44 Road Trip Toys (That Won't Drive You Nuts)

Erin P. said:  Don't worry--Color Wonder markers only appear on Color Wonder paper! You won't turn around to find that your son has whiskers or that your daughter has a face tattoo! This is a great travel toy because the sturdy case can double as a lap desk.

Kristy Pepping said:  One of my favorite road trip tips is to bring along a storage clipboard like this. It holds paper or coloring books in place and provides a hard surface to draw or write on. It has ample room for storage, so no losing crayons or markers along the way!

Erin P. said:  We have gotten so much use out of our magnetic drawing board. The kids can write or draw on it and then use the knob to wipe the screen clean. It is a great car toy, and has also been a perfect toy for our son to use while waiting during our daughter's gymnastics class. Since it's quiet and travels well, we generally keep ours in the car nowadays for times such as these. (Personal confession: I used it quite often to doodle possible names when we were expecting our third baby!)

Kristy Pepping said:  These little books come with one marker each that won't mark on anything around it. It is clear, but when you put it on the special paper, it adds color. These books come in several themes to appeal to different interests!

Erin P. said:  These are great compact (and quiet!) travel toys, perfect for developing fine motor skills.

Kelly R. said:  This creative hands-on book is a great quiet time activity for young kids. It is filled with interactive components (zippers, buttons, buckles, etc) for fine motor and sensory play. The entire book zips closed to safely contain all of the pieces, making it a perfect toy for car or plane rides!

Kelly R. said:  Squigz are silicone building toys that use suction cups to stick to each other, to the windows, to a table, to your forehead...you get the idea. They make excellent mold-free bath toys because they don't take on water, and also work great for entertaining kids on airplanes or road trips.

Stephanie W. said:  This simple toy is every toddler's dream (and might even keep you entertained, too!). It's as easy as it looks- push the different sized "dimples" in, and once you've done it, turn the toy over and start again! Though it's simple, it will truly keep your 1-year old entertained for full minutes at a time- which is a lot for a little one! It's also a great, quiet toy for travel.

Lisa R said:  Simple and cheap: a bag of chunky beads and some pipecleaners can kill hours in the car without taking up much room. My 3 year old likes trying to thread the beads and make her own creation before asking a grown-up to help with finishing touches (best when grown up is sitting next to the car seat). Once finished, it's like having a whole new doll house family to play with in the car.

Kristy Pepping said:  This travel toy is great because you can simply flip over wood tabs to play a game of memory. Everything is attached so no issues on losing small pieces in the car. Plus, it comes with interchangeable cards so it provides different games each time.

Search for items commonly seen on a road trip (stop signs, trees, airplane, dog, etc.). Mark off the items as you find them...first to fill a row yells BINGO! Our family plays individually or together to fill one sheet. We enjoy this one so much we keep it in the glove compartment!

Lisa R said:  This friendship bracelet book is a classic, and is perfect for a road trip because there is nothing that can spill! The kit comes with all of the supplies needed to make the items in the book. Once a project gets going, there isn't a lot of reading or searching for supplies.

Erin P. said:  For toddlers and kids who are learning to read, electronic storybook readers are fun toys for the car. There are several sets available in all different themes.

Erin P. said:  Our kids just got this for Christmas, and it has been a big hit! Our four-year old proudly delivers the correct number of balls to each animal (sometimes with a little help)! It's a great toy for counting and number recognition! We will definitely be tossing it in our road trip entertainment bag this summer.

Erin P. said:  The LeapFrog Leaptop is a great toy for road trips. It has multiple modes for lots of entertainment! The modes include ABCs, messages, games, and music. You can even customize it to help your child spell his or her own name. Our son likes use it "to go to work and send emails." More recently, he has learned how to spell his name and watch it appear on the screen. Another easy one to pack along!