It’s time to get your little one buckled in and ready to go. Now comes the question, “How do I keep my toddler entertained?” Keeping little kids busy in the car can be challenging.
Plan for a less stressful car ride with these simple ideas:
If you are the driver and alone with your toddler in the car
- Book stash: Keep a tote of picture books handy for trips in the car. Playing with books and turning pages helps your toddler learn pre-reading skills.
- Turn on the tunes: Music can make time pass quickly. It doesn’t all have to be kid’s music. Movie soundtracks, calming music, or sing-along songs all work. The rhythm and rhyme of music helps to boost your toddler’s language skills.
- Shaker toys: Toddlers love to shake things and make noise. Keep a bag of soft shaker toys within your toddler’s reach. This activity helps your toddler learn cause and effect as the toy shakes and makes noise.
- Look what I see: Describe what you see out the window such as green grass, the clouds in the sky, etc. This helps your toddler learn colors and boosts your toddler’s language skills.
If you are a passenger with your toddler in the car
- Phone time: Let your toddler pretend they are talking with you on your phone. Give your toddler an old cell phone or play phone and let the conversation begin. Toddlers love to copy what others do. This activity teaches your toddler language skills and how to make sounds that eventually turn into words.
- Puppet time: It’s easy to make a puppet show in the car. Sit in the back seat with your toddler and entertain your toddler with stories and songs while playing with various puppets.
- Reusable stickers: Toddlers love stickers. Put some reusable stickers in a bag with a piece of laminated cardboard or a smooth plastic lid and let the sticker time begin.
- Soft-sided shape sorter: Your toddler is just beginning to learn shapes. A shape sorting toy gives your toddler time to figure out how to fit the shapes into the right spot. This is great for fine motor skills as well as eye-hand coordination.
Use travel time in the car for positive interactions and brain building activities. Your toddler can learn about colors, shapes, numbers, and rhymes through songs, conversations and activities. Time in the car can be fun and educational.
Stay safe while you travel. Call Sanford Children’s Safety Center at (605) 312-8390 or email parenting@sanfordhealth.org for questions regarding your child’s car seat.
Learn more
- From infant to teen: Proper car seat for each age
- Activities to encourage your toddler’s thinking skills
- Look in back before you lock your car — every time
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Posted In Children's, Family Medicine, Parenting
