30 Screen Free Road Trip Tips for Toddlers

Screen Free Road Trip Tips for Toddlers have been a game-changer in our family. After dozens of road trips and 11 years of parenting, I’ve built a reliable list of go-to kids’ car activities that don’t involve screens. Every idea here has been tested on real road trips with my own kids—and they've helped turn “Are we there yet??” into happy, quiet minutes (sometimes even hours!) of play. And if you're flying, check out my Best Toddler Airplane Activities.

Table of Contents:

1. Free Activities
2. Car Activities for $5 and under
3. Games for Under $20
4. Road Trip Must Haves
5. Tips and What Not To Do

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Free Road Trip Tips for Toddlers

Best Toddler Road Trip Podcasts (Ages 2–5)

1. Circle Round

Stories from around the world told with music and sound effects.
– Gentle pace, ideal for ages 3+
– Episodes are around 10–20 minutes

2. Story Pirates

Real stories written by kids, acted out by professional comedians.
– Silly, fun, and super imaginative
– Great for slightly older toddlers (3.5–5)

3. Goodnight, World! (Sesame Street + Headspace)

Soothing bedtime-style podcast featuring Elmo, Big Bird, and mindfulness moments.
– Calming tone, ideal for rest time in the car
– Great for very young toddlers (2+)

4. Little Stories for Tiny People

Original, charming short stories told by a calming narrator.
– Great mix of stories with life lessons
– Episodes are about 10–20 minutes

5. Circle Time with Miss Monica on Spotify

Just like preschool circle time—songs, routines, and lessons led by a warm teacher voice.
– Best for ages 2–4
– Familiar structure and simple songs

Audiobooks from the Library For Your Toddler Road Trip

Our local library has a great selection on their free Libby app. We listened to Winnie the Pooh and Disney stories recently. Some great “listen-alouds” that are available include:

1. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
2. Mo Willems books like Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
3. Mary Poppins
4. Frog and Toad
5. Pinkalicious

Counting Games on Road Trip with Toddlers

1. Count the Red Cars: Challenge your toddler to spot and count red cars on the road. Change the color every few minutes to keep it fresh.
2. Animal Count: Look for cows, horses, birds, or even dogs in yards and count how many animals they can find.
3. Sign Hunt: Count how many signs you pass (bonus: have them look for specific shapes like circles or triangles).
4. Truck Tracker: Count how many big trucks or buses you see—great for highway drives with lots of variety.
5. One, Two, Snack! After counting to a certain number (e.g., 10 things), they earn a small snack like a cracker or fruit snack.
6. Counting Claps: Say a number and have them clap that many times—great for breaking up long stretches of sitting.
7. Bumper Sticker Challenge: Count how many bumper stickers or decorated cars you can find.
8. How Many Wheels? Pick a type of vehicle (car, truck, bike) and estimate how many wheels you can count in 5 minutes.
9. Light Post Tally: On country roads or in towns, count light posts or telephone poles passing by.
10. Number Echo: You count to a number and your toddler echoes you back—then switch roles!

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Travel Activities for Toddlers under $10:

Dollar Tree for Cheap Toddler Road Trip Activities

My favorite place for cheap road trip fun! I love their sticker collections, checking out the $1 books and the small toys. Recently I found Car Bingo although there’s no telling what’s available from day to day.

On the Go Water Wow Reveal Pad - Favorite Road Trip Toy!

My kids loved these since they were toddlers and still ask for them now at ages 3 and 6! Many options for a single one and packs of 3 are below. Trace ABCs (pictured below), Under the Sea and Fairytales.

Wikki Stix - Brilliant Kids Road Trip Activity

We first saw these fun and mess-free wax sticks at a hotel and I’ve purchased many more for flights and road trips with kids. You can mold them into all sorts of fun things or use them to “draw” different pictures!

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Toddler Car Activities for under $20

Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free Coloring Activity Set

30+ Pieces, Toddler Toys, Gift for Kids  3, 4, 5, 6 – We’ve had loads of these Mess Free Coloring sheets and they are perfect for the car! Love this Bluey version

Magnatab – Another of our family’s favorite! We’ve had this toy for 4 years and it is sturdy, oddly satisfying even for adults and has provided hours of fun! They also have an Alphabet Magnatab and a Numbers Magnatab to check out. 

Kindergarten Activity Book Unicorns: 75 Games to Practice Early Reading, Writing, and Math Skill

LCD Writing Tablet -- This is another of our must haves that we use on all trips! We actually got a different one but I like this one better since it has a string to not loose the stylus pen... which has happened a ton! Fun to scribble messages and pass them around the car or practice letters and numbers.

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Car Must-Haves for Your Road Trip with Kids:

• Trash bags! (and more than you think you need!) When we are pulling into a rest stop or gas station, I play the Clean Up song and we see who can grab the most trash while still being buckled! 
• String and a Clothespin: Bring a string and a clothespin and move the clothespin along the string at certain intervals to make a visual of how far you need to go. It’s a great answer to the never-ending “are we there yet??” questions! You could also print out a map (or get one free at a state rest stop!) and have kids mark off how far you’ve come. 
• Snack Bag: Most moms don’t need to be reminded to pack the snacks but a fun tip is to use your child’s lunch boxes for snacks in the car! (we love using these 4 compartment snack containers from Amazon for $12.99)

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Bonus Tips for a Smooth Road Trip with Toddlers

One of the best ways to keep toddlers happy on the road is to rotate activities every 15 to 30 minutes. Short attention spans thrive on novelty, so switching things up regularly helps avoid boredom and meltdowns. Keeping a few surprises up your sleeve (like a wrapped treat or new sticker sheet) can buy you a little extra peace and quiet when you need it most.

Don’t forget to plan for nap time too—bring along blackout car window shadesor a cozy blanket to encourage rest. With a bit of rhythm and routine, your road trip can run more smoothly for everyone involved.

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I hope these tips and activities help in your road trip planning! Check out my Infant Travel Packing List for more info and if you’re traveling to Washington, D.C., be sure to check out some of the best Northern Virginia playgrounds, 10 Best in DC, and the best MD playgrounds near DC!