Clever Hacks to Keep Your Kids Entertained in the Car

When the words “Are we there yet?” become a daily occurrence in your back seat, you know it’s time to pull out all the stops. Long road trips or commutes to school can weigh heavy on children. With your eyes set on the road, it’s almost impossible to keep your little ones fully content. Luckily, there are cars with built-in Wi-Fi so you can stream just about any show or movie at any point. But what about the parents who want to restrict screen time? The good news is there are several ways to keep your kids entertained in the car, not always with the help of an electronic device.

Take a look at the most practical ways to keep your kids entertained during a road trip or commute in 2021.

From audiobooks to snacking: Here are the best ways to keep your kids entertained in the car

Forget relying on an iPad. Hit pause on that dreaded playlist you listen to on repeat. It’s time to try something new to keep your kids entertained in the car. Our sure-fire options will add some much needed relief to your travel regime. In addition, you’ll witness firsthand how your little ones will readily adapt once the electronic devices are put away (at least for a little while).

Play audiobooks

Need a break from your child’s favorite show? Check out some kid-friendly audiobooks to switch up your routine. Audible is a great source for parents looking for creative short stories and fables that will spark your youngsters’ passion for reading. Not to mention, it’s a great option to give their eyes a break from oversaturated screen time and let their imaginations take control. In 2021, it’s easily one of the best ways to keep your kids entertained in the car.

At home with the family? Want to turn off the TV? Try full cast audiobook series ALCATRAZ! Brandon Sanderson for ages 8 and up! A kid with a talent for breaking things must try to save the world in ALCATRAZ! https://t.co/ZVbM0x60m4 #Sanderson #KidsBooks #ChildrenBooks #library pic.twitter.com/kNOg00SmV0

— GraphicAudio (@GraphicAudio) September 12, 2021

Introduce an instrument

Before you go searching for a pair of earplugs, hear this option out. While the car might not be your first thought to allow instrument practice, it is actually a great use of time during your weekly commute. Choose a day or two each week where your little one can strum a guitar or play the recorder. You can even get the whole family involved with multiple instruments at play.

Roadtrip bingo

Simple games often do the trick of keeping your kids entertained in the car. However, bingo takes the cake in making a long road trip seem more fun. The Travel Channel provides free downloadable and print options for the whole family to enjoy. Even better, you can make your own!

Love that our daughter decided to make us each travel bingo cards for our roadtrip. Turns out the blue one on the bottom row is road kill! 😂 @TysonHolly19 #creativekid #travelbingo pic.twitter.com/F1NkMyybWS

— Rebecca Holly (@HollyBean04) July 27, 2021

Download educational apps

When you can’t seem to separate screen time from car time, the best way around this is to implement educational apps. From Busy Shapes to ABCmouse, your growing kids will find entertainment, with a splash of learning, in many shapes and forms. You can gain better control of their screen time by restricting app use to car rides explicitly. Therefore, they’ll look forward to their time in car even more than before.

Surprise! The best way to keep your kids entertained in the car

If feasible, establish an element of surprise each week. This will not only spark their enthusiasm for the road ahead, it will keep your weekly commute diverse. It can be anything from a mystery box of toys, pit stop at favorite drive-through, portable board game, or movie day. This option will likely turn some frowns upside down on any occasion. The anticipation of the surprise will help ease those traffic-filled school days.

Final thoughts on how to keep your kids entertained in the car

Parents have the responsibility to keep their kids safe in the car. While the automakers do their part to produce the safest vehicles on the market, it becomes the parents job to choose the right car seats, follow proper buckling instructions, and make certain their little one is content on the journey.

Our suggestions on how to keep your kids entertained in the car will help alleviate the stress of riding to and from school each day. The ultimate goal is to reduce distracted driving and improve the overall experience of your commute each week or next family vacation.

Give these clever hacks a try and comment below if they worked for you!