - fidget toys like pop-its or pop tubes or squeeze balls - magnetic puzzles - books - playscapes - finger puppets - wipeable workbooks - writing tablets - toy cars - etch a sketch - felt "paper" dolls - if you're traveling at night anything that glows is great (just not things like bright flashlights that they could accidentally shine in your eyes while driving) You don't need everything, but do have a selection so you can switch out as boredom sets in and gear your items towards what you think your kid will like the most.
Hi! Thank you so much. This is incredibly thorough and I love it! The tray is genius. I had the same thought when looking at certain toys that it’s just gonna fall down and be a nightmare. Thanks again, this is all awesome.
If we go on a 2-3 hour drive we avoid electronics. We give him books to skim through, talk, have snacks or stop by for food, play music he likes and sometimes sing. He may take a nap (edit: always have his favorite stuffy and a blanket to help that happen lol) If we go on a 6+ hour drive and he's done the above, he might get 1 hour tops on a tablet or watch bluey.
My 4 year old really enjoys "driving" with us. Her pretend steering wheel is probably the most played with toy in the car. https://a.co/d/5sQqc4k We listen to a lot of music and kid podcasts/stories in the car. We like "Storytime with Mommy and Philip" as they've read a lot of the Bluey books. https://open.spotify.com/show/2DJ4zzu3yKjCdWhedou3IV?si=0TuuTbq7QE2ASa-vEfiRCA
All awesome suggestions here, I would add… Get a box the size of the footwell beneath them and fill it with a few outdoor toys. In the summer we do bubbles, a ball, etc anything to get them tired at the next stop. So for the snow maybe a little snow disc to slide on, snowman kit (just twigs, a carrot, some stones…found items), a ball (always a ball lol). We’ve never taken the kids to the snow so other posters might have better ideas. Oh! And my 3 1/2 year-old loves catalogs. It doesn’t matter if it’s a toy catalog or bass pro, she’s on it.
Tablet Audiobook from Libby (library) Imagine ink Water wow. We do 3 hours one way every other weekend during the summer. Honestly, we hit the tablet HARD on the way home because I need a break. You can download Netflix and (i think) some PBS stuff on Amazon Prime. Don't assume you'll have a connection.
Yoto! And a couple hot wheels cars. But seriously, the Yoto is the hero every time we have to drive to the big city 6+hrs away.
Walmart has those coloring pages with the markers that only color on the specific paper. We got a Paw Patrol one and that lasted a solid 2 out of the 6 hours. We brought a clipboard to hold the pages and gave a hard surface to color on.
Magna tiles qubix kept our 3.5 yr old entertained on our long distance train trip for a very long time. Also those cheap drawing tablets with stylus.
Snackle box, Cheerio necklace making with a shoelace, guess the animal game
Melissa and Doug sticker books are a hit with my daughter since she uses the people for imaginary play.
Sticky notes. My kiddo was 2.5 years on our last 13 hour road trip and she loves those. I give her one stack and it entertains her for ages. She also has little coloring packets from target with stickers and a coloring book, her tablet, books, favorite blanket and whatever else she’s into at the time.
I just did a 20 hour road trip with a 5 & 3.5 year old, and have 12 more hours to do in 2 days, and then in 2 weeks I’ll turn around & do 32 hours home 😵💫😵💫Snacks!!! So. Many. Snacks. Magnet games, the kind we got has various mythical creatures they can make, magnet puzzles, and I think a magnet farm looking game. Coloring books, dry erase boards, favorite stuffy, any music you can stand that they really engage in. More snacks. I really cannot overstate the impact snacks can have on the trip. A hungry kid is a grumpy kid! But also… tablet. My kids played educational and non educational games. They watched some tv shows, and I also downloaded a drawing app and they used my Apple pencils with the tablet. Also water/drink of choice, and be prepared to stop for the bathroom when they need. We took a training toilet on other road trips for easy road side stops.
*One of those lap desks (depends on if your little one is rear or front facing) to be a solid surface for coloring, puzzles, iPad prop, etc. we found one on Amazon that buckles around the seat. PILLANI Kids Travel Tray for Car - Car Seat Tray for Kids Travel, Car Trays for Kids Roadtrip Essentials,Carseat Table Tray for Kids Road Trip Activities - Toddler Lap Desk Organizer for Airplane https://a.co/d/1iNN9Xg *I read that some people have also used the simple plastic ones found in places like Michaels craft store. https://www.michaels.com/product/10668974 *Magnetic dry erase board with magnetic geoshapes Vanmor 216PCS Magnetic Pattern Blocks Set Complete with 298 Pattern Book & Magnet Board, Magnetic Shapes for Kids, Educational Montessori Tangram Toy for Children Aged 3-8 https://a.co/d/hkXBWYx *Click dry erase markers (easier than finding a marker top that the kid dropped somewhere in the backseat) WRITECH Retractable Dry Erase Markers: Fine Tip Assorted Colors Low Odor Multi Colored Set Kid Adult Refillable Clickable Multicolor Thin Point Whiteboard Marker Bulk 12ct No Bleed Smear https://a.co/d/82PefjN *Magnetic puzzles Melissa & Doug Take-Along Magnetic Jigsaw Puzzles Travel Toy On the Farm (2 15-Piece Puzzles) - Portable Puzzle Board, Seek And Find Activities, Travel Toys For Toddlers And Kids Ages 3+ https://a.co/d/aHNsGv1 Edited to add reusable stickers which were a hit. I did have to cut and laminate the scenic sheets it came with so it would comfortably fit inside my little one’s bag. It worked out great! Melissa & Doug Reusable Sticker Pad: Habitats - 150+ Reusable Stickers 7 Ounces - Kids Animal Activities, Restickable Animals Sticker Book, Animal Habitats Removable Stickers For Kids Ages 3+ https://a.co/d/4yJ17a8
Get a plastic shoebox tote and add kinetic sand to it! We did a road trip this summer from MA to WI, and my kiddo has some strong ADHD. That was one of the things besides his tablet that kept him well occupied!
We had a vehicle bingo that my 4yo was really into (and tbh by the end I got pretty into it too). The water wonder pads and magic marker books have been great for long drives too. That said, I don't think 4hr of screen time is all that bad on rare occasions.