Vacation Tips – 10 Apps to Download for Kids Before a Trip

10 Apps to Download for Kids Before a Trip

Love them or hate them, tablets and other devices make long car rides and plane rides easier by keeping kids entertained. I have a listed a few of the apps that I have downloaded for my kids to use before we head off on a vacation. I also have other non-tablet ideas on how to keep kids entertained during the rides in my blog post Is it Possible to Travel With Kids.

1. Duolingo ABC – This is a free app that has a learning path style game to help children learn to read and write. The app is meant for preschool to second grade learners. My youngest especially loves when she is learning and makes it to the part where she feeds the bear pancakes.
2. Netflix – This app requires a paid subscription. I like this app for the kids because they can download kid appropriate shows to watch that don’t require internet to use. This comes in very handy when needing to be on airplane mode on an airplane.
3. Khan Academy Kids – This is another free app that has a learning path style game that helps children learn to read, write, and work on math skills. It is geared toward children ages 2-8. The game also allows you to explore the characters and earn prizes for the characters by completing learning games. My kids really enjoy the musical instrument prizes, where it allows them to hear the sounds of the instruments.
4. PBS KIDS Video– This is another free app that allows kids to watch and download shows offline. The shows change weekly that are available to watch. The offline downloads come in handy when you have no service.
5. Amazon Kids – This requires a subscription and is available for Amazon devices. We have the kids fire tablet. This allows the kids access to age appropriate games. You are able to set the age on the tablet so different ages have access to different content. You are able to add apps from the parents profile from the Amazon store that are not part of apps provided from the subscription. For instance, we added all of the above apps from the parents profile to give the kids access on their tablets.
6. Quick draw – This is another free app that is a fun drawing game my kids enjoy. You have a time limit to draw an object and the app has to guess what you are drawing.
7. Messenger Kids – This allows kids to connect to their friends and family through text and video chat. Parents have access to monitor and choose who they allow the kids to connect with. My kids especially love being able to video chat with their grandparents.
8. Art For Kids Hub – This is another drawing app but this one is where the kids will need a piece of paper to follow along to a video step-by-step on how to draw something. My kids especially love the folding surprise videos.
9. iHeartRadio Family – This is a free music app. This allows kids to listen to over 80 stations of music and stories.
10. Toca games – There are many of these games available from pets, vacation, world and many more. The kids love exploring these worlds and it is an offline game that they can use anywhere after it is downloaded.

What apps are your must downloads for kids before a trip? Comment below.

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