Road trip games for toddlers
Road Trip Games For Kids
Driving to your next destination could actually be fun! Photo: Maria Smith
Family road trips are not just about getting to a destination.They are also about the journey. I’m all for iPads and DVD players and other technology but there is something to be said for turning all that off and actually coming together to pass the time. This is when memories are made.
Even with all the technology in the world, there will come a time when the battery runs dead, the headphones break, or *GASP* you travel through an internet dead zone. Be prepared for this on your next family trip with these old-school road trip games for kids.
The journey and not just the destination will have your kids jumping for joy. Photo: Maria Smith
9 Road Trip Games For Kids1. Twenty Questions
Who can play: Ages 5 and up
Items needed: None
To play Twenty Questions, you just have to have one person choose a person, place or thing. Then everyone else gets twenty questions to try to figure out what that person is thinking about. It might be difficult for smaller children, but you never know. Sometimes it’s the youngest ones who have the best questions!
2. License Plate Game
Who can play: Ages 7 and up
Items needed: paper and pencil for each player
This is one of the old school road trip games that works best during those long cross-country hauls. Start when you pull out of the driveway and as each player sees a new state on a license plate, they mark that state down on their paper. After a certain amount of time, like to the first bathroom break, you count up how many states each player has found and the person with the most states is the winner. Feel free to continue the game or start over.
Old school road trip games are not just a relic of the past. With the massive takeover of handheld technology and wireless internet access, it may seem like they are needed about as much as a CB radio is needed.
However, there is a reason they survived so many years of family road trips. They are fun and (don’t tell the kids) educational too!
3. The Name Game
Who can play: Ages 4 and up
Items needed: none
The fun thing about this game is there are endless variations. The basic one is that you start naming names as you go around the car. You have only 3 seconds (or 3 hand claps or some other appropriate time scale) to come up with a name for your turn. If you fail to think of one, then you’re out. Be sure to say what qualifies as a name (first name only? Last names? Fictional names?). Also, we give my five-year-old two “misses” before he’s out. Consider doing that for the younger kids so they can still play along and you avoid unnecessary meltdowns. Done with names? Play the same game with colors, cities, countries, feelings, etc.
You may also enjoy this article: 100 Things To Always Keep In The Car
There is plenty to “spy” when you’re on the road.
Photo: Maria Smith
4. I Spy
Who can play: All ages
Items needed: None
This is one of the perennial old school road trip games. Everyone can do it, though little kids may choose some obvious objects. Be sure to start the game saying if the item the person “spies” should be inside or outside the car. This may be a little difficult if you have color-blind family members.
5. Name That Tune
Who can play: All ages but best for tweens and teens
Items needed: None (unless you want to keep score)
Use one of the streaming services on a phone to let one person control the music in the car. He or she will play up to 5 seconds of a song and the rest of the group has to guess which song that is. You may want to limit the songs to one genre, like Disney music for example, so little ones can play too.
Planning to trip to a Disney Theme Park? Check out this Disney family road trip playlist.
6. Road-trip BINGO
Who can play: All ages
Items needed: Pre-made travel bingo board games
There is a reason BINGO has remained popular over the decades.
Everyone loves it. We bought $1 travel bingo board games from Target but you can also make your own. The players just need to pay attention to the passing landscape and find the items on the board. On long road trips you may want to get creative and decide what constitutes a BINGO (four corners, all-board, X, etc).
7. Hangman
Who can play: Ages 6 and up (readers)
Items needed: Pencil and pad of paper
One player thinks of a word and puts the corresponding number of dashes on a piece of paper. Other players guess letters that may be in the word. If they guess a letter that is not in the word, a part of the hangman is created. We use head, two arms, body, and two legs. This gives the player six chances to get letters wrong before they lose. Ultra-competitive family members can make this hard by choosing very hard words so be wary of that. Also, early readers may not know the correct spelling and should check with someone not playing that the word they want is spelled correctly.
Need help keeping the car clean while on your trip? Here are 9 Easy Road Trip Hacks To Keep Your Car Clean.
8. Story Starter
Who can play: All ages
Items needed: None
This is one of those really fun games that is sure to end in fits of laughter. One person starts a story but doesn’t finish the sentence. The next person finishes that sentence and starts another, continuing that story. Even little ones can play and often provide some hilarious additions.
9. Alphabet game
Who can play: Ages 5 and up
Items needed: None
The Alphabet game works best on long, cross-country road trips, especially those that travel through small towns. Simply find words that start with each letter of the alphabet. First to find them all wins. Word to the wise: just eliminate Q, X and Z. Make it easy on yourself and your kids. For a different variation, have each player write the alphabet out on a piece of paper. As they see a word, have them cross out the letter that the word starts with.
- Bio
- Latest Posts
Maria Smith is the founder of MamaliciousMaria.com, one of the top parenting, travel and auto blogs in the country. A member of the Greater Atlanta Automotive Media Association, Maria is Married with 4 kids aged 4 to 10. In her pre-baby life she was a TV producer at The Oprah Winfrey Show, among others, and these days, aside from motherhood and writing, plays a mean game of tennis, travels constantly and covets finding fun things for moms to do.
50 Road Trip Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers — A Mom Explores
THE BEST ROAD TRIP ACTIVITIES FOR TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS
The prospect of entertaining toddlers and preschoolers on a long road trip is enough to deter even the bravest parent from traveling. Kids can go stir crazy, whine incessantly, drop things a million times, and refuse to nap.
Here's the deal though, guys. Practice and preparation make for fantastic road trips with even the most spirited of toddlers.
The more you do it, the more your kids know what to expect. And the more prepared you are as a parent with different (independent) activities for them to do, the more you can relax and enjoy the journey.
After multiple road trips from Florida to Wisconsin and back, and countless day trips in our surrounding area, we've got long car rides with our baby, toddler, and preschooler down to a science.
If you're traveling with a 2-year-old by car, you'll need activities to keep them entertained. In my experience, a cross country road trip with a 2-year-old isn't so bad if you're prepared. The best road trip activities for little kids are simple, mess-free, and something they can do without supervision. Here are the best road trip activities for 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, and preschoolers that I've come up with!
Don’t forget to grab my Family Travel Planner so you can stop stressing about the logistics of your trip and have everything in one organized place!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Independent Play
1. Melissa and Doug Water Wow Books
We love these books for church, quiet time at home, and especially long car rides. (Really, you can't go wrong with anything from Melissa and Doug). There is absolutely no mess involved, and kids love how the color appears on the page by "painting" it with the water brush. Just be sure to keep some water on hand to refill the water paint brush throughout the trip!
Find them here.
2. Scavenger Hunt
Print out my free scavenger hunt, and have your child circle or color the items they see as you're driving along. This game gave me a good hour of quiet time as my four-year-old hunted for the items on her list. Even the two-year-old got involved, although he didn't quite catch on to circling the items.
3. Workbooks
Kids love working their way through the activities in workbooks.
I love checking the dollar store for some inexpensive options for road trips, and Amazon has a few great options, too! The only downside - you might need to read the instructions for younger kids who can't read yet, but still want to do the activity correctly. Obviously, my toddler can't read, but he couldn't care less about what the activity is. He just colors and scribbles away!
I really like this set from Crayola for kids going into preschool, and this set for kids going into kindergarten.
4. Laptops & "Phones"
If you're desperate for a break from entertaining them, turn to educational electronic toys. We have this Laptop from VTech which goes through letters, shapes, and music. My kids like to pull this out when I'm working on my laptop so they can pretend they're working, too!
Then there's this LeapFrog Scribble and Write tablet for kids. My little ones call it the "green phone", and it has been so helpful for distracting my toddler on long drives while helping him learn to write his letters.
5. Sight Words Tin
I have my big sister to thank for this genius activity! Grab a metal tin or tin lunch box, jumbo popsicle sticks, and a roll of magnetic tape. Write sight words on one side of each popsicle stick with a Sharpie. They can either put together "sentences" or try to recreate the words with alphabet refrigerator magnets.
I like this Melissa and Doug set of magnets because they're nice and large to avoid choking.
6. Audiobooks
Head to the library for some completely free books on CD to listen to as a family. Remember kids can understand a higher level when listening to a story than they can actually read, so don't be afraid to go with a chapter book!
You can also check out Audible for some children's audiobooks to download to your phone!
7. Activity Binder
Print out some educational worksheets and put them in a binder for your child to work on throughout the trip. Add a 3 ring binder pouch for pencils, pens, and crayons.
You can also put the worksheets in plastic page protectors and let the kids use a dry erase marker to use over and over.
I've created a road trip related activity packet that's perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. You can grab it here!
Related: How To Make Road Trip Binders for Your Kids
8. Crayola Color Wonder Stow & Go
Parents of toddlers: have you ever climbed in the backseat of the minivan to find the walls covered in crayon? Just me?
Anyway, the Crayola Color Wonder products are awesome because they only show up on the special paper that comes with the set. The Stow & Go set is perfect for the car because they can use it as a mini desk and there's a place to store their markers and stamps.
9. Seek & Find Books
Check out the library for some search & find or I Spy type books. Kids love poring over the pages to find the hidden items and will buy you lots of free time to relax and read or nap.
There are great options on Amazon, too. The Big Book of Seek & Find is such a fun one!
10. Snacks
Ah, my favorite part of a road trip: the food! Finding the perfect snack for kids on a road trip is an art. It's got to be easily portable, not too messy, not too crumbly, somewhat healthy, and something the kids will actually eat.
My best snack ideas: apple slices, string cheese (if you have a cooler), dry cereal, bananas, bell pepper sticks, homemade cereal bars, applesauce pouches, homemade mini muffins, Annie's Cheddar Bunnies or Bunny Grahams, Cliff Z-bars, fruit leathers, and animal crackers.
Related: Healthy Road Trip Snack Ideas for the Whole Family
11. Maps and Atlases
There's nothing I love more than getting my kids involved in the planning and execution of travel. Giving them a map of your journey or destination gives them a sense of control when things are very much outside their comfort zone.
You can just print out a blank map of the United States or your state, and draw in your road trip route with a Sharpie or pen. Then let them color and decorate the map as you go. If you're crossing through several states you can do more interactive activities like having them draw an X through each state as you enter or leave.
You could also print out a map of your route from Google Maps and let them trace along as you go. This will help give them an idea of how far you are on the journey!
12. Wikki Stix
These bendy, sticky little sticks seriously provide hours of entertainment. I introduced these to my kids in their travel-themed Easter baskets, and they've been creating like crazy with them.
It's incredible to see what even my 2-year-old will come up with on his own. Railroads, a road for his cars to drive on, and a basketball. My 4-year-old has been creating flowers, necklaces, letters, and people with hers.
They're perfect for a road trip because they don't create a mess and the stick factor helps them stay in place instead of constantly falling on the floor.
Check out the Wikki Stix blog for some ideas for using them on a road trip.
13. Boogie Board
These are seriously one of the best gifts my daughter has ever gotten, and my son is getting one for his third birthday this year. We use them all the time to keep the kids quiet in church, and they work just as well on road trips.
Boogie Boards are LCD writing tablets that come with a stylus for writing. Just make sure to invest in a backup set of styluses because your child will absolutely drop or lose the original. Even though it comes with a stylus clip at the top.
14. Sticker Books
My kids are seriously sticker obsessed. If we ever move out of our house, I know I'll have to set aside an entire day to hunt for stickers on every surface. On road trips, we love these reusable Melissa and Doug sticker books because they can't get stickers all over the car seats and windows.
15. Movies
Yes, sometimes a little screen time is necessary for everyone's sanity, especially if your trip is longer than 2 hours.
On our epic car rides from Florida to Wisconsin, we try limit movie time to after dark, but there are times when we can tell the kids just need to zone out.
We don't' have portable DVD players, so we download movies and shows from Netflix to the iPad and strap it to the back of the headrest with this amazing tablet holder. The only downside is making sure the iPad stays charged, so we use one of these super long charger cables.
16. Toy Catalogues
Kids love looking through toy catalogues and dreaming of the possibilities. Tell your kids to circle the ones they want to add to their Christmas or birthday list. If you want to make it more of a challenge, have older kids practice their writing by copying the names of the toys onto a separate piece of paper to make their wish list.
17. Magnetic Cookie Sheet
Head to the Dollar Store and pick up a cookie sheet or two specifically for the road trip. Stock up on cheap magnets such as alphabets, numbers, shapes, animals, and characters.
Give spelling challenges, have them do patters, or just let them run wild with their imagination.
You can also teach them how to use the cookie sheet as a desk by putting a magnet at the top corners of their paper to hold it in place.
18. Pipe Cleaners in a Coffee Can
Poke holes in the top of an old coffee can and let little ones poke pipe cleaners through them. The same could be done with an old cardboard box or shoebox, a colander, or an empty coffee creamer bottle. Or, you know, just let kids create whatever they want with the pipe cleaners.
19. Travel Journal
This could be as simple as an empty notebook where they record journal entries to a special book with prompts and spots for pictures. Check out the one I created just for kids to use! It has space for 3 separate trips, and parents can help kids record their own memories.
20. Flash Cards
We have so many flashcard sets at home with sight words, simple math problems, Spanish words, and shapes, but I hate cleaning them up when the kids inevitably drop them everywhere in the car.
Pro TIp: Put them on a giant binder ring so you aren't cleaning up cards at every rest stop.
21. Cereal Necklace
Put some Fruit Loops or Cheerios on a piece of string or yarn and make a necklace for the kids. When they're bored and hungry let them go to town on their cereal necklace! This should keep them busy for a few minutes at least...
22. Felt Board
This portable felt board comes with storage and is such a fun option for letting your toddler's imagination run wild!
23. Books
I love reading in the car, so it's nice to establish some quiet reading time for the whole family. Bring your favorite books from home, borrow some new ones from the library, or surprise the kids with a special new book for the trip. Put on some classical music and set a timer for 20 minutes when everyone needs to be looking through a book.
24. Music
If you have a favorite kids' CD or playlist on your phone, blast some tunes and let the kids sing along.
We like Disney songs, Daniel Tiger songs, Cantar y Jugar (songs in Spanish), and Seeds Family Worship.
25. Nap or Quiet Time
Let each child bring their favorite pillow, blanket, and stuffed animal in the car. When it's time for afternoon nap, stop at a rest stop and help everyone get cozy and tucked in. Make sure they have something quiet to do or look at, and establish nap time. They may not sleep, but at least you'll be sticking to your daily routine which helps give the day some structure.
26. Letter Tracing Pages
Get a book with letter tracing activities, or print out some letter tracing activities. Have younger kids practice writing their name over and over, or simply letters of the alphabet. Have older preschoolers and kindergarteners work on tracing sight words. Powerful Mothering has free name tracing worksheet printables! (You can add them to your activity binder!)
27. Kids apps
Download these apps to your phone or tablet before you depart and give your kids some extra screen time that's also educational.
I plan on having options on both the iPad and Kindle Fire (in case I'm reading and want to use my Kindle!)
28. Colorful Tape
Give your kids a few rolls of colorful masking tape or Washi tape and let them pull, tear, and create to their heart's content.
29. Window Markers
If I'm being 100% honest I'm not sure I would be brave enough to let my kids do this. But if you're a fun mom and you trust your kids not to destroy the car, let them color and decorate the windows with these fun window markers! You can clean the windows when they're done with a damp paper towel or baby wipe.
30. Kids' Podcasts
I am an avid podcast listener, and often that means my kids are forced to listen along to episodes about moms or business or personal development. That got me thinking...maybe there are podcasts just for kids! Sure enough, there are some incredible options, even for the youngest of listeners.
Some we can't wait to try are: Disney Story Central, Story Pirates, But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids, and the Sesame Street Podcast for my littlest guys.
(These are geared toward younger kids. If you have older kids a quick Google search will give you plenty of ideas for them!)
31. Dollar Store Toys
Give each of your children a few bucks and let them pick out their very own road trip toys at the Dollar Store. Then put them away until the trip so they'll feel new and exciting once you're on the open road. The kids will feel a sense of pride and ownership, so hopefully, they'll really take care of and utilize their very own toys.
32. Calculators
Seriously, you guys. Since we're talking about the Dollar Store, pick out a few cheap calculators specifically for the trip. My kids pretend they're phones which makes them think calculators are cool and exciting. Maybe even teach your preschoolers or kindergartener how to punch in basic math problems!
33. Tape race track or train track
Before you leave, use some colorful tape to create a road, race track, or train track on a cookie sheet or piece of cardboard, and bring along some toy cars and trains to play with.
34. Foil Ball
Ball up a bunch of tin foil (again, the Dollar Store is great for this) and let the kids mold and shape it however they want. Of course, this isn't great for really little kids who put everything in their mouth, so use your best judgment on which ages this is appropriate for.
35. Magnadoodle with Stamps
I would be remiss not to mention this classic toy for road trip fun. This little travel sized one comes with stamps and a "pen" to create masterpieces.
Parent Involvement
36. Guessing Games
For really young kids, choose simple games like "Guess which animal I am." You can make noises or describe the animal.
For older kids, you can do more challenging things like "Guess which song I'm humming." or "Guess which food/plant/place I'm describing."
37. Mad Libs
Of course, this game is better suited for grade school aged kids, but you can definitely make it work with the little ones for lots of laughs.
Mad Libs Junior books give lists of silly words to choose from, and The Pinning Mama has some free printable Mad Libs Style Stories for Preschoolers.
38. I Spy
"I spy something (insert color)," is a classic road trip game. Though incredibly dull for Mom and Dad, kids love making their parents guess what they're thinking. The nice thing, though, is that even the youngest in the car can get involved.
39. Teach Them Road Trip Songs
99 bottles of milk on the wall, the Wheels on the Bus, the Ants go Marching, This Old Man, Down By the Bay, and if your kids like Jake and the Neverland Pirates, try the Roll Up the Map song!
40. Learn a Language
We like to listen to Coffee Break Spanish podcasts, since I'm a former Spanish teacher. They have other languages, too, like French, Italian, German, or Chinese. These start from the very basics, and keep my kids engaged during long car rides (and I like learning along with them!).
You can also find language learning CDs from the local library!
41. Discussion Questions
Prepare a jar of discussion questions written on scraps of paper ahead of time. Take turns picking questions out of the jar and answering them as a family. Some ideas: What's your favorite (food, animal, treat, toy, movie)? What would your superhero name be and what powers would you have? What makes you (laugh, cry, mad)? What's something you're really good at?
42. Alphabet Scavenger Hunt
Look for the letters of the alphabet in order verbally, or have the kids cross them off or circle them on a sheet of paper as you find them.
43. Jokes and Joke Books
Look up jokes for toddlers or preschoolers on the internet and write them out ahead of time, or check your local library for kids' joke books.
Here's a great option for kids in preschool to grade 2.
Or just let your kids make up their own jokes. Obviously , the jokes will make no sense, but the kids will have a blast doing it anyway!
44.
Counting GamesSet the timer and see how many red cars you can count in 1 minute. You can do the same for cows, buildings, trees, birds, or whatever object you can think of.
45. Kid's Version of Scattergories
I "invented" this game when we were stuck in the doctor's office for over an hour with no snacks, toys, or games. We took turns picking a letter and just listed all the words we could think of that start with that letter.
46. The Quiet Game
Props to you if you can get your kids to go for this one! We all know how this works. The person who can hold out the longest without making a noise wins! Raise the stakes by offering a snack or "new toy" from the Dollar Store to the winner.
47. Don't Laugh
This can be played two ways. 1.) One person is "it" and tries to make the others in the car laugh by any means necessary. Everyone else has to try to keep a straight face! The person who can go the longest without laughing wins. 2.) Two people play against each other and try to make each other laugh with or without sound (you choose).
The first person who laughs loses.
48. Good Thing/Bad Thing
We do this every night at dinner, but it would make a great end of the day road trip discussion. What was one good thing that happened to you today? What was one bad thing? I've also heard this called high/low (the high point of your day and the low point of your day).
49. Official Tallies
Keep a clipboard in the car, and at the beginning of the road trip choose an official object that you're going to keep track of. How many school buses will you see on the trip? How many deer? How many Montana license plates?
Once you've chosen your object, have everyone make an official guess, and write down the guesses.
During the trip, take turns being the official scribe who keeps a tally of the items. At the end of the trip, see whose guess was the closest!
50. Story Telling
Share the story of how Mom and Dad met. Tell them about your study abroad adventure in college (the PG version).
Share a funny story about when you got in trouble as a kid. Kids LOVE hearing bits and pieces of their parents' lives.
Then let your kids tell their own stories (the time they scored a goal in soccer, the time they learned to ride a bike, their first day of preschool, etc). Warning: if your kids are anything like my daughter, these stories will last for approximately 47 minutes each.
PREPARING FOR YOUR ROAD TRIP
Grab your Road Trip Activity Book for toddlers and little kids
Check out my whole list of toddler-friendly activities on Amazon
Packing for a Road Trip with Young Kids
Healthy Road Trip Snacks for the Whole Family
What did I miss? What games or activities do you do on road trips with your little kids?
DON’T FORGET IT! PIN IT!
games in the car, train, plane — Ozon Club
A long journey is an opportunity to have fun with your family.
But not every child will be occupied with landscapes outside the window, colorful cars and unfamiliar houses for a long time.
The range of entertainment depends on the vehicle, but it is important to take one favorite toy. It will help the child to calm down, feel comfortable in an unfamiliar place. It is advisable to take all other items new so that they arouse interest.
Toys for girls: rating of the best
More toys!
Travel by train
The most comfortable option: you can move around the car, play at the table, communicate with other fellow travelers. There are no strict restrictions on the weight and size of luggage. Therefore, if the trip is going to be a long one, you can take several different toys, sets for creativity.
Special travel games for children are also on sale.
Train set:
• Painting set. Album, notebook, notebook. Instead of getting dirty felt-tip pens, it is better to take pencils, wax crayons, multi-colored pens. For kids, you can grab thin stencils and coloring books that match their age and hobbies.
• Adventure games (walkers). They will captivate young travelers for a long time, help them master counting. There is a huge selection of topics. Action games differ in the size of the fields, the number of moves, cost, workmanship. It is not necessary to purchase expensive options. The main thing is the presence of a cube, chips, a field. 9• Books. Should correspond to age, hobbies, preferences.
You can take children's magazines, crossword puzzles or puzzles. Read more about contemporary books for children here.
• Uno Junior. Children's version of an exciting game. Helps pass long hours of travel. Develops memory, logic, reaction speed, attention. The age declared by the manufacturer is 5+. Users note that even a 4-year-old child will be able to play this lightweight version of Uno.
Board game Mattel UNO Junior, updated, GKF04
439₽ 674₽
• Dominoes. You can buy an inexpensive plastic domino just for a trip, or immediately take a quality wooden set for permanent use. Instead of "adult" points - animals and bright pictures.
Children's wooden domino for children. Pets. Board game. Development game. Logic game. Andante
383₽ 533₽
335₽ 390₽
419₽ 595₽
472₽ 950₽
• Educational cards.
For example, Doman's sets: objects from the surrounding world are drawn in detail on them and their names are written. You can search for analogues, choose a theme, a suitable age range.
Educational game / cheat sheets for mom / Doman's cards for newborn children
377 ₽ 630 rubles
267 ₽ 399 rubles
231 ₽ 399 rubles
9000 310 rubles 369 rubles• Planet. You need to download cartoons and audio fairy tales in advance. You can take a children's learning tablet. Interesting option - tablet (board) for drawing with light.
Gift set for drawing with light, tablet for drawing A3, Creativity set
1 543 rubles 4 000 ₽
1 097 ₽ 4 000 ₽
899 ₽ To save space, children's toys on the road can be taken out of the boxes and packed compactly in plastic bags, folders.
Traveling by car
Traveling by car is a bit more difficult, most of the time you have to sit. Therefore, the choice of children's games in the car is limited. If you buy a portable table for a car seat, almost all the options described above will do - sets for creativity and drawing, developing cards.
Finger theater is one of the best entertainment for children in the car. Photo: depositphotos
What other toys to take in the car for children:
• Orbo puzzle. Small ball with holes and balls inside. Balls come in different sizes and colors. They help relieve stress, develop motor skills, logical thinking, perseverance.
Puzzle magic rainbow ball Orbo Yongjun. Educational children's toy, gift for a child. Rubik's ball, antistress ball, 3D tags
227₽ 399₽
• Tetris. You can take a classic electronic toy or purchase a wooden analogue (Montessori method), which is a frame with inserts.
PSP Tetris Game, Educational Toy for Boys and Girls 17*9*3cm February 23 gift
Wooden Tetris. Educational toy Tangram - Board logic game according to the Montessori method 9• Finger theater Gives a lot of emotions, promotes the development of speech, creative thinking, fantasy. You just need to choose the right characters from a familiar cartoon or fairy tale.
Finger Theater "Puppy Patrol"
743 rubles 940 ₽
1 343 rubles 1 599 rubles
870 ₽ 1 199000 421 ₽
699 ₽ 900 ₽
• Children's microphone (Karaoka) . Powered by batteries. It contains popular songs from cartoons that cheer you up.
Karaoke-microphone with cartoons, children's toy Azbukvarik 08006-2
674 ₽ 728 rubles
3 135 ₽ 5 500 ₽
1 314 rubles 2 681 rubles
621 ₽ 770 ₽
• Magnetic games. The choice of topics is large. There are kits for dressing dolls, treating animals, assembling cars. Bestseller - "Noah's Ark" Bondibon. This is a special children's toy in a travel car.
Bondibon travel magnetic game, NOAH'S ARK, SGT 240 RU.
1 236 rubles 1 360 ₽
1 360 ₽ 1 943 rubles
1 325 ₽ 1 893 ₽
537 ₽ 644 ₽
1 007 ₽ 1,549 rubles
A car involves stopping. During them, make the most of your free time with active games on the street. You can grab the ball or just run. The main thing is that the child must spend energy, breathe fresh air.
Air travel
During the flight, you will have to sit all the way, you can not make noise. In addition, it will not be possible to take a large number of things, since the weight of hand luggage is limited. Therefore, children's games in an airplane should be quiet, exciting, and toys should be light and small.
Books with stickers, a magnetic board can captivate a child of 3-7 years old. Photo: depositphotos
A selection of entertainment on the plane:
• Write-erase magnetic board.
Eliminates the need to carry paper, crayons, pencils, and then throw out the trash. Also, nothing will fall. The toy will come in handy even after the trip.
Colored Kari Magnetic Drawing Board BT806670
699₽ 1,123₽
• Book with stickers. Will captivate the little traveler for a long time, will contribute to the development of fine motor skills.
Stickers LETTER-LAND "Animals", 500 stickers, for babies, children's book | Sokolova Julia Sergeevna
297₽ 678₽
• Educational mini-game "Kids count". Miniature format (created specifically for the road), bright pictures, interesting tasks. You can look for similar options for older people.
Bondibon compact educational game for the road "Kids count"
533₽ 899₽
• Plasticine Play-Doh.
You don't need to take a lot, just one jar of your favorite color is enough. Plasticine takes up little space, does not get dirty, does not stick, allows you to take the baby for a long time. It is convenient to play on the folding table of the aircraft. 9Ol000 090₽
Also suitable are miniature dolls, cars, animal figurines. You can play role-playing games, train speech, memory, fine motor skills, get acquainted with new words. In addition to children's games on the road, we recommend taking su-jok (ring or ball). Massage of children's arms and legs will help relieve tension, fatigue, and compensate for the lack of movement.
Su-Jok spiked massage ball, hand and foot massager with two ring springs
175₽ 399₽
Traveling by bus
The most difficult way for children to get around.
Often there are no folding tables on buses, other passengers are very close. Therefore, children's games on the bus should be quiet, calm, but interesting. It is worth grabbing books with colorful pictures. You can also take a tablet with cartoons, fairy tales, it is advisable to purchase children's headphones.
Bus travel entertainment selection:
• Anti-stress toys. Children love all kinds of Pop it, Simple Dimple, expanders, spinners. They are inexpensive, compact, perfectly occupy hands.
TIPTOP TNARTION TYMENT ANTISTRESS for children Eternal pimpa Pop it Pop IT Davilka Pumpkin SIMPLE DIMPPL, MAUS MAUS
159 Rhesi 360 Rhesi
263 Rhesi 900 Rulers
349 ₽ 790 ₽ 9000 558 rubber 599₽
• Laces.
There are a huge number of species. They differ in size, theme, complexity. The kid can take lacing with large details.
Lacing Hedgehog with an apple and a mushroom (wooden educational game, manual dexterity, fine motor skills, lace), from 3 years old, Timbergroup Master of Toys It is not necessary to take balls, you can buy options with animals, fruits.
Baby lacing. Animals. Developmental set of lacing. Wood lacing 32 elements. Andante
617₽ 899₽
• Figurines of wild or domestic animals, birds. It will turn out to talk about the features of each representative of the fauna, its size, nutrition. The figurines are suitable for role-playing games.
Pet figurines, 12 pcs, children's play set0003
418₽ 549₽
619₽ 774₽
• Smart cards.
Ready-made educational travel games for kids, on which thematic tasks and questions are written. For example, on a card with a tiger, the child will be asked to remember what other animals have stripes. The cards are small in size with bright illustrations. Topics are different: the world around us, animals, counting, letters, reading, logic puzzles.
Animals. Educational cards 0+
379₽ 446₽
• Magnetic puzzles. A good option is a Farm Frenzy puzzle with a drawing board. A feature of the set is a box that can act as a table. The magnets hold well, you can draw on the other side.
Educational game "Magnetic puzzle with a drawing board"
707₽ 1,764₽
Where to put toys
Many people use a transparent (thin) bag and put all the road games for children together.
The child will definitely notice the stock and will want to sort out the contents as soon as possible. It is better to use fabric bags, plastic boxes, small boxes, folders. The choice of packaging depends on the method of travel and the amount of luggage.
Shopper bag
₽2,033
₽265 ₽750
₽176 ₽313
It is advisable to pack each game separately in opaque bags or bags. When traveling by car, you can put a part in the trunk. Just don’t hide it in a far corner: children’s games will have to be taken out and swapped on the way.
What not to take on the road with a child
Travel toys for children, first of all, should not get their hands dirty, stick, slip, crumble and break.
Otherwise, you will have to assemble parts, clean car covers or scrub the floor in the carriage compartment.
Toys for boys: rating of the best
We have compiled our rating of toys for boys based on the manufacturer's reputation, psychologists' assessment and Ozon customer reviews.
Read
What other toys and games are not suitable:
• Volumetric, large, heavy. A railroad, a 1,000-piece Lego, or a big doll is best left at home.
• Dangerous. Metal cars, toys with sharp corners and protruding thin parts cannot be used while the vehicle is in motion. Sudden braking, sudden turning can lead to injury.
• Too small. Mosaics and puzzles with miniature details will fall out of hands and get lost.
Properly selected children's road games will keep not only the child entertained. Parents will also be able to join the kid and pass the time. It is worth preparing for the trip in advance so that a week or two before the trip you can buy new toys, educational toys for children. But to make sure that the kids do not find them before the trip, otherwise the objects on the plane or train will no longer be a surprise for them.
Photo: depositphotos
what toys to take with you
Every parent who is going on a trip with a child under three years old by plane, train, bus or car, the question arises: “What toys should I take with me on the road? ". We have prepared a list of materials that you can put in your Montessori bag to make your trip with your baby interesting, joyful and inspiring.
Here are the points that will help you orient yourself.
Children's perception of what is happening here and now differs from that of an adult
A person of early age perceives not movement in a closed space, but the place itself and everything connected with being in it.
It is as if we entered the cabin of the aircraft as a kind of interior, got used to it, did something exciting, looked out the window, which “shows” different pictures, and when we got out, we suddenly found ourselves in another city or another country.
So far, small children can only enjoy what is interesting in a particular place, and not the very fact of moving, as we do. Babies just don't realize what's natural for us yet.
In the new space, the child will first of all start looking for landmarks that will give him a sense of security and reliability.
Only when the baby feels safe physically and mentally, he will begin to play, choose and discover new things on his own with desire and enthusiasm.
Learn more about what and how to keep your little one busy on the road so they don’t have tantrums in our mini-course “Trip without tantrums”
Children need a choice what is around him in order to adapt, learn and develop. This is very exciting to him! And if we take with us items that correspond to age interests, and give the kids a choice for convenient, independent and varied activities, then, taking into account the previous points, we can spend time on the road with the child inspiring and joyfully.
Source: threeminutemontessori.wordpress.com
Tips for traveling with kids:
- Don't bring different toys for the road and the place you're going. In order to create a sense of reliability of what is happening in a small person, it makes sense to take something that is interesting to play with both in transport and at the place of arrival.
- Don't worry that after the plane or train, your little one will get tired of dealing with "travel" materials.
If you have chosen something that suits your age interests and needs, then this will not happen. - Consider what you are traveling on so that there are no difficulties with the inspection. This applies to some metal things, scissors.
- To support the baby in new circumstances, it makes no sense to buy everything new for the trip. Put 2-3 favorite toys or a few games (if possible) in the bag, including some that he has only recently become interested in, and add 1-3 new items. Such a kit is variable and helps the baby feel safe.
- If you have two children with a slight age difference who already walk independently, prepare some things for them in duplicate, but in different sizes (see the Rubik's Cube example below).
Where to put toys
To make it easy for your child to choose and for you to get objects, put each material in a separate bag. Except books.
Zip lock clear plastic bags are the perfect solution. They are compact and you can see the contents clearly through them.
Zip-Lock bags
Zip-lock bags are appropriate for a child who can open them himself.
Zip bags
A travel set consisting of bags with different toys and activities, it makes sense to put it in a separate bag for convenience. Just don't put your treasure chest in your luggage, but take it with you to the cabin so that everything is at hand.
Travel supplies for children under 3
For baby who is not yet sitting
Gobbi mobile or one ball from it. The child will most likely be sleeping most of the time. But there are situations when the little one is restless and needs additional support. If your communication is not enough, then a familiar mobile will help the baby make sure that everything is in order. Gobbi is also indispensable upon arrival for adaptation to new conditions.
Don't give your baby a mobile phone right away. Give the little one the opportunity to get comfortable, feel what is happening, look around, study with a glance what is around, and be your own support for his well-being.
On the way, the question will arise: “How to fix Gobbi?”. If it is not possible to hang the mobile securely and at the right height, hold it with your hands. For you it will be short, but for the baby it will be supportive.
A colleague told me that when she flew from the USA to Moscow, her companions were a married couple with an anxious baby. On the plane, the teacher was just making balloons for Gobbi. One, holding the rope, she showed the baby. The child calmed down, interested in watching the smooth movement.
To hang Gobbi on the train, you can sew a ring out of a rubber band and put it on the top shelf to attach the mobile to it.
There are many options for hanging. Reasonable ideas always come to mind when there is a request. Surely you will find your solution. Just in case, make the rope on which you will hang the mobile longer so that you can secure Gobbi securely and at the right height.
Classic Gobbi will need a box to ship, a bag will not work.
A wooden ring that is easy to grip and a ribbon to make the toy mobile.
Dolio type rattle with wooden balls. Good both as a rodent and as a developing material. Toddlers are interested in exploring such a little thing.
Lightweight cloth. The most loyal material for the first capture experiences. Despite the simplicity, the napkin gives a baby a lot of experience.
Takane ball, soft ball, Winkel, rubber ball with knobs. Several, to choose from. These items are good both for gripping and as rodents.
For a child who sits
One or two books.
Three wooden or plastic rings assembled in a circle and/or in a chain. The thickness of the rings is one centimeter.
Two or three cups in different sizes, made of durable and safe material.
Source: tinylovetoy.ru
Knitted ball with a diameter of four centimeters.
Comfortable to grip and doesn't roll far. Children can roll the ball itself, or they can lower it into a cup and take it out.
Source: elternvommars.com
A box with a magnetic flip-top lid from a gift wrapping store. If your baby is 8-12 months old, make a hole in the top of the box to push the balloon through. So the baby will develop not only movements and coordination, but also gain knowledge about the constancy of objects.
If the child is older, take the box as is. Options for working with this object - closing / opening, the ability to put something there - will captivate the young researcher.
The main thing to consider is the size of the box. It is necessary that it is convenient for a small person to deal with it and at least one object can fit inside it, for example, a ball, a glass, a chain.
For a child who walks independently
Rubik's Cube. This is an exciting material that will help the baby to satisfy the need for knowledge of colors, shapes, sounds, textures.
The cube supports the development of mathematical thinking and motor skills. Let us clarify that the task of collecting it by color is not before the crumbs.
Rubik's Cubes are on sale in large quantities. Choose a material of a size that is comfortable for the child to work with.
If you have two children, take two blocks of different sizes with you.
Source: threeminutemontessori.wordpress.com
Lock with key in an attractive box.
Binoculars. Seeing what is far and near through it is very entertaining! This is a great way to increase interaction with the environment.
One or two books. It's great to take a book about the place where you are going on the road, so that when the baby arrives, he will see what was read to him. It is interesting to collect and buy on a journey what is described in the book; take pictures of sights, and then combine pictures with illustrations.
Pouch containing items with different types of fasteners: pouch, wallet with zipper, wallet with button, bag with kiss closure, Velcro case.
