Road Trip with Kids: Keep Them Busy in the Car (and Gadget-Free!)

We love going on road trips, especially to places that are just a few hours away from Metro Manila where we live! But long hours just sitting down can easily wear the little ones out. Here are a few gadget-free tips to keep the kids busy during long car rides!

1. Bring Interactive Books: Like Lift-the-Flap and Workbooks

At 3, Luke is at a stage right now where he enjoys books that he can either answer or interact with. One of the books he particularly enjoys are these Kumon Workbooks. Honestly, this particular workbook on patterns is much suited for kids older than him but he loves that he can solve the simpler puzzles.

The only downside to this workbook is I have to answer it with him/check his answers, which can be pretty tiring if I just wanna take a nap. Haha. So…

… I also bring interactive books like lift-the-flap books, which he can enjoy on his own! No need for my supervision, well, most of the time. Hehe. He enjoys exploring what’s behind each flap and making up stories on his own.

2. Bring a Sketch Pad: Sheets of Paper, Sketch Toy or a Digital Pad (NOTE: NOT AN IPAD)

I understand that bringing sheets of actual paper can be messy (not to mention a hassle to draw on, unless you have a table set-up) so I highly recommend getting a toy that allows them to sketch and erase their doodles. I got a Cleverboard from Clever Gadgets and you can erase the page with just a click of a button.

When I’m not feeling lazy, I make my own worksheets on his sketch pad (like the one in the photo) and create simple puzzles for him to answer. Hey, a homeschooling mama has to multi-task!

This still counts as non-gadget since it’s more of a toy, right? 😉

3. Bring Reusable Sticker Pads

There are different kinds of reusable sticker pads available in bookstores and toy shops but the concept is the same. It’s a handy toy that they can play with again and again. Just make sure the stickers are really reusable!

If you were wondering about this particular sticker book, we got a bunch from National Bookstore before but I think they’ve already sold out and haven’t restocked since. As I know, Mellissa and Doug has a reusable sticker pad line, although, I personally haven’t tried those yet.

4. Play Audio Books

Luke loves songs so it’s a given that we can spend a good hour just playing his favorite Disney songs and he’d be happy singing along. But when the children’s songs are starting to feel a little too much for us (by us, I mean me and Mor haha), we play audio books or stories instead.

If you don’t have audiobooks, don’t worry because it’s easy to find on Spotify!

5. And Finally, your best bet: Travel During their Naptime

I know it’s not the same for all kids, but Luke LOVES napping in his car seat and I am so thankful for that. Usually, if we travel after lunch, he will (for sure) be knocked out by the time we head out so we try to schedule our car rides that way, if possible. It’s also convenient because then, once we get to our destination, he’ll be up and ready for exploring.

Needless to say, I use this time to either take a nap myself or catch up on my reading. Ahh… silence at last!

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If you have other tips you’d like to share, we’d love to hear it in the comments below!!