How to Keep Your Toddler Entertained on Long Drives

5 Ways to Keep Your Toddler Entertained During Long Drives/While Traveling Without a Screen

If you live far away from family like we do, you may need to brave a road trip in order to visit them. When your child was a baby, it was probably relatively easy to just get in the car and go. Now that that kiddo is more alert, possibly potty training, and in need of stimulation, car rides are starting to look a little different. 

Today I’m sharing my favorite ways to keep a toddler entertained on long drives. Check out my post on packing for the beach for even more ideas!

Use Toys They Don’t See Often

Toddlers are notorious for changing their minds. It is easy to get bored with a toy they see all the time. Save a few items specifically for road trips. They will be delighted (and enthralled for longer) by new and exciting toys. Below are some of my favorite options for long rides. 

Sticker books

Board Books

Writing Tablets

Puzzle Toys

Busy Boards

Listen to parent-friendly kids songs – I don’t know if you are aware, but children’s music has come a long, long way since we were kids. No longer are these kids listening to rote, annoying songs. Singers like Caspar Babypants and the Okee Dokee Brothers are making great music that you can actually enjoy (no bleeding ears here!) 

Pace Toy Usage 

Don’t just give your toddler all the toys and hope for the best. Try to start the trip off without any toys or distractions if you are leaving when your kiddo is wide awake. If that only lasts 20 minutes, cool. Longer, also cool. 

Give a new toy every hour (or hour and a half, depending on how into the toy your child is). If you stop every 2-3 hours, that means two toys per ride session. 

Stop Often

If you are anything like my husband, you’ll go as long as possible without stopping, avoiding it altogether if you can. But my tiny bladder and my toddler’s tiny attention span just cannot do that. 

It may take a bit longer, but stopping often is going to keep your little one from getting cranky, which in turn, saves you from getting cranky. Imagine if you were strapped down tightly for hours on end, you’d be barking to get out of the car too. As I mentioned above, we stop every 2-3 hours. If the trip is over 10 hours, we stop halfway (or nearabouts), and finish the rest of the journey the following morning. 

Take Advantage of Stops

• Try to time fuel stops and potty breaks together, so that you are not stopping twice as often. Even better if you can grab a meal, refuel, and potty all at once. 
• Whenever your child is out of the carseat, try to have them move as much as possible. Getting the wiggles out can make the time spent in the carseat flow much more smoothly. We like to find a grassy area and have our toddler race from one parent to the other. We also play Simon Says, focusing mainly on jumping, running, squatting, spinning, and jumping jacks. Anything that burns off some of that toddler energy. 
• If your child does fall asleep while driving, try to go as long as possible without stopping, preferably until the kiddo wakes up. The more they can sleep on long car rides, the less likely they are to become frustrated with being stuck in their carseat. 

Leave Early

My husband and I swear by leaving early in the day. There are less people on the roads, and you are more likely to miss rush hour. Both of which can cut down on your drive time. 

The goal here is to keep your toddler entertained and arrive at your destination safely. Is there a particular trick you like to use to keep your toddler entertained on long drives? Let me know in the comments below!