The Best Kids Products For Long Car Rides, According To Reviewers

From engaging non-screen games to trays and cup holders for corralling snacks, reviewers swear by these products for keeping kids fed and entertained on long drives.
Busy board, mini water games and a dry erase tray you'll be happy to have for your next car ride.
Amazon
Busy board, mini water games and a dry erase tray you'll be happy to have for your next car ride.

If you’re planning on taking a long road trip with your kids this summer, you better be bringing some child-friendly activities in the car. And if you’ve been too busy packing your suitcase to give that part much thought, we’re here to help. The toys, activity books, and food organizers ahead are intended to keep little hands clean, occupied and device-free on the road (and to save you from fielding the dreaded “are we there yet?” 75 times).

From folding activity trays with dry-erase boards to sliding bingo encouraging small passengers to keep their eyes on their surroundings, all of these products are loved by parents and caretakers, and have the reviews to prove it.

Whether you’re driving for days on end or just going to a family party a few hours away, you’ll be totally relieved to have these items on hand to keep car snacks where they’re supposed to be and your kids’ minds entertained until you finally reach your destination.

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1
A travel tray with a white board for drawing
With pockets, pouches, a tablet holder and a dry-erase board, this kid's travel tray leaves no stone unturned. It's collapsable so it's easy to store in your trunk or backseat and has a removable cup holder for your little one's drink. This comes in four colors with a safety strap that goes around your carseat.

Promising review: "I got two of these for my kids to travel on an 8 hr road trip. The loved them!!! The mostly utilized them as a tablet holder and lunch-on-the-road surface, but both girls thanked me multiple times and asked if they could use it around town too, not JUST on road trips. Their cousins drug their mom to the car, just so she could see, hoping she might get them some as well! Kid tested! Cousin approved!" — Julie
2
A cube-shaped cooler so kids can grab their own snacks
Keep fresh snacks and drinks in easy reach with this kid-friendly car cooler. With cup holders on the front and pockets and pouches on the side, you can easily organize wipes, tissues and dry snacks before hitting the road. It comes with a carrying strap, so you can use it as a travel cooler, and has a removable tray on top, so kiddos can eat while sitting in the car.

Promising review: "I loved that this zipped up so you can contain food and books and toys in the backseat w them. My kids got their own toys and apples and chips, so it made the trip easier. My kids are 5 and 8. This is fine for adults too obviously but the zip is fine once you figure out how to install it and the cooler is very nice. Kept food good for two days . We went into the hotel and left fruit in the cooler and it was fine the next day." — The Lance A Lot
3
Spill-proof snack containers to keep all the Goldfish in the tank
The perfect snack container doesn't exi... wait. With soft flaps that are easy for little fingers to reach into, these spill-proof containers are a must for the car.

Promising review: "I do not know how to have a child snack without these. It holds in anything around cereal size, and can be dropped without a mess. This leads to more healthy options during car rides, and less worry around the house. Personal favorites include dried fruit, sun chips and Cheerios." — Edward
4
Or a spill-proof tumbler with a special valve that keeps liquids in even when it's upside-down
With over 20,000 positive reviews, it's easy to see why parents and caretakers love this spill-proof kid's tumbler. It comes in 15 colors and has a special seal so your kiddo can drop their bottle or turn it upside down without it leaking.

Promising review: "This tumbler is amazing, our 1 year old uses this in the car and we don’t have to worry about any of the contents leaking out of the cup is tipped over or dropped. Speaking of dropping this cup has been dropped hundreds of times and has not cracked in any way. It’s very durable and I would recommend it for little ones.
The straw splits in half and has a diaphragm in the middle that prevents fluid from passing unless the straw is being sucked on. While this prevents any spills it can be a bit of a chore to clean and sanitize. Personally I would rather spend an extra minute cleaning a straw vs an extra hour cleaning a car interior!" — D M Almaraz
5
A reusable drawing book you wipe down with a wet cloth
Never worry about running out of paper again with this erasable doodle book with 10 reusable pages and 10 color pens. It comes with clear tracing pages and coloring book-style outlines of animals so kiddos can use different motor skills.

Promising review: "Kept my 18 months old boy busy during a car ride, a flight and another car ride, is so much fun you will want to also paint with the kids! So easy to clean 🧽 wipes right out! My son crafted his crocs shoes, the airplane tray, a airport chair and our luggage and thank God it was so easy to wipe off, the material of the book is A+ survives anything, allows free drawing and guided painting too." — Amazon customer
6
Bendable Wikki Stix that won't leave a mess
These wax-coasted reusable bendy sticks are the perfect car ride activity for fidgety fingers. Create 3D doodles and make your visions come to life. They're mess-free and won't leave a residue on hands, seats or clothes.

Promising review: "These are wonderful for creative play and educational activities (tracing letters, numbers, shapes, etc)! Great for improving fine motor skills. The best part: they aren’t messy at all! No residue. My 4 and 6 year old have loved playing with these in the back seat during car rides." — Amazon customer
7
"Busy boards" with a ton of attached, interactive things to grab
Finally, a super-interactive, hands-on, multi-piece toy where no little pieces can fall off because everything is completely attached. Affectionately dubbed a "Busy Board", this folding toy has buckles, shoelaces, snap pockets, velcros, elastics and buttons to keep little hands occupied for hours.

Promising review: "This was a great purchase for the price. Keeps children busy while also working on fine motor skills. Perfect size to take in the car or into a restaurant when you need a quiet distraction." — Shelia
8
Sliding auto bingo, so you're not finding lost chips all over the car
No more pulling over to find lost game pieces. This sliding bingo encourages your little ones to pay attention to their surroundings, giving them points for seeing things like birds or motorcycles passing by. The sliding feature makes it super easy to store and pull out at a stoplight.

Promising review: "What a trip down memory lane. We used to have these when we were kids. This was before in-car DVD players. Before iPhones, iPads and the like. Just some good old fashioned family fun to break up a a road trip. Their constructed well and hold up after some use. Careful not to bend them too much though other they won't work properly. Put the devices away, use that travel time to bond and see the world around you. This is a great way to make that happen." — Daigs
9
A magic snake puzzle fidget toy
Is it a line? Is it a block? Is it some magical, mystical fidget toy that collapses into itself? (It's the latter.) This magic snake puzzle toy is tiny and quiet and perfect for long rides. It comes in six colors and can be bent into over 100 different shapes.

Promising review: "This toy was a memory from long ago for me. I bought this for my teenage son to fidget with on a long car ride. He enjoyed creating different things with it. And I was happy he put his phone down for awhile!!" — Amazon customer
10
A bottle tray that fits in little one's cup holders
Say goodbye to smashed crackers and finding rogue 3-year-old almonds with this tray that also includes a cup holder. It comes in nine colors and works for carseats and middle-console cup holders alike, and holds snacks and bottles neatly together.

Promising review: “This gadget SAVED our roadtrip and continues to pay dividends on busy days when we're straight from work/school to sports/activities. Fits snug in the cup holder and comes with an adapter and gripper to ensure you get the best fit (didn't need either for our carseats and they were able to stand up to a 4 year old and 18 month old). We were able to deal out snacks/easy meals with these, and when activities were needed like coloring or travel puzzles/tangrams, it was great to hold those things as well. This is probably going to be one of those go-to things I gift to new parents.” — Molly
11
A two-pack of handheld water games
Silent, easy, all pieces contained together — these mini handheld games have it all. They're tiny enough to throw in your purse, and will keep little hands occupied for long drives.

Promising review: "I try to keep my daughter stocked on low tech toys and like to throw them in the car for long trips. These worked great for that. She's still trying to beat my time on one of them. (Little does she know I grew up with these). I like the small size for in the car, and they are still fun no matter how old you are. My daughter also used them to build an arcade, for Barbie. HAHAHA! Overall, for the price it was worth it." — Kirsten
12
A food tray to keep drive-through meals contained
Make car meals a little less messy with this versatile folding car tray. It comes with two slots for drinks, a section for napkins and a fold-down tray to hold snacks and meals.

Promising review: "Love this! I got these because we spend many evenings eating on the road to or from hockey practice and I was tired of my backseat being a constant mess from the menagerie of nuggets and fries spilled everywhere. These trays are super easy to install and have space for everything so the kids don't have to juggle nuggets, sauce, fries, drinks, or any other snacks. The diversity of two cup holders is nice for when you have lots of items and they flip open or closed depending on your need. When we first got them, they were a little hard for my boys to open on their own, but they have both loosened up a bit and they boys have mastered the latch on them. They store neatly closed and take up almost zero space. They are large enough to hold a full meal, but compact enough not to feel crowded even when open and full loaded. Easy to clean. Worth every dime I spent on them." — JWorley
13
An LED writing tablet that's quieter than an iPad
For endless doodles, math problems and letter learning, with none of the games or noises of an iPad — you need this LED writing tablet. It comes with an attached stylus, so your kiddo won't loose their pen under the driver's seat and has a built-in battery for long-term use. It also has a little erase button that clears the screen when you're ready to start again.

Promising review: "We bought this for our 3.5 year old to use on a road trip that included several 12-hour stints. We tried to avoid screens and movies for as long as possible, and this "tablet" was a huge success. This was a brand-new activity for the trip, and it was the most-requested toy by far. Our daughter loved scribbling and then erasing it with a button. She had a lot of fun figuring out what else besides the stylus could draw on the tablet. It's super lightweight." — Halle
14
Seat organizers to keep everything in place
Keep your backseat a little more orderly, and cue up a movie or show with these seat organizers with tablet holders. They each have nine different-sized pockets and pouches, including a cup or bottle holder, to keep all your little one's favorite things at arm's reach.

Promising review: "I ordered this with the plan of summer road trips for my kids. While we haven’t taken many trips this summer the organizers are working great to keep my car mess free. My two teens have their seats organized to their liking, so they have their items at hands reach. The pockets are thick and made of strong material. The pocket for the table works great and still allows for touch screen while watching movies, games ect. The mess pockets fit a nicely size water bottle. It’s a great feature to have now for a back up mask to be safely put in the car so it will it be forgotten, keeping their cell phone chargers, ear buds ect, in place with out the mess or tangle of items. For someone with small children, preteens or teens or anyone who road trips this is a great item. The straps are thick and the snaps are strong. The entire system looks like it will hold up for a while." — Nicole Capuzzi
15
Reusable stickers for ongoing fun
Quiet, mess-free fun? Sign me up. With seven different themes, these collections of reusable stickers will inspire your kiddo's creativity and let them play with their imagination (and hands!) From underwater to fairies, these reusable sticker books will keep your little one engaged in the car.

Promising review: "These are a mom's best friend. My 4 and 2 year old are obsessed. The stickers are so easy to put on and take off that they can do it all by themselves. We take them everywhere with us and keep them entertained for hours in the car. The scenes are great and the stickers are cute. I highly recommend." — Ckb2332

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