Let’s face it, as fun and exciting as vacation with the family might seem, road trips can result in a loud, cranky bunch if you don’t plan accordingly. Instead of letting the backseat turn into a war zone, keep all the kids (and you) happy and entertained for a fun, memorable trip. Here are the must-have products to do just that.
1. iPad: If you bring only one thing with you, it should be your tablet—loaded up with fun games, movies, and music. Tablets not only keep the kids entertained, but it can hold movies, books, and magazines for you too.
2. Wheels on the Bus: Now is the perfect time to try out some kid-friendly learning apps; with such educational games, you’ll feel better about letting your kids get some screen time.
3. Mathmateer: For the older kids, you can turn a long trip into a learning opportunity. Download a few math or reading games to see if you can squeeze in a little educational time (but you don’t have to tell the kids that’s
what you’re up to!).
4. iPad Cover: This case is lightweight and slim, making it super easy to pack in your suitcase or purse. This smart case is perfect for your solo time with the iPad, as it isn’t completely kid-proof.
5. Tablet Holder for Car Seat: There’s no need to worry about little hands dropping costly electronics; there are many varieties of tablet or phone holders that keep them safe and secure in the car.
6. Multi-Gadget Charging Station: If you decide to bring along a handful of gadgets, you might find yourself in need of more places to recharge them all. A handy charging station will give you plenty of juice for all your electronics.
7. Mobile Hotspot: Especially if you’re traveling through more rural areas, you might consider investing in a Wi-Fi hotspot. They can be connected with multiple devices, and are more reliable than your phone’s hotspot function.
8. Kid’s Camera: Even better: a sturdy, simple kids’ camera made just for them.
9. Noise-Cancelling Headphones: No matter how many fun diversions you’ve packed for your road trip, there will still probably be times when voices are raised. Guard your sanity by keeping a set of comfy, noise-cancelling headphones nearby.
10. Kid-Sized Headphones: Kid-sized headphones can accommodate smaller heads, and are perfect if the little ones want to listen to their music or movies on loud.
11. Headphone Splitter: If an obnoxious children’s movie marathon is a part of your road trip plans, go one step further and grab a splitter that lets your kids all listen to the same device while you remain in peace.
12. License Plate Game: Let your kids rest their eyes by playing with a fun and instructive car game; find one that has no loose pieces to get lost forever down the cracks of seats.
With these must-have gadgets, you can take your road trips from hectic chaos to peaceful fun.
We’re heading to OBX in a few months and this is really going to come in handy! Thanks for the ideas.
We take a few Loooooooong trips each year. I love the license plate game. We always loved that as kids!
I had forgotten about the license plate game! I need to make up a quick list of games for the car when we’re doing our day trips this summer.
Ooh! That License Plate game looks great. We have the Melissa and Doug Road Trip bingo and LOVE it….this might be next on our list.
Fantastic list!! Got some but not all – definitely could use that recharger…
The license plate game seems like a must for car travel, such fun!
Great ideas! We are going on some great road trips this spring/summer so I am definitely looking into these:)
I love the license plate game! My mom actually bought it for ME because I’m always keeping track (hey, we need to be entertained on long trips too!).
When my daughter was about a year old we had a long car trip and I had two small bags filled with some smaller stuffed animals/teething toys etc. I would give her one bag, and she would fling everything out of it. I would hand the second bag to her to play with while I refilled the other one. It was a life saver!
The license plate game looks super fun! This way the kids can know where each state actually is on the map–brilliant! Seeing this collage makes me think of a new site I found recently where you can create lists and buy the products from it all in one place. It makes it a lot easier (versus having to link to each product and open up so many different tabs). Here’s a link if you are interested in checking it out: http://www.sweetrelish.com
We havent done teh road trip thing with kids yet. When we do though we will be using these ideas!!