Best toys for car rides for your little ones

The average American spends nearly 23 hours on the road with family during summer vacation. This time can either drag on painfully or be the perfect opportunity to make memories. With a bit of planning, you can stock your car with toys and accessories that will make your ride engaging, entertaining, and even exciting for those in the car. Read on to discover the best travel toys to keep kids happily occupied for hours.

Reusable Stickers

Stickers are an easy win with young children. Keep your car in pristine condition by opting for the reusable kind that won’t do any permanent damage to your interior. For babies, colorful stickers on the window can serve as an eye-catching car accessory that will give them something to gaze at on the road.

Kids who are old enough to handle the stickers themselves — without putting them in their mouths — can actively use the stickers to tell stories. Older kids might reposition gel stickers on the window as they play out an engaging tale for younger siblings. Reusable stickers are an excellent outlet for kids’ creativity, giving them a blank slate to decorate as they see fit.

You can also opt for reusable stickers with an accompanying book. These are available in a wide range of themes to suit kids’ interests. The options are nearly endless, from dressing up doll figures in sticker clothing to arranging sticker vehicles on a captivating landscape.

Coloring Books

Coloring is an immersive activity that can keep little ones entertained for hours. You can find coloring books in any theme, whether your youngsters are interested in coloring princess dresses or drawing flames on race cars. Don’t hesitate to let your kids color outside the lines and let their creativity flow. You can even give them a book of blank paper if they prefer to draw rather than color. This provides ample opportunity for their imaginations to run wild.

Crayons are perhaps one of the most popular tools for coloring, but be careful to take these inside at the end of your ride, or you could end up with a melted mess in warm weather months. Colored pencils are a safer option, as they’re unlikely to make a mess. Crayola Color Wonder markers are best for youngsters who have trouble staying on the page. These markers only show color on the pages of specially designed coloring books.

Reading Books

A good storybook can transform a long car ride from a monotonous struggle to a thrilling adventure. Tots can page through picture books and take in the colorful images. Sturdy board books are a good pick for the smaller set, who may tear paper pages if left to their own devices in the backseat. As children get older, they can progress to more complex stories, eventually reading the books themselves or aloud to others in the car.

In addition, books can act as a great interactive activity for siblings. Older brothers and sisters can read aloud to the younger ones or even read aloud to entertain parents as they drive. For added fun, consider choose-your-own-adventure books where everyone can vote on the next course of action to take as the story unfolds. Finally, a bedtime story may help lull little ones to sleep if you’re driving into the night.

You can bring a selection of random books in the car, or for even more fun, you can tailor your reading selection to a particular purpose. If you’re traveling for vacation, consider selecting kids’ books about the location that you’re going to. You can even find stories to prepare kids for everyday errands, such as “Llama Llama Shopping Drama,” which tells the story of Llama Llama’s tumultuous trip to the store. Keep the car stocked with age-appropriate options so there’s always something engaging waiting for the ride.

Fidget Toys

Fidget toys are great for creating a distraction from unpleasant situations. If your kids feel bored, anxious, or uncomfortable in the car, a few well-chosen fidget toys can make the experience more pleasant for them. These products are designed to relieve anxiety and stress through simple repetitive motions. Following a rhythmic pattern, these movements are innately soothing, which can help prevent meltdowns, whining, and other behavior problems in the car.

Fidget toys come in many forms, so it’s best to go shopping with your kids and see which kind they enjoy most. What engages one child may fall flat with another. Some options to consider include:

• Fidget spinners.
• Stress balls.
• Infinity cubes.
• Pop-it toys.
• Fidget cubes.
• Mindful-breathing straws.

Fidget toys are a therapeutic tool for kids with ADHD, autism, and other sensory processing issues. However, they’re equally appealing to others as well and can even help teens and adults occupy themselves when confined in the car.

Car Puzzles

Puzzles are both educational and entertaining. Magnetic puzzles are an easy option in the car, where pieces can otherwise get jostled, dropped, and lost. Pair a can of magnetic puzzle pieces with a metal sheet pan to make a great car toy for kids.

Older children may enjoy a book of brain teasers and puzzles of another sort. These just require a pencil and some focus. You can find puzzle books for nearly any age range, from simple mazes and word searches to more complex Sudoku puzzles and word games. Many puzzle books offer fun for the whole family as you work through the clues together to complete logic challenges or crosswords.

Keep a selection of puzzles and puzzle books on hand so you’ll always have something to help fill the time in the car. Many puzzles are easy to pick up and put down, so you can continuously work through them trip after trip.

Ready To Hit the Road This Summer?

These games will make your trip more entertaining, but you still need the right vehicle to ensure optimal comfort on the road. Check out our selection of new and used vehicles at #1 Cochran Buick GMC Youngstown. We can help you find the perfect car for your summer road trips, autumn adventures, winter holiday trips, and more. So stop by and start your search today.

person holding Hello! sticker by Vladislav Klapin is licensed with Unsplash License