Electronic babysitter, commence. Each of these apps will provide enough entertainment and learning opportunities to make everyone happy.
This post originally appeared on Map Happy.
Making sure the tots are occupied while traveling is key to their enjoyment, your enjoyment and fellow passengers' enjoyment. It also can keep the "Are we there yet?" repetitions at bay. (But make sure those batteries are charged.)
There are thousands of apps for kids, but finding the one that will hold a child's attention, while educating and entertaining them can be difficult. Here are some of our favorite *and free* apps that have been tried and tested to help pass the time. (Don't forget to grab some handy sanitizing wipes and the perfect pair of headphones! And, uh, to download the apps before you're en route.)
This app comes with three free stories that children can read, listen to or record themselves reading aloud. There are plenty of popular tales to choose from available for purchase in the app. Parents must first buy credits before a child can buy a new story. Download the stories before you go! Available on iOS only.
In this app, there's a wide range of fun and educational content. There are loads of free TV shows and videos that you can download and watch anytime, anywhere (make sure you download them before you go). Play Kids also has free stories, games and activities that will keep the little one busy! You will also find opportunities for in-app purchases that are only able to be purchased after a grown up goes through secure pages to make sure no accidental charges are made. Available on iOS and Android.
Best Kids Coloring Book
Is there any easier way to pass the time than by coloring fun animated animals? This app contains 20 different sheets of easy coloring. There are plenty of other great free coloring book apps available and you really can't go wrong if you download a few and try them out for yourself. (There are even great coloring books for adults!) Available on iOS and Android.
Not much for drawing inside the lines?
Try downloading a "doodle app" like Doodle Buddy (iOS) where a child can scribble their own creations, paint or use stickers! It's endless creative fun!
Blast those monkeys. (Placeit)
A great basic learning app that helps children learn while playing. This app helps with letter recognition, tracing, identifying letter sounds while following a cute monkey named Abby as she wanders around a "secret" island.
The developers of this app, The 22learn group have more Abby Monkey apps that are playful and educational. There's a whole library of apps and parents can choose the one that best suits their child's preference. Available on iOS only.
Full of games, sing-alongs, and bright colorful graphics, this app offers a free version we found so captivating we purchased the upgraded version ($3.99) to keep the fun continuing on. This app falls into other categories such as coloring, reading and educational. Hop on the bus and give it a go! Available on iOS, Android and Amazon. Amazon is a thing?
This is a fun, simple and addicting game for all ages. It starts out very simply as users move through the levels trying to launch a hungry monkey to the goal, a bundle of bananas. As you move on, more obstacles get in the way and you have to figure out how to launch your monkey just right to feed his belly. Available on iOS and Android.
Carly and her two-year-old daughter Lucy travel frequently from coast to coast and continent to continent. Carly has been to more than 40 countries, lived in England, Thailand and the US. She has taken her daughter abroad to 16 countries and counting, from rural China to New York City.
She writes the "Another Baby Maybe" blog on UPGRD.com, has been featured by AFAR magazine and manages the popular Instagram account @LucyGoesTo. She currently calls Pittsburgh home.