If you are planning a road trip soon, that means you’re probably trying to figure out some road trip activities to keep the kids busy in the car for 14+ hours. We are driving halfway across the country this Summer, and here are some of the things we’ll be doing to keep the kids active.
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Make your own fun LEGO picture puzzles with this quick and easy tutorial! This would also be a funny way for kids to play by swapping faces on the various puzzles!
If your kids really love LEGOs you can also make a portable LEGO kit with challenges to help them problem solve along the way (She even has printable challenges so you don’t have to come up with your own).
We found these free printable dot-dot sheets to be lots of fun for car trips too. Use these dot pens to play!
Print out these fun car games – they are absolutely free and will mean hours of fun for the kids in the car. I love that I can easily print out several copies and the kids can compete to see who gets travel bingo first or race through some of the other activities. Get your road trip busy binder printables here.
To keep toddlers busy make your own buckle toy before the trip with this easy tutorial! This can be especially helpful if you have a little one who likes playing with their seat belt.
You can also build one of these magnetic car games. She uses a cookie sheet to create fun magnetic puzzles and more!
Use an altoids tin to make this adorable car tic tac toe game!
Use these free printables for a Disney themed would-you-rather car game that the whole family can enjoy!
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Help keep fighting to a minimum throughout the car ride by playing this fun keep-the-coins game. If the kids have their coins when you get to your vacation destination they can then spend them on souvenirs. See how to play here.
Lacing toys are another great road trip activity for kids. Since the cards are large and the strings are long these are not easily lost if a kiddo drops them while you are in the car.
If you are considering getting a tablet to keep the kids busy in the car, we recommend the amazon fire for kids. It comes with a 2 year warranty, so if the kids break it they replace it NO QUESTIONS ASKED. That’s something that comes in handy if you’re buying something for your toddlers to play with (I won’t let them near iphones/ipads yet). If you are using tablets we recommend bringing some kid size headphones too!
Make a this adorable tiny magnetic fishing kit for the kids. It’s so little it fits in an altoid box and the fish are just too cute!
For interactive fun on your trip get the travel scavenger hunt game to play!
Melissa and Dough have a really fun travel memory game. Memory is one of my son’s favorite games, so I thought this was a smart way for him to be able to play it while in the car.
The washable dry erase travel set is another activity that’s perfect for kids of all ages!
Or you can make your own travel coloring case. So easy and adorable!
The tricky triangle puzzle is one that adults AND kids love to play in the car. See who can get down to the fewest pegs left!
Make your own bagged ball maze…it fits in a gallon size ziploc baggie!
You could even do this fun printable ABC pictionary! This would work for an only child or you could make multiple copies and have the kids race. I love that this would work for kids who can spell and those aren’t quite there yet!
Lastly, make travel binders for each child based off of their own interests and things they are looking forward to on the trip.
Do you have favorite games that you kids play when you are on a trip? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.
Learn how to save money on your next road trip here:
See the BEST audiobooks to take on your road trip here!
See more road trip tips on Your Modern Family here:
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Thanks for linking my buckle toy DIY!
I thought it was SUCH a fun idea!!!
Thanks for sharing my altoid tin tic tac toe game! Love the collection of ideas you put together!
It’s an adorable game. The kids will have so much fun with it!
This made me think of the modern practice of photographing the family valuables to aid in idoeiiftcatinn if they should be stolen!Somehow I wasn’t entirely surprised that such a magnificent volume should be created for the Habsburg dynasty – the family of the Holy Roman Emperor (i.e. empire builders to a man).