Do you kids hate the car? Do they scream as soon as they see their carseat? Whether you’ve got a long road trip planned, or daily commutes that your little ones hate, car activities are kind of a lifesaver.

I didn’t think I would be one of those moms. One that needed to pre-plan the car activities for her children. See, my Mother-in-law told me that my husband LOVED the car. He always fell asleep when they put him in the carseat and drove around. So, in my naive “new mom-ness” (yes. that’s a word LOL!), I thought my kids would be the same. Of course, I forgot that I was the worst sleeper in the world. So, long story short. I am always slightly desperate for car activities for my children. Here are the top 7 activities that I’ve used on a cross-country roadtrip with 2 under 2 and a few that I’ve used since I’ve had my 3 under 3.

And, if you didn’t get get a chance to catch my first blog of the series, Busy Mamas, you can check out 5 Weeknight Meals For Busy Mamas!
(FYI, these are my own affiliated links here in this post, so if you end up grabbing anything, I SUPER thank you!!)

1. Coloring Books!

I’m NOT talking about crayons and paper…they have a WHOLE new world now! From Mess Free Coloring Books, Water Coloring Books (holy wow!), to Magnetic Drawing Boards (ok, this one is just an oldie but a goodie!), there are SO MANY OPTIONS. Now, I’ve found mine from various places like Target, Walmart, Kid-to-Kid, or Once-upon-a-Child. However, I’ve linked the Amazon links to their respective names above.

2. Cars or Tiny Toys from the Dollar Store!

Seriously – Hit. Up. The. Dollar. Store. The toys there are cheap, lots of variety, AND you won’t feel bad when you inevitably throw it away. I bought HOURS of entertainment before the long roadtrip for literally $25. For ideas, I bought those little cars, Dr. Suess flash cards, little balls, and even some cat or dog toys because they have the same qualities that more expensive baby toys have from Target. LOL.

3. Books!

This one is hit or miss. Because some kids get super car-sick, and reading just makes it worse (trust me lol). However, if you already know that you don’t have that problem, then you don’t need to feel like you need to bring the whole library. In fact, I found a mix of their favorites and a couple of new books were SUPER helpful. It’s great if you include some interactive books too, especially if you have older kiddos.

4. Busy or Quiet Books or Boxes!

This one is my favorite. Seriously it saved my butt more than once on our roadtrips. Basically, a Busy Book or Box is something I came across in my research that refers to pre-packed activities or pre-designed activities that can keep little brains and hands nice and busy. I’ll go ahead and link a couple of my favorites in a few different formats. This is the one that got us through the roadtrip was Busy Quiet Book. THIS busy book and that also works for us here at home too (sometimes). But, as the kids got a little older and wanted to carry around backpacks, so I found one – BACKPACK BUSY BOOK.

Of course, if you don’t want to buy them, you can always make your own. Follow THIS LINK to do that (but, can I just say, DO NOT DO PLAY-DOH)!

5. Reusable Sticker Books!

I didn’t discover this one till my oldest was SUPER BORED here at home…and I was desperate because, while he is incredibly smart and talented, he is also clingy and shy, so daycare is not an option. He needed something to do at home when I had already pulled out the board books. So, I decided to include it in this list of car activities for children. Again, I picked one up on a whim when I was I at Walmart, so you can definitely do the same. But, Here is one for you to try (and I’m pretty sure it’s the same price lol).

6. Magnetic…EVERYTHING!

So, word of caution! Please please please be careful in regards to how old your kids are before they play with these. If your kid is prone to swallowing everything, then maybe pass this one by for now (or make sure the pieces are HUGE so that literally cannot happen). But, I would be remiss if I didn’t include the wonderful world of magnets and all the portable fun they provide for kiddos. From Magnetic Puzzles (like This Farm One or This 2 Pack One), Magnetic Dress Up Game (Like This One), Magnetic Funny Faces, etc! You can even do your own DIY version with a cookie sheet and any one of these sets of magnets! My Favorites are Vehicle Magnets or Alphabet Magnets. Basically, don’t sleep on the magnets!

7. Felt is the new…magnet!

Ok, so I also looked up an alternative for magnets and found FELT. While we you have to make sure that there are no tiny pieces, at least you don’t have to worry about the magnets on top of the tiny pieces lol. Felt Activity Boards (like THIS FARM ONE or THIS ZOO ANIMAL ONE) or Felt Dress Up Activities (like THIS ONE) make up some of the things that are available for kiddos to play with. (oh and don’t forget the Pom Poms! LOL)

I hope this post was helpful. I know that I added a few things to my own Amazon cart so that I can have a few “new” (as in they-haven’t-seen-it-in-awhile) things for them to do while we are traveling to the zoo, doctors appoints, or up to Oklahoma on a weekend trip. If you have found your own successful car activities for children, definitely drop me a comment below!