Road Trip Apps for Younger Kids

By Tracey Dowdy

My friend Theresa’s son was home for a full 30 minutes after school let out for the summer before announcing he was bored. That has to be a record.

Finding ways to keep your kids entertained during the long summer months becomes even more of a challenge if you’re headed out on a road trip. Whether your trip takes you through charming small towns along the New England coastline or across the plains with beautiful skies and wide open spaces, your kids will get a better understanding of the world outside their window.

Using screens to keep your kids entertained should never take away from the opportunity to have a conversation, sing along to the radio or play classic road trip games like 20 Questions and the license plate game, but we all know at a certain point kids are “done” and a little quiet time with a movie or a game can go a long way toward making the trip more enjoyable for everyone. These apps can help.

First Focus: Ladybird Baby Touch

Experts debate how much – if any – screen time is appropriate for babies; though speaking from personal experience, if those experts had to drive overnight through northern Maine with a screaming baby in the backseat, I’m confident their opinions would change! First Focus: Ladybird Baby Touch is based on the Baby Touch First Focus book and offers the same bold yellow, black and white illustrations of patterns and shapes, animals, sea and vehicles with a musical score and sound effects activated by tapping the screen. It’s simple and engaging, and designed to entertain and soothe your baby.

Platform: iOS, Android
Price: $2.99


Sago Mini Road Trip

“Sago Sago is a team of designers and developers who create apps that children love and parents trust” and the reasons why are clear with their Mini Road Trip app. Jinga the cat prepares for a road trip and kids get to choose who goes with her and what to do along the way to their destination, like stop and wash the car or get gas. Mile markers count down from 10 until they reach their destination, meet their friends, and take a vacation picture together. There’s lots of silliness built in as kids can choose what kind of vehicle to drive, whether it’s an actual car or a bathtub, pickle or shoe.

Platform: iOS, Android, Windows Phone
Price: $2.99


Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome!

You may want to plug in your kids headphones for this one, but what kid doesn’t love Yo Gabba Gabba? Kids can choose from 5 musical activities to sing along, paint, dress up the characters, play with the band or create their own music.

Platform: iOS, Android
Price: $1.99


Dr. Panda’s Toy Cars

With Dr. Panda’s Toy Cars, kids can choose from fifteen different vehicles to drive through three cities and explore. Users can honk their horn, use a siren, let down the barriers at a railroad crossing, and discover hidden surprises along the way.  Play is limited only by your child’s imagination and adventures are open ended so kids can play as long as they like.

Platform: iOS, Android
Price: $2.99


Toca Mini

Toca Mini lets kids create their own silly monsters, funny animals or other imaginary friends using colors, stamps and touchscreen controls. Kids can let their creativity run wild as they choose from a multitude of colors, stamps, backgrounds, and even animated eyes, mouths, noses and eyebrows. There are no rules, no levels to complete and best of all for parents, no in-app purchases and no third party ads.

Platform: iOS, Android
Price: $2.99

Wherever your summer road trip leads, have fun. Enjoy one another, enjoy the road, and make some memories.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Toronto, ON. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances and researches on subjects from family and education to pop culture and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Comments:

  1. Hi there are using WordPress for your blog platform? I’m new
    to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and create
    my own. Do you need any coding expertise to make your own blog?

    Any help would be really appreciated!

  2. My brother recommended I may like this blog. He was once totally right.
    This publish truly made my day. You can not imagine just how much time I had spent for this information! Thank you!

  3. Hi there! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would
    be ok. I’m undoubtedly enjoying your blog and look forward
    to new posts.

  4. Spot on with this write-up, I seriously think this site needs a
    lot more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read through more, thanks for the information!

  5. Quality content is the crucial to interest the visitors to pay a
    quick visit the site, that’s what this web page is providing.

  6. Greate pieces. Keep posting such kind of info on your blog.

    Im really impressed by your blog.
    Hey there, You’ve performed a fantastic job. I’ll certainly
    digg it and in my view suggest to my friends.
    I’m sure they will be benefited from this website.

  7. Thanks for your marvelous posting! I certainly enjoyed reading
    it, you can be a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and will eventually come back later on. I want
    to encourage continue your great job, have a nice weekend!

  8. Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just
    your articles? I mean, what you say is valuable and
    all. Nevertheless just imagine if you added some great graphics or video clips to give your
    posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with pics and videos, this blog could certainly be one of the most beneficial in its field.

    Superb blog!

  9. Excellent post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed!
    Extremely helpful information particularly the remaining section 🙂 I deal with such information much.
    I was looking for this particular info for a long time.
    Thank you and good luck.

    Here is my site; login poker pulsa

  10. An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who
    was conducting a little homework on this. And he actually bought me breakfast
    because I found it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this….
    Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time
    to talk about this matter here on your blog.

  11. Hey there! I’ve been reading your blog for some time
    now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give
    you a shout out from Houston Tx! Just wanted to tell you keep
    up the great job!

  12. It is appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy.
    I have read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you some interesting things
    or suggestions. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to
    this article. I wish to read even more things about
    it!

  13. I believe this is one of the most vital information for me.
    And i am glad reading your article. However wanna statement on some normal things, The site taste is perfect, the articles is truly
    excellent : D. Excellent task, cheers

  14. Admiring the time and effort you put into your blog and in depth
    information you provide. It’s great to come across a bkog every once
    in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed material.Great read!
    I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds
    to my Google account.

    Feel free to visit myy site; MyFreeWebcam

  15. Hi would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with?

    I’m looking to start my own blog soon but I’m having a tough time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your design and stryle seems different then most blogs and I’m loking for something unique.
    P.S Sorry for getting off-topic but I had to ask!

    Feel free tto visit my page Chaturbate

  16. hello there and thank you for your info – I have certainly
    picked up something new from right here.
    I did however expertise several technical points using this site, since I experienced to reload the website lots of times previous to I could get it to load correctly.
    I had been wondering if your hosting is OK?
    Noot that I amm complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will often affect your placement in google annd can dakage your high-quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords.
    Well I am adding this RSS to my email and can look
    out for a lot more of your respective fascinating content.
    Ensure that youu update thjs again very soon.

    Feel free to sirf to my web blog – join Stripchat

  17. What’s up colleagues, nice piece of writing and pleasant urging
    commented at this place, I am genuinely enjoying by these.

    Stop by my web page … scam cam

  18. Doctor How About My Juggs MILF Sex Video Vor 1 Jahr 36:36
    XoZilla doktor HD; Perv Doctor Sexy Blonde Step Mom And Step daughter Get unusual approach In The Doctors
    Office Vor 1 Monat 13:34 HDSex mutti blond büro stief doktor HD;
    PECOSA INSEMINATED BY THE DOCTOR PART two Vor 12 Monaten 11:
    08 SortPorn doktor sperma drinnen mutti HD.

  19. Ancak Esaretin Bedeli bu tanıma uymuyor. Filmin çekildiği eski Ohio Eyalet Islahevi’nin içi
    o kadar berbat bir haldeydi ki burada sağlıklı.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *