The Best Travel Games & Activities For Kids In The Car

A well-stocked activity kit is the difference between a manageable driving day and a rolling disaster. These are the games, toys, and activities that travelling families actually use and recommend, not the aspirational Pinterest list of craft projects that nobody does while towing a caravan at 95km/h. Everything here is road-tested, car-seat-compatible, and low-mess. Sorted by age group so you can skip straight to what works for your kids.

The driving day kit: compact, mess-free, and endlessly rotatable.

Best For Toddlers (1 to 3)

Sticker books. Reusable sticker books are gold. A toddler will peel and stick for 20 to 30 minutes at a stretch, which is exceptional value for this age group. Melissa & Doug and similar brands make durable options with themes (vehicles, animals, food). Stock up at every Kmart or Big W you pass through.

Magna Doodle or water drawing boards. No mess, endlessly reusable, and toddlers love the instant feedback of drawing and erasing. Compact versions fit on a car seat tray.

Sensory toys. Pop-its, squishy toys, textured books, and simple busy boards provide tactile engagement without requiring concentration. Keep a small rotation and swap them out weekly.

Window clings. Gel clings that stick to car windows are surprisingly effective. Animals, shapes, and vehicles. They peel off clean and can be rearranged endlessly.

Board books and lift-the-flap books. Durable enough for car use, engaging enough for short bursts. “Where’s Spot” has entertained toddlers in car seats since the 1980s for a reason.

Best For Preschoolers (3 to 5)

Activity and colouring books. Dot-to-dot, simple mazes, colouring pages, and “spot the difference” are perfect for this age. Use coloured pencils rather than textas (less mess, less disaster when lids come off). A clipboard gives them a hard surface to work on.

Audiobooks. This is the age where audiobooks start working. Short story collections work better than novels: Julia Donaldson stories, Roald Dahl short stories, and Australian favourites like Possum Magic and Wombat Stew. A pair of kid-sized headphones (volume limited) lets them listen without taking over the car speakers.

Small figurines and toys. A zip-lock bag of small animals, dinosaurs, or vehicles provides imaginative play on a car seat tray. Avoid anything with small pieces that roll under seats.

I Spy bags. A clear bag or container filled with rice or beads with small objects hidden inside. Kids shake and search to find each item. Easy to make, endlessly replayable.

Best For Primary Schoolers (5 to 10)

Card games. UNO is the universal Big Lap card game. It works on a lap, in a car seat, at a camp table, and on a rainy day in the van. Other good options: Go Fish, Snap, Skip-Bo, and travel-sized versions of Dobble (Spot It). A single deck of cards enables dozens of games.

Travel-sized board games. Magnetic chess and checkers, travel Battleship, compact Connect 4, and magnetic Snakes and Ladders. The magnetic versions are essential; non-magnetic pieces end up under seats permanently. Thinkfun and SmartGames make excellent single-player logic puzzles (Rush Hour, IQ Puzzler) that occupy kids for extended periods without parental involvement.

Activity books. Step up to word searches, crosswords, Sudoku for kids, brain teasers, and travel-themed activity books. Usborne and National Geographic both make excellent travel activity ranges. Buy in bulk at bookshops and ration them: one new book per long driving day.

Travel journals and drawing. A quality sketchbook and a set of coloured pencils. Encourage daily drawing or writing. Some families do a “daily drawing challenge” where everyone (including parents) draws the same subject. This becomes a treasured record of the trip.

Maps. Give kids their own copy of the Hema road map or a state map. Let them track the route, circle places you’ve been, and mark upcoming stops. Navigation engagement beats passive entertainment.

UNO, a sketchbook, and a brain teaser puzzle: the holy trinity of primary school driving day entertainment.

Best For Older Kids & Teens (10+)

Podcasts and audiobooks. Longer, more complex content works at this age. Full novel audiobooks (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings), true crime podcasts (age-appropriate), science podcasts (Radiolab, Science Vs), and Australian history content. These can fill entire driving days for engaged listeners.

Downloaded content. Netflix, Disney+, Stan, and ABC iView downloads on a tablet. A pair of quality headphones. For teenagers, this is often the primary entertainment and that’s fine. Accept it.

Creative apps. GarageBand for music creation, Procreate for digital art, iMovie for video editing (making Big Lap vlogs), and photography apps. Productive screen time that creates something.

Strategy games. Travel chess, complex card games (Phase 10, Exploding Kittens), and single-player logic games. Some teens enjoy learning new card games or teaching younger siblings.

Reading. A Kindle loaded with books (or physical books if preferred). Teenagers who read will happily pass hours in the back seat with a good book. Download a large library before departure.

The Must-Have Gear

Volume-limiting headphones: Essential for every child. Allows individual audio and screen use without competing noise in the car. BuddyPhones and JBL JR series are popular options for younger kids ($30 to $60). Older kids and teens can use standard over-ear headphones.

Tablet mount or stand: A headrest-mounted tablet holder keeps the screen at eye level and frees up hands. Much better than a child holding a tablet for 2 hours. Available from $15 to $40.

Car seat tray: A lap tray that attaches to the car seat provides a flat surface for drawing, activity books, small toys, and eating. Most cost $20 to $40 and fold flat when not in use.

Storage organiser: A backseat organiser that hangs from the front seat headrest keeps activities, snacks, water bottles, and headphones accessible without everything ending up on the floor. $15 to $30 from Kmart or Anaconda.