One of our favorite activites is to listen to books and stories. Our kids are both non-fiction enthusiasts and love learning about the world around them. Audiobooks and podcasts are also easy to take when traveling. We can preload them to the kids tablets, play them in the car, or use a mini speaker in the house. Plus, we have one kids prone to carsickness and our options for in car entertainment are a bit more limited.
The options for stories on tape are pretty endless. We love to pick titles that either apply to our trip or that align with current special interests.
Audiobook Series
Audiobooks are a great option in the car, especially for those who get carsick reading. Our family loves non-fiction books. We select titles applicable to our trip or with current interests in mind. Some of our favorite non-fiction series include:
Who HQ: A series focusing on biographical and historic events for elementary schoolers. Also available in board books for emergent readers
History Smashers: This growing series by Kate Messner focuses on historical events and addresses long-held myths and inaccuracies. These are a bit more robust than Who HQ and are great for upper elementary
Young Zoologists: This animal series aims to inspire future generations to pursue biology and conservation work. Books are written by real-life experts in their fields (including many women) and are beautifully illustrated. These books can grow with readers as the pictures appeal to emerging readers while the text is chock full of information
National Geographic Kids: Long a forerunner in non-fiction scientific realms, this series targets animal lovers with facts about all types of species in an age-appropriate and engagement manner.
Many audiobooks are available for free through your local library or the LIbby App. As Libby isn't solely for children, getting it on to protected platforms like Amazon Fire tablets can be a bit tricky. However, it is accessible on the parent profile and cacn be downloaded for offline use. Audible is included on Amazon Kids+ although most of our favorite series aren't included.
Podcasts
Podcasts are another great option. I love the ability to download them offline for disruption free listening in the air or on more remote drives.
History Podcasts
The Past and the Curious focuses on bringing lesser known and entertaining histories to young listeners. The podcast has an American history bent, but covers many people and advances rarely taught in class.
The History Chicks is hosted by two women discussing women throughout history. Episodes last roughly an hour and cover a wide variety of locations and time periods.
The Mystery Kids is a PG version of unsolved mysteries, past and present that is entertaining for all ages.
Science Podcasts
Wow in the World covers science and technology news each week. Episodes are 15 to 30 minutes, perfect for waiting in between activities.
Brains On! is has a different kid co-host every week to address questions sent in by listeners with the consultation of field experts.
Stories
Little Stories for Tiny People are aimed at preschoolers with 30 minute inventive stories featuring new characters each time, usually animals, to address real life encounters children might experience
Peace Out is a collection of mindfulness stories that focus on promoting self-regulation and developing social-emotional skills. Episodes are short - 10 to 20 minutes
Personal Players
Many of our friends have Yoto or Tonies. These are great options, too, especially because they promote independent use. There are subscription options for those who aren’t gone on the road as long as we are! We ultimately decided not to make the investment (all those stories can really add up) when we can enjoy our Libby titles and podcasts for free. There are subscription options for those who aren’t gone on the road as long as we are!
Travel Bluetooth Options
We always bring a small bluetooth speaker on vacation both to place music and audio for the family. Our favorite is a tiny mini mushroom speaker with a suction cup bottom. It lasts about three hours between chargers. We've had ours for three years now and it is still going strong. We've also used this version for a few years, mainly in the backyard where we need water resistance. It is a bit bigger, but still portable, about the size of a soda can.
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