Road trips are one of the greatest, most American activities—unless there are children in the back seat. I mean, kids screaming behind you as you sit in traffic is still American, it’s just no fun. And as you drive your family to a BBQ hours away this weekend, you should be having fun. To ensure that, you need to keep the kids busy. Here are some of the best gadgets, toys, and other random things your children might enjoy (and a few things that you might need). Here’s hoping your drive is quiet.
1. Munchkin Snack Catcher, $7 for two. The design of these snack holders for young kids is...honestly, I could care less how they look. What I like about them is they are PBA free, they make it hard to spill Cheerios all over the backseat, and they are just difficult enough for tiny chubby fingers to access that it takes time for little kids to eat all their snacks. Time I need to navigate the highways in peace.
2. iPadket iPad Mount, $15. Road trips are no time to enforce a no-screen rule unless you really are a better parent than everyone else, in which case, why are you reading this? Stop judging me. If you have a car with a built-in screen in the back seat, then you’re already set. But if, like me, you drive your toddler around in the car you owned before you had kids, you’re gonna want one of these iPad holders that you hang from either the front seats (if your child sits forward-facing) or the backseat headrest (if they are under two years of age or still facing backward for whatever reason). I like this one because you can get it on Amazon Prime, like, tomorrow. It works on airplane seats, too. But there are million of these things, and some come with storage, so pick what's right for you.
3. YourTones Headphones, $119. The only thing worse than a baby crying in the backseat is a baby crying in the back seat and upsetting the older child sitting next to them. To keep your older kid happy, bring headphones and a dedicated streaming device of some kind. You want to make sure to get headphones that aren't too loud, since kids have delicate hearing. I like these YourTones over-the-ear headphones because they are safe and offer noise cancellation. They aren't cheap, though. If you'd rather only spend $14.99, Amazon Basics kids headphones are fine, too.
4. Tumble podcast, free. You might want to listen to Fresh Air or Reply All or whatever, but you already know from experience that your kids will probably protest (unless they are the best kids on earth, in which case, mazel tov!). So avoid that whole scene and put on a children’s podcast. I like this one devoted to science because even though it’s for children, I still learn stuff.
5. Gamevice Controller for iPhone, $100. Sure, you already have a tablet of some kind packed, but your toddler is going to be watching The Wiggles on that for hours, so your older child probably needs their own gaming device. Maybe they have a dedicated handheld console; if so, bring that. If not, this cool peripheral will turn your phone into the ultimate gaming device, with physical buttons and a quality feel. When your kid's asleep you can use it in the front seat, too.
6. Yeti Hopper 8 cooler bag, $199. Food and drinks are really the most essential thing to have in your car. They prevent hangry meltdowns of the toddler and parent variety. For long road trips or when traffic jams are a big risk, make sure you have a cooler to keep everything fresh. This one is really bad-ass, but you could always just pick one up from the pharmacy on your way out of town for a lot less money.
7. Brica Smart Window shades, $15. Don't let the sun wake up your sleeping angels.
8. Magic Pen Painting Books, starting at $5. Invisible ink is not new technology. Spies used it in the Revolutionary War to send secret messages...which is a great thing to talk to your kid about when they are happily and quietly coloring in the back seat with this no-mess pen that appears to draw in colors but only when used on special paper. Trivia is a good way to distract them from missing the freedom of drawing all over the leather seats.
9. Melissa and Doug Reusable Sticker Pad, $4. Your kids can put these stickers on the windows, door handles, leather seats, and their own sweaty foreheads. And when you reach your destination, you can peel them right back off.
10. Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump, $34. If you’re a nursing mother, hand-pump breast pumps will save you when you hit terrible traffic—like I did on the way back to Boston from Maine last year. Six hours of excruciating pain and one hungry baby later, I resolved to always travel with a hand pump in the future. Learn from my mistakes.
Bonus! Here are some other common sense tips. Bring toys the kids have never seen before (Mad Libs are always fun if the kids are old enough). And if your kid is the kind who falls asleep in the car and who can transition from sleeping on the road to sleeping in a bed, consider leaving at bedtime. You might have to endure snoring, but it sure beats screams.
