In honor of all things summer, Moms With Apps is happy to bring you tips on including technology in your family summer road trips. Road trips are a fun, time-honored summer vacation pastime for families. They can, however, also bring challenges. To make life easier for you and more fun for the kids, we found some road travel facts, some great app download ideas, interesting ways to use your device, and some fun stops you can make that use technology in cool ways. We’ll feature these throughout the week on our Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
To start the week off, we have pored over the different categories of apps and have identified a few types that are perfect for road trips. These apps will keep your kids learning, busy, and mess-free!
Type 1: Apps About Maps
You may be driving through cities or states that are brand new to your kids. Map apps are a great way for kids to learn about where you are driving, and how each state fits into the whole U.S. of A! The map can also answer the question “Are we there yet?” with a precise answer. Map apps that combine U.S. geography and games are our favorite.
Type 2: Art Apps
Sure, giving kids paper and crayons can be easy and mostly mess-free. But instead, why not give your kids an app that allows them to create anything they want? Many creative apps make it easy for kids to find inspiration, especially when the app has some suggested ideas or templates. These apps also allow their drawings to stay in one place until you get home. With an art app, you don’t have to worry about running out of crayons or coloring pages. And best of all, you won’t find crayons wedged into strange places in your car!
Type 3: Storybook Apps
These apps are a great option for a number of reasons. First, you can load up one device with lots of books, making travel lighter for everybody. Your child can pick up a storybook app and read along with the narrator while animations show what is happening in the book. Also, if you are the driver and your child needs help reading, there are a lot of book apps that have guides. Your child can read aloud to you, and when they struggle over a word, the app itself can help them figure it out, keeping your eyes on the road. Finally, many storybook apps are interactive and keep kids interested for longer periods. Encouraging kids to read more is always a good thing.
Type 4: Photo Apps
With these fun apps, your kids can snap photos of what is outside the window, what the back of your head looks like, and that great shot of sister drooling!
Type 5: Video Apps
These apps are especially great for kids who have trouble focusing on one movie for a long time. These curated apps have kid-friendly videos that are mostly 30 minutes or less and give your child endless entertainment while keeping their privacy, and your wallet, safe within the app.
Type 6: Games (For everyone)
Part of being on a road trip is family togetherness. Many apps encourage the whole family to participate, keeping everybody entertained. Word games, trivia games, and question games are our favorites!
Sara & Alexandra @actonline
