Meltdowns. Temper tantrums. Cries of hunger and “Are we there yet?”. And that’s just dealing with the pains of traveling with your spouse. Add in the kids during the holidays and things can get really tricky. Here are 8 apps to help keep kids of all ages occupied during holiday travel.
For the babies
For all you sleep-deprived new parents, we present an early offering of holiday cheer. This app plays a range of white noises to put fussy sleepers to bed. The sounds are broken up by which are best for newborns, infants and toddlers. And if you can’t find one that suits your little one, you can even record your own.
Toddlers
It seems only fitting that your tiny person should have their own kind of road trip adventure while you’re traveling. This absolutely twee game lets them choose their car, destination and stops along the way. It might be more fun than the actual road trip you’re going on.
4-6
Waaiiiittt, whut? LeVar Burton still does stuff?! Inject a little of your own nostalgia into your kids’ media consumption with this amazing app that’s filled with (you guessed it) so many books! And much like your memories of the beloved Reading Rainbow show, your bookworms can also enjoy video field trips, being read to and interactive animations that support reading comprehension. And also, LeVar Burton.
7-9
While your kids might not think it’s super funny when you start doing the robot in front of their friends, they will think this robot building game is pretty cool. Using hundreds of different parts, your little builders can construct, name and test thousands of robots. This app lets imagination guide, so no arrangement of robot parts are off limits.
10-12
Alright, so the title sounds scary, but the only thing scary about this text-based imagination game is how difficult it is to put down. There are no crazy graphics or 3D animations, as the focus is a story unfolding and becoming more complex. For such a simple app, you’ll definitely find it keeps your kids’ attention.
Big kids (12+)
This gorgeous puzzle game will bend up your kids’ minds like origami. But in the best way possible. It’s the next iteration of the much-lauded Monument Valley, featuring a new story in the same epically stylized Escher-esque landscape. Enjoy the quiet contemplation this game will afford you for hours to come.
Learning another language isn’t as daunting as you might think. With Duolingo, all it takes is 10 minutes a day to get your worldly child to chat it up in Japanese, French, Spanish and more. This interactive and fun learning app will give them a great jumpstart on the foreign language class they’ll take in the upcoming school years. #RaiseAnOverachiever
All ages
Let’s not kid ourselves (hahaha… puns). Netflix is a lifesaver, no matter how old you are. And now, you can download as many shows or movies as it takes to get through your plane, train or car ride.