tainain for This post is all about the best car entertainment for toddlers.
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Going on a road trip with a toddler can be a lot of fun, but also a bit stressful if you are driving and have no one in the back seat who can entertain your little one. Long car rides can be really tough for small children, as they can’t move around freely and have to entertain themselves for longer periods of time.
We have done some long car rides with small kids in the back seats and have been stuck in some really bad traffic along the way. With that in mind, I’ve created a list of the best toys and entertainment for toddlers.
This post will give you over 22 ideas on how to entertain your toddler during long car rides
22 Best Car Entertainment for Toddlers
That Will Save Your Trip
When shopping specifically for the best car entertainment for toddlers I always make sure they fall in the following category:
- Can be used independently: It’s very hard trying to play or entertain a toddler in the car if you are not sitting next to them, so activities or toys that can be played with independently are a must!
- Quiet: I need to know whether or not a toy is noisy and will distract me when driving. Loud toys are a no-go when going on road trips.
- Can be reached easily when dropped: Nothing worse than a screaming toddler that dropped his/her toy. I want to make sure that none of the toys have tiny parts, that can not be found while I’m driving.
Here are the best car entertainments for toddlers that you can bring on long car or train rides:
1. Kids Travel Tray
Shop Kids Travel trayThis travel tray is probably the best invention ever! Seriously, this amazing tray can hold almost everything that your toddler needs during a long car ride. It is designed to hold up their iPad or tablets, so they can easily watch their favorite shows while giving them the freedom to play, make drawings, and enjoy their snacks. It sits securely on a child’s lap and has a built in erasable drawing platform that doubles as a food tray. It also has a ton of pockets that can hold smaller toys and crayons. Trust me, you will not regret bringing this on your next road trip!
2. Magnetic Puzzle Game
Shop Magnetic Game Puzzle Here
This is such a fun game and perfect for kids of the age of 3-5. My toddler can entertain herself with this puzzle for quite some time, and that’s why we always bring it when going on long car rides.
2. Window Travel Toy for Toddlers
Window Toys, such as Squigz, or Window Gel Clings are fun ways to entertain a toddler. They are extremely lightweight and easy to pack. Your toddler can stick them to the car window, or even a tray. We also bring these to restaurants and my kids love building things and getting creative with the Squigz Toobz.
3. Tonie Box
Shop Tonie Box HereThe Tonie box is an audio player, that lets kids listen to stories and songs. A screen-free listening experience that inspires your kids’ imagination in ways that over-stimulating flashing screens do not. Easy to use design that even the youngest children can operate independently. We love our tonie box and not only use it at home but we bring it on long rides too. If the adults don’t want to listen to it, kids can also use their headphones.
4. Magnetic Game Board Toddler Car Trip Activity
This magnetic game for kids comes packaged in an easel-style box with an elastic closure. It includes 2 different scenes and 72 magnetic play pieces. All components have a sturdy construction that’s made to be long-lasting. Since all of the pieces are magnetic and securely stick to the box, the Animal Friends magnetic play scene is the ideal travel activity for kids and toddlers to use in the car.
5. Coloring Book Travel Entertainment For Toddlers
Shop Toddler Coloring Book Here
Coloring Books are such great travel entertainment for toddlers. Bring a couple of Coloring Books that your little one hasn’t seen yet and a few freshly sharpened pencils. They will be busy coloring for a while.
6. Water Wow Books
Water WOW Books are an all-time favorite travel activity with my kids. The books come with different coloring scenes and all you have to do is refill the water pen with water and your kids can start coloring in the pages, using only water. The great thing is that they can color the pages over and over again once the pages have dried up and there will be no mess. The chunky size water pen is easy to use for little hands and the books are very lightweight and easy to fit into a small purse.
7. Sticker Activity for Toddlers
No Glue, no mess! Dot it! is the perfect stickering, no-mess art activity that keeps kids engaged, perfect when traveling. Let your child choose their favorite color stickers, peel & paste the stickers and bring the picture to life,
8. Scratch Art
Scratch art is another great activity for toddlers because it is mess free and can easily fit into a small bag.
The scratch art papers feature bright colors underneath the matte coating. Kids use the wooden stylus to reveal the colors with a simple scratch. It’s very fun!
9. Magnetic Drawing Board for Toddlers
One of the best travel entertainment for toddlers is this magnetic drawing board. With only an 8.8″ x 7″ magnet board and a magnetic stylus pen, you can easily take this magnetic drawing board on a long drive, flight, or train ride without bulking the bag. Let your kids unleash their creative juices just by pointing the magnetic nib of the stylus on each hole to move the magnetic beads to the surface. To undo the design, just use the side of the pen to push them back down.
10. Window Clings Car Entertainment for Toddlers
Shop Window Clings HereThese Window Clings are perfect for long car rides or flights. Your toddler can just stick them to a window and reuse them over and over again. They come in many different shapes such as cars, rainbows, sea animals, or fruits.
11. Wonder Wow Mess Free Coloring
Shop Wonder Wow Mess Free Coloring
Another mess-free coloring option for your toddler are these color wonder pages by Crayola. Markers appear only on special Color Wonder Paper, not on skin, clothing, or furniture. I love that the folder-style packaging works as reusable storage for the coloring pages and markers. These coloring pages will easily fit in your carry-on or tucked behind a car seat.
12. WikkiStix Sensory Fidget Toy
Shop WikkiStix Sensory Fidget Toy
Wikki Stix are bendable pieces of wax-coated string that can be shaped into letters, people, animals, and other fun figures. Kids 3 and older love this sensory toy and have endless fun creating silly creatures. They are very affordable and easy to pack (super lightweight) and fit in any purse or diaper bag.
13. Reusable Sticker Pad That’s Perfect For Road Trips
Toddlers love stickers, and this reusable sticker pad comes with more than 150 stickers for hours of fun adhering to and rearranging them on five colorful town-inspired scenes. This also comes in other scenes, such as Farm, Faries, Under the Sea, and Vehicles. The stickers can be reused again and again and even adhere to car or plane windows. This sticker pad is lightweight and slim enough to keep in the backseat of a car or in carry-on luggage.
14. Mess-Free Tablet for Drawing
Shop Mess-Free Tablet for Drawing
If your toddler loves to draw, then this drawing pad is another great mess-free option. The drawing pad is very lightweight and provides hours of entertainment. It will grow with your child, and can, later on, be used to practice letters and numbers. If you want to minimize screen time during road trips, this Tablet is a great screen-free alternative. The tablet’s built-in battery offers six months of battery life, so you don’t need to worry about charging it while you are driving. It is so slim and lightweight, that you can tuck it into any backpack or diaper back.
15. Busy Board for Toddlers
Busy Boards are lightweight and easy to bring on the go. They keep my kids occupied for quite some time, opening zippers, buttons, and all the other fun things they have. I love that everything is attached to the board so nothing can get lost. It packs nine activities into a small, lightweight book with a convenient handle so your toddler can easily carry it everywhere.
16. Puffy Sticker Play Set
This portable and reusable Sticker Set comes with reusable stickers and also includes a convenient carrying handle which makes it useful for travel. Melissa & Doug offer different themed books, my kids really like the farm sticker book. The puffy sticker set is great for developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, creative expression, narrative thinking, and independent play.
17. Portable Magnetic Wooden Toddler Maze Puzzle
Shop Portable Magnetic Wooden Maze Puzzle
Change it up for your puzzle-loving toddler with this magnetic wooden maze. Using a magnetic wand, they’ll guide colorful beads through the fish-themed maze to reach the end. It’s ideal for the car with a built-in carrying handle on the hand-held puzzle and sturdy pieces that are all enclosed and attached for safety and convenience.
Playing with this maze engages kids in problem-solving, fine motor skills, and logic skills to keep them entertained. This toy is also available as a train maze puzzle.
18. Melissa & Doug On Felt Sticker Craft Activity Set
Shop The Felt Sticker Craft Activity Set
This felt sticker set is easy for kids to learn, easy to create impressive results, and easy to store. It’s a great activity set for traveling. Your child can create fun fuzzy creatures that live in each setting. It’s quiet, creative, compact, and tidy; ideal for toddlers 4+.
19. Suction Cup Spinner Toy
Shop Suction Cup Spinner Toy Here
These Suction Cup Spinner Toys are great sensory toys to bring on car rides. Toddlers can use a tray and practice their fine motor skills by pushing, popping, poking, and grabbing them.
20. Post-It Notes
Don’t forget about the simple Post It Notes, which are perfect for car entertainment. Your toddler can write and draw on them and then post them everywhere, without damaging anything.
21. Snack Spinner
Let’s not forget about one of THE most important car entertainment for toddlers when traveling: snacking. There is probably nothing worse than not bringing enough snacks when on the go. My kids absolutely love this Snack Spinner, and it is an activity in itself.
The Snack spinner is 6.5 inches in diameter making it perfect for toddler-size portions. The interactive button keeps kids engaged and assists with fine and gross motor skills as they choose snacks independently.
22. Lacing Cards
While stimulating your child’s creativity, Lacing Cards can also improve your child’s fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills. There are lots of different themes to choose from.
I hope this post about the best car entertainment for toddlers was helpful and will make your next road trip, whether it be in the car or on the train, with your toddler a bit easier. If you have anything that needs to be added to this list, feel free to leave a comment below.
If you are looking for more travel tips with kids, check out these blog posts:
{ 7 helpful tips when flying with toddlers }
{ 19 Amazing Travel Activities for Toddlers That Will Make Your Trip Easier }
{ 7 Must Have Toddler Essentials for a Road Trip }
This post was all about the Best Car Entertainment for Toddlers That Will Save Your Trip
