Before you head out on your next family road trip, check out these toys for the car. You won’t regret it!
Is anything more dreaded than traveling a long distance in a car with small children? Honestly, I can’t think of much. Awaiting a prison sentence? Perhaps my annual gynocologist visit? Truly struggling to come up with something I dread more…
The time between knowing we are going on a long road trip and actually leaving on the long road trip gives me so much anxiety. The only thing that sort of makes me feel better is planning. Planning, planning, planning. We need things to eat, things to do, and then more things to eat and do when we are finished with the first things.
If you are like me and dread road trips, allow me to make your next car ride a little less miserable. I list for you my favorite toys for the car. These car ride activities are kid-tested by my own little ones. They are perfect activities for young children.
What Makes A Great
Toy for the Car?
- Quiet – Really goes without explaining…
- Easy to contain – I prefer toys without a bunch of pieces, but sometimes that can’t be avoided. What I really look for are toys that don’t take up a lot of space.
- Independent play – Something they can play with by themselves. It doesn’t require me to set up, or press buttons, or read instructions.
- Will hold interest – This is the tough one. It is so frustrating to get a child set up playing a certain game or toy only for them to lose interest after 5 minutes. Finding a toy that will keep a child occupied for an extended period of time is amazing!
Toys for the Car
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1. Magnetic Tins
Magnetic Tins are perfect for the car. We have the dinosaur magentic tin and it is used a lot. If your kids aren’t into dinosaurs, don’t fear! They have so many different themes. A few themes include:
2. Writing Tablets
I really like these Writing Tablets because they can be used to draw, write, and create over and over again. You don’t have stacks of loose paper all over the car. We are extremely messy roadtrippers, so I appreaciate any effort to prevent a car full of garbage when we reach our destination.
3. Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger Hunt is a great way to kill some time in the car. The concept is simple, everyone has to try and find whatever is on the card that is drawn. It could be a stop sign, a purple car, a police officer, etc.
4. Squigz
Squigz are another great car ride toy. Not only do they stick to each other, but they also stick to the window. My kids have a lot of fun creating different “things” with Squigz in the car.
5. Seek & Find Books
We are super into Seek & Find Books these days. What I love about this Seek & Find is that it has a dry erase marker. It can be used over and over again. When one kid is fininished with the book all you have to do is wipe off the pages and hand it to the next kid. Perfect!
More Car Ride Help
If you have made it this far (thank you!) and are still a little nervous about your upcoming travels, fear not! I also have Tips for Traveling with Kids where I share a few things I have learned after a few VERY LONG family road trips.
Have you tried any of these toys for the car? Do you have any tried and true toys you turn to? Please share in the comments!!
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