Screen Free Car Activities
I love going on vacations, especially to warm, sunny places! But taking a road trip with 3 kids is not easy. And 3 kids and no screens—that’s impossible, or is it? We have successfully made many family trips (6+ hours each way) with only minimal meltdowns and only screen-free activities. I’d say that’s pretty good odds when traveling with young children.
Car Trip Must Haves:
Snacks - Pack lots and lots of snacks (these are our favorite) for kids and adults! I like to pack healthy snacks like grapes, apples, carrots, granola bars, fruit leather, but I also throw in a few treats because it’s fun and deserved since they are in their car seat for so long. I try to do sugar-free fun treats to help keep things calm :) I like to put everyone’s snacks in gallon-size ziploc bags so it makes them feel special that they can choose their own snacks.
Something to drink - Pack a water bottle or sippy cup for each person so they can stay hydrated. I made the mistake of filling water bottles with sugar-free Gatorade as a fun surprise for the kids one time and paid for it later! The water bottles were empty within the first 30 minutes of our trip, and we had to make bathroom stops every 30 minutes for the next 2 hours of the trip. Whoops!
Grocery bags, paper towels, and an extra pair of clothes - Pack these in the car for trash, messes, and in case of car sickness. I have 2 kids that get sick almost every trip…poor babies.
Favorite blanket or stuffed animal - If your kids have an animal or blanket that they sleep with let them have it close by on the road trip just in case they need a comfort item to help them fall asleep.
Favorite toy and books - Let your child pick a favorite toy and books to take with them in the car.
Screen-free activities - Pack activities for each kid. I try to pack activities that meet the interest of each child. I tend to overpack on activities, but you never know what will entertain them the most, so I think it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Screen-Free Car Activities:
I try to keep all car activities a secret for the kids until we get in the car because then everything is new and holds their attention a little longer.
Peekaboo Board - I made this from a piece of cardboard, baby wipe lids, pictures, and textured materials. This was a huge hit! My daughter (she was 1 year old at the time) and even sons loved lifting the lids to see the pictures of family members and feel the textured items.
Fine Motor Skill Game - I also made a game from an oatmeal container where I cut holes in the lid, and she was able to slide pencils into the holes. She was also able to take the lid off and do the game all over again by herself. She was between 1 and 2 years old.
I packed the Dimpl Baby Popper that fascinated all my kids.
Stickers - These are always a big hit with my kids no matter the age. I got these puffy sticker books (Puffy Sticker Career Set and Puffy Sticker Farm) for my younger kids and these awesome Paint by Sticker books for my older one. We enjoy these activities outside the car too!
I also liked these lacing animals. The kids liked them, but they weren’t as big of a hit as I thought they would be. They only played with them once.
Magna Doodles - These are a great car trip activity because they are mess-free, the pen is attached to the board making it less likely for little fingers to drop it on the floor, and drawing and coloring is always a fun activity! My kids were between 1 and 5 years old at the time.
Writing Tablet - My kids are currently 7, 5, and 3 years old and love these boards! They are so easy to use, lightweight, mess-free and affordable! This is our biggest entertainment on car rides!
Cookie Tray - I like to pack a cookie tray from the dollar store for each child. These make great coloring surfaces or can be an activity to do with magnets. I attach magnets to the back of puzzle pieces for my older ones and bring along animal magnets for my younger one. I have also attached magnets to the bottom of laminated car mat printouts found on Pinterest for my kids to have a place to drive their cars.
Activity Binder or Personal Bag - My kids enjoy having a map with directions from our home to our destination; a pencil pouch with crayons, pencil, a couple of cars; “school” activity pages so they can practice skills they are currently learning; coloring pages specific to their interests; scrap paper; and a book full of stickers. This binder or bag just makes it special for each individual child because they get to have their own crayons and their own coloring pages to enjoy.
Magnetic Board Games - My children have recently gotten really into chess, so I found a magnetic chessboard that they could use in the car. I just set up a little table in between their car seats and they play their game (I have to figure out how to keep the board on the table when Daddy hits the breaks though ;)). A few other magnetic games we enjoy Hangman, Checkers, Tic-Tac-Toe.
Books on Tape - This was a HUGE hit on our last trip. My children enjoy any of the Geronimo Stilton series (they can usually be found at the library).
Temporary Tattoos - And last but not least, when everyone is getting tired and ready to be at the destination (which is usually the last hour of the drive) I pull out the temporary tattoos and let the kids pick a couple to put on. It takes them a while to decide which ones they want, which uses up traveling time. Then I wet a paper towel and tell them to place it wherever they want, cover it with the wet paper towel, and count to 30 (at least they are working on counting skills haha). Then they spend the rest of the drive admiring their new art.
I don’t pack all of these things each time we travel, but I wanted to provide you with the things I have used for different trips that have been successful. If you have any other ideas to share please comment below. I’d love to hear them!
