Recommended Children’s Toys to Help Survive the Road Trip

Other posts by MudslideMama

Darth Tater (hasbro.com)Keeping the kids entertained on the road is a lot easier than it used to be, what with portable DVD players and iPods. Plug ‘em in and keep ‘em quiet is sure a popular way to go. But it’s not the ONLY way to go, right? Some parents rightfully don’t want their children to watch that same stultifying Spongebob episode for the thousandth time. For those parents, here is a list of some recommended small toys to help keep your kids occupied on the family vacation road trip.

Recommended Children’s Toys to Help Survive the Road Trip

Hasbro makes The Littlest Pet Shop, which my younger daughter loves. All the little pieces keep her busy, using her imagination (which is great) and repeatedly dropping said little pieces (not so great). The Littlest Pet Shop is easy to pack and carry, though, as it’s self-contained and folds onto itself. And if a mini hairbrush gets lost somehow, there are plenty of other pieces to implement in the ongoing stories that will be created in imaginative play.

Hasbro also makes a pile of Star Wars toys - I guess the whole Star Wars phenomenon is part of theBumblebee (hasbro.com) collective North American consciousness by now, since many little kids ask for Darth Vader action figures before they even know there’s a bunch of movies about the guy. Transformers action figures are also popular with the little dudes these days. Anything that helps spur on children’s imaginations is a good thing, in my book.

Tamagotchis are the little beeping doodads you see dangling from many school-age kids’ backpacks. Fortunately, they do come with mute buttons, or every parent would have tossed them in the incinerator by now. Tamagotchis have been around for a while; every few years a new crop of kids discover them and are enchanted. The idea is to raise a little pixelated critter from egg to infirmity, with games to play and points to earn along the way. These things are around 20 bucks, and worth it. Children can “befriend” each others Tamagotchis as well.

My kids get carsick when they read books on road trips. Nausea does NOT a fun car trip make! But, assuming that some children can read in moving vehicles, slim paperbacks are the way to go. They are flat, obviously, and take up less space. Toddlers may enjoy looking through Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things that Go, and slightly older children can work on their reading skills with any of the huge “Little Critter” library and later, the “Magic Tree House” series. My older kid has been reading the Spiderwick Chronicles lately, but really, pack a book in the genre your child likes, and chances are it’ll get read.

Time away with our families is increasingly rare. Make the most of a family road trip by helping your kids stay happy and entertained in the back seat. Happy children help the car ride go much more smoothly, after all.

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May 8, 2008 | Filed Under Budget Travel, Family Travel, The Cookie Jar, Travel Gear 

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6 Responses to “Recommended Children’s Toys to Help Survive the Road Trip”

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  1. travelrat says:
    May 8, 2008 at

    So, you have no equivalent of ‘Nobbies and Stobbies’ in the States?

    In Europe, we have two big trucking firms; Norbert Dentressangle, who operates red trucks, and Eddie Stobart who operates green ones.

    The rules are: The kids choose up sides, the ‘Nobbies’, who look out for the red trucks, and the ‘Stobbies’ who watch for green ones.

    If they see a truck belonging to the firm they support, they score one point; it the truck is pulling a trailer, it’s two points and three points if they can read the name on the truck … they all have girls’ names.

    (Some versions allow a bonus point if they get a wave from the driver)

    The ones with most points at the end of the journey win.

  2. Mountain Dad says:
    May 9, 2008 at

    When we are traveling, and the children want to watch the DVD player, every other video must be a Spanish language video. So they are at least learning something.

  3. MudslideMama says:
    May 9, 2008 at

    Travelrat, we in the States definitely have a similar game - punchbug! Cajunmama wrote about the Rules of Punch Bug (it’s the first link in this post). Next time I’m in the UK, I’ll try out Nobbies and Stobbies.

  4. MudslideMama says:
    May 9, 2008 at

    Hey Mountain Dad…that’s a great idea. It’s cool that your kids will be bilingual, at least inasmuch as Sabado Gigante (or whatever) DVDs teaches Spanish! I’m kidding, but it is easier for kids to pick up a second language than it is for us adults, so that’s a smart move of yours.

  5. On the Move Approved - Kids Topics to Go, for Family Travel « Traveling Mamas says:
    May 20, 2008 at

    [...] of us prefer to plug the kids into portable DVDs and enjoy the ensuing peace and quiet. Some pass small toys back to eager hands, only to have them dropped into some inaccessible corner of the car floor. Some [...]

  6. Car Trip Junkie says:
    May 24, 2008 at

    When we are on a road trip, I use a decorated bag with my childs name on it. Than I wrap a small toy such as coloring books, crayons, cheap movies, drawing paper, little toys, and other things. I supply enough for ever hour on the trip. She open one every hour.
    All in all I spen about 25 dollars, and she loves opening them up, and it makes for a nice smooth trip. (only problem, is she keeps asking if an hour is up yet).

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