Apple likes to call its creations “magical,” and this is one of those rare times where you might agree. The iPad in particular (but also the iPhone) have unheralded powers for entertaining and occupying your little ones during long car trips. The most obvious solution is watching movies or TV shows, a task the iPad handles so effectively that there’s no need for a headrest-mounted DVD player—and no, you don’t have to risk subjecting your precious (meaning your iPad) to an unfortunate juice-box incident. By slipping a Velcro strap under the hinge of an iPad case, you can mount your tablet out of reach of little ones. For a more elegant (but still cost-effective) mount, try the $23 PH-PAD+PB-HRM Headrest Mount available at Amazon.com.
For only $23, this adjustable headrest mount for iPad will keep those little fingers off the screen.
Once Dora’s done all her exploring, reach for Road Trip Bingo HD ($1.99), a new twist on the classic game. Kids will keep busy watching for road signs, vehicles, animals, scenery and more—first one to get five in the same row wins!
Keep the kids entertained for hours with Road Trip Bingo HD for iPad.
But remember, kids need a break too, so why not enlist loved ones to play virtual sitters? A camera-enabled iOS device may not be able to FaceTime with Grandma over 3G, but add a portable hotspot (like our fave, the MiFi), and you’re good to go. If you don’t have one, just use the free Skype app, which works quite well by itself from a 3G-equipped device.
Last but not least, put them to work! Given the simplicity of today’s camera-enabled iOS devices, why not hand off some of the shooting to the kids? They might capture some entertaining moments or something interesting outside the window—but most importantly, it’ll occupy them longer that you might think.
