The screen-free survival kit for keeping little ones entertained, engaged, and (mostly) meltdown-free on the road.

Every year my husband and I take a long weekend, round up the kids, pack up the SUV and embark on a road trip to explore a new pocket of the country. It’s by no means glamorous. But that’s what I love about this tradition. It’s laid back and easy going. The beauty is in its simplicity.

That is, these road trips are simple in theory and we make them look simple, I suppose, but the amount of planning that goes into them, as with any type of traveling with young children, be it by train, plane, or automobile, is anything but.

They don’t come without their challenges of course. After all, there’s no escaping the fact that we’re schlepping two toddlers across state lines in confined quarters. One in a full-blown tantrum phase and the other only newly cemented as a potty-trained preschooler. But this trip, I was determined to provide some fun, novel, car activities for the boys that limited their screen time and kept them thinking, engaged, entertained. We already limit the boys’ screen time to weekends only so while I was aware that it wouldn’t be an easy feat, I knew it was possible. I started looking for activities weeks in advance and ultimately packed a slew of widgets, gidgets, and gadgets to occupy them.

We usually plan these trips for early fall season since that’s when the East coast tends to make for a beautiful drive. But this year, we set out a bit earlier for a change. For this particular excursion, we chose to visit family in D.C. A bit ambitious and beyond the typical 4-hour time limit but we’d driven from NYC to Maine before with our oldest son (taking breaks every 2 hours along the way) so we figured this would surely be manageable, right? 

Wrong. 

This trip had its share of comical setbacks and bizarre mishaps. I won’t bore you by running down the entire list but most notably, about 30 minutes into our journey, I announced to my husband that I’d forgotten my cell phone at home. 

We turned back and proceeded to conduct a full search and rescue mission for the device (setting our trip back by an hour) only for me to return to the car and discover it was on my seat and I had been sitting on it the whole drive. A truly brilliant way to start a road trip. I recommend it for everyone.

Mid-route in our journey, Mason grew quite impatient (now, we expected this but we were prepared because, after all, we had all those non-screen time widgets, gidgets, and gadgets!) Teary-eyed and squirming in his car seat, Mason started wincing and quietly mumbling to us. When I asked what was wrong, the flood gates opened and he started howling that his back was hot in his car seat (seriously, car seats are heat-trapping torture devices and someone needs to fix this). As soon as this meltdown commenced, I remembered that I had forgotten his car seat cooling pad (yes, that’s a thing) at home. Meanwhile, Mason had now begun bawling. The more I tried to calm him, the more agitated he became until, SPLAT. Vomit everywhere. Cue service station detour.

Luckily, Mason rebounded pretty quickly once he had a chance to walk around at the rest stop to cool off his back and it was all uphill for him after that. And. we fared much better on our return trip and managed to avoid any major incidents on the way back to NYC.

All of this to say that you really can’t predict every little hiccup that will arise while on the road, especially when with kids. But with a little preparation, you can make the experience a bit more bearable and, dare I say it, fun, which brings me back to Operation: Limit Screen-Time.

Once the vomit smell cleared and everyone settled back into the car, those widgets, gidgets, and gadgets I packed turned out to be a hit. So without further ado, I’m sharing the list of non-screen time toys the boys loved on this roadtrip. I’m also including some of the boys tried and true favorites that were already part of our stash.

Check out any of these options before you hit the road:

Roadtrip Themed & Bedtime Books (Age Varies)

We decided to grab some roadtrip themed books for the trip to help acclimate the kids to the idea of taking a road trip. We included a mix of books, some of which were part of book series we already own, like “Good Night Little Blue Truck”, “Bluey: Road Trip” or “A Day on the Road with the Very Hungry Caterpillar” so the kids could find comfort in familiar characters but were still deeply engaged with new stories.

Reusable Jelly Sticker Books (Ages 3-5; however, our 22-month old was also able to use these)

These Reusable Jelly Sticker Books from Joycat were a huge hit with our 22-month old and 4-year old. The books each have a theme like “Weather”, “Farm”, and “Create Your Own Pizza” so kids can peel and place the thick jelly reusable stickers to create their own version of the book. We also liked the “Make a Face” Jelly Sticker Book from Dino Mini for our 22-month old who’s learning about faces and feelings. Great for those transition periods like while waiting at the dinner table for your food order to arrive or as a wind-down before bedtime. 

Toddler Bluetooth Headband Headphones (Age Varies based on Discretion)

These Bluetooth Headband Headphones can connect to your mobile device so you can play music or audio stories for your little one while on the road (Side note: playing music is often my fall back if our 4-year old asks for TV and it pacifies him every single time because who doesn’t love music). These headphones are also very handy for older siblings if they want to tune out a cranky baby crying next to them. There’s a volume control placed strategically and discreetly on the front of the headband so you can adjust the volume as you see fit albeit you can also make those adjustments on your paired device. Plus, these headphones double as an eye mask if your little one wants to get in some Zzz’s while listening. I’ve never wanted an adult version of a kids’ product more.

Sensory & Motor Skills Stackable Cubes (Ages 1-3)

Our 22-month old loves sensory activity toys during car rides like these Sensory & Motor Skills Stackable Cubes. Each one has a different activity for your little thinker and keeps their fingers and little brains busy so it’s bound to keep them engaged for some time.

Magnetic Toys

• Magnetic Funny Face Play Set (Ages 2-4)

Similar to the Jelly Sticker Books but with magnetic pieces. The Magnetic Funny Face Play Set by Petit Collage keeps the pieces nice tidy for reuse. The kids chose from an array of pieces to build a funny face right in the metal tin it’s all packaged in, keeping cleanup minimal. 

• Magnetic Building Cubes (Ages 3-8)

These Magnetic Building Cubes were beloved by our oldest little builder. He loved building with these in the car, at the hotel, at restaurants. Unsurprisingly, the blocks in this tiny pocket-sized tin captured his attention throughout the entire weekend. They were also fun for us to help build with as well. 

• MAGNA-TILES microMags 

Our 4-year old loves his MAGNA-TILES set we have at home, which means his younger brother does as well. A while ago I found MAGNA-TILES microMags, a travel size pack. The miniature tiles come in a metal tin the kids can use as a base to build upon while on the go. It’s pocket size so it fits in the diaper bag, which means you can pretty much take it wherever you go.

My Busy Book Series (Ages 2-4)

We picked up a couple of books in this “My Busy Book Series” for the boys and it was a great find because both of their ages fall squarely in the targeted age. These interactive, sensory books were great for keeping both kids engaged with a tactile experience.

Push Bubble Sensory Toy (Ages 1-3)

Our youngest loves these Push Bubble Sensory Toys. I imagine poking the bubbles is as satisfying as popping bubble wrap. He can sit for some time transfixed by a push bubble toy. They’re so simple yet great for working those fine motor skills, fairly quiet and come in a variety of fun themed shapes and colors that keep him engaged. 

Honorable Mention: Stroller/Car Seat Cooling Pad (Age Varies)

Not a toy or activity but worth a mention since it would’ve prevented our vomit meltdown. This is the lifesaver of a Stroller/Car Seat Cooling Pad that I conveniently forgot at home before our trip. Toddlers tend to be little portable heaters and their car seats and strollers tend to trap a lot of that heat. You place this in the fridge before a long walk or car ride and plop it right into the seat of the stroller or car seat to keep your little one’s back cool. 

And there you have it, my roundup of screen-free, toddler-appropriate, car-friendly activities. Here’s hoping they help make your next road trip with your little ones a bit smoother, notwithstanding any stomach churning, toddler meltdowns.