For our family, summer means lots of travel. Whether it's a ride to Grandma and Grandpa's house or a week-long family road trip, we like to plan activities for the vehicle to keep the kids occupied. Here are some great ways to make the car rides easier and less stressful, as well as a look at some of our favorite new toys this summer! This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Teletubbies. I received compensation for my participation, but all opinions are my own.
How to Make Summer Road Trips Easier
Let the Kids Pack their Favorite Toys - We always let our kids pack their own small bag of toys for the car ride. It gives them something to do while I'm packing suitcases and they usually find a good variety of toys. Lately my kids are loving these adorable Laa-Laa and Po Teletubbies figures! They talk when you press their plush bellies and are perfect for snuggling.
Play "I Spy" - We recently started playing this with our four year old and she loves it! We say "I spy with my little eye something (color)" and then she makes guesses. She loves to be the one giving the clue, also-it's amazing to see how creative she can be!
Bring Coloring Sheets or Books - Even though coloring can get a little messy in the vehicle, it's worth it for long trips. Free printable color sheets are great for kids of all ages and an easy thing to grab as you head out the door. Here are some adorable Teletubbies printables that you can use for your next trip!
Pack Plenty of Snacks and Drinks - Snacks and water are necessities, at least for our family! Without fail, we get in the vehicle and hear "I'm thirsty!" or "Do we have any food?" EVERY. TIME. We like to bring water bottles for each of the kids and also grab some apple sauce pouches. We also rotate out crackers, cheese sticks, and fruit for long car rides.
Carry Wipes for Easy Clean-Up - Baby wipes are seriously going to be in my bag forever, even after we're done with diapers. They make clean-up a breeze and the kids can do a pretty good job wiping things up themselves.
Break out the DVDs - We try to hold off on the electronics as long as possible in the vehicle, but if we're traveling for hours we absolutely break out the DVDs. The new Teletubbies: Big Hugs DVD is the kids' current favorite! It has six all-new Teletubbies episodes that keep our son enthralled.
Stop to Stretch Your Legs - Taking breaks is essential when road-tripping with kids. We like to get out every couple hours to let the kids stretch and take a potty break.
What other tips would you add to this list? We're always looking for ways to make long car rides more enjoyable!
Celebrating 20 Years of Big Hugs with the Teletubbies
When Teletubbies first premiered in 1997, I was a little too old to get into them. I remember kids I would babysit LOVING them, though, and I was SO excited when I heard about their return to Nick Jr. They've really revamped the sweet characters to the 21st century while still keeping the same themes and familiar faces since the show premiered.
Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po now have touch-screen tummies that play live-action films from kids' perspectives during each episode. They get up to their familiar antics playing with each other and learning about their world.
Our son is 18 months old and he absolutely adores this new reboot of Teletubbies. He will sit in awe of each episode, and recently I've caught him copying some of the things the characters are doing or saying! We visited my parents over Father's Day weekend and he got to watch the Big Hugs DVD - can you tell he was into it? 😉
We are so excited about the new line of DVDs from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment! Big Hugs and Twinkle Twinkle both feature six episodes plus bonus content. Each episode features the four lovable Teletubbies and other elements like Noo-noo, The Tubby Phone, The Dup Dup, and Tubby Custard Ride. Plus, there's a new Sun Baby since the original baby is now 19 years old!
To help kids play in real life with their favorite characters, Spin Master released an adorable line of Teletubbies toys! You can purchase them online and at all major retailers - I found some at our local Target last week. Our kids absolutely adore their 8" talking Laa-Laa and Po plush toys! They are SO soft and their voices are very sweet - our kids are always hugging them and cuddling them to sleep.
Teletubbies airs on Nick Jr. weekdays at 9:47 AM. I'm sure we'll be watching more of the series this summer as the ALL-NEW second season airs this July! Follow Teletubbies on their social channels:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Ready to share Teletubbies with your kids? We've got two DVDs for one lucky reader-Big Hugs AND Twinkle Twinkle! They should keep your kids entertained for hours, and are great to watch if you're heading on any road trips. PLUS, two talking Teletubbies toys from Spin Master!
Open to the US only, ages 18 and up. Ends 7/03/17 at 11:59 PM EST.
Enter using the Giveaway Tools form below. Good Luck!
Lisa Brown says
I learned that Laa-Laa’s favorite thing is her orange ball – she loves bouncing, patting and boinging it.
Mia says
I learned that there are Teletubbies Apps available.
Victoria Scott says
That Tinky Winky is the biggest Teletubbie 🙂
Sue E says
I learned that the Teletubbies are now on Nick Junior.
Elizabeth Miller says
I never knew Tinky was the biggest teletubby. I also did not know they had a website.
Amber Ludwig says
I learned that they teach a wide variety of developmental benefits!! I honestly never knew that!! I always just thought they were a colorful distraction lol!! Yay for being super educational too!!
Deborah D says
Dipsy loves big hugs!
denise low says
I learned that they have app now. Also they do teach your children while the children are having fun.
Kim Roberts says
Love
McKenzie Blankenship says
Pack lots of snacks and car games to keep little ones entertained
jennifer peters says
My son is autistic & travel has always been a struggle. We bring lots of distractions, snacks & drinks. We make plenty of stops so he can run & get off some of his pent up energy. It takes longer to get places but it is worth our sanity!!
Alison says
I can't think of any other games and ideas that we do - we usually have the items listed above as you do - we have tables and sometimes phones, we do the iSpy games and try to have tic-tac-toe games - I do miss the Teletubbies - my kids are just a little too old for it now...
Tosha D. says
These are great ideas! Thanks!
Angela Hendricks says
I'm glad I caught this article. You gave some great road trip tips for traveling with kids! I honestly can't think of any others, you covered all the bases!!
Mary Dailey says
Thank you for the fantastic road trip ideas for traveling with kids. It's never easy, so any help is appreciated!
Vicky D says
We're planning a rather long road trip later this summer and I could not be more afraid of how my kiddos will cope! Thanks for these great tips! Just bookmarked this so o can come back to it.
Alicia Carpenter says
Love
Carlene Brumber says
Always bring things to keep children occupied. Also my grandchildren always watched the Teletubbies
Peggy Killham says
Thanks for the great tips. Traveling with kids is never easy so I try to do all the tips you suggested already. I will make sure to stop and stretch legs. We try to go straight through.
Ashley Chassereau Parks says
Dvds on road trips are my saving grace! My oldest kiddo will also take a few books with her on long rides! My youngest loves the Teletubbies!
Margaret gallagher says
Always have she's and teletubbies for road trips
Great distraction
Missy Wilber says
aww my 1 year old grandson would love the talking plush toys!
And I always! have wipes with me. People always ask why I have baby wipes in my bag. lol cause they are great for lots of things!
Jennifer says
Oh how perfect would this be my little girl loves the Teletubbies!
Diana p says
Always pack plenty of snacks. Teletubbies are awesome.
Sarah Spencer says
Not planning any road trips but some of these are even great ideas for just having on hand for trips around town.
Amanda W says
My kids love Teletubbies. They also love road trips. I love all these ideas to help make travelling easier.
AniW says
I remember my niece, who is 19, loving Teletubbies as a toddler. I'm looking forward to watching them with my baby boys who are almost 2 and 7 months old!
Angela Mason says
I learned that the teletubbies are still around. Have a wonderful weekend!
Linda Manns Linneman says
It can be hard traveling with children, especially if you don't have some things in place before leaving. These are some great suggestions. This DVD sounds great for the kids. Thank you so much for sharing this
Cindy Samms says
Personal DVD players or driving at night is my easiest way to drive with my toddler.
Darcy Koch says
All good tips. When I travel with my grandsons I always tell them to bring a book or something to entertain theirself. Sometimes I will take safe snacks in case of hunger.
Mia says
I think that it is neat that the Teletubbies sing when their tummies are pushed. This would be so entertaining for the kiddos.
Tracey Davis says
Packing individual travel bins for each child, such as the little shower caddies from the dollar tree...they can slide down over the sides of cars seats for easy access to toys and treats!
Amanda Joosten says
Lots of snacks are a must
Amy B says
We play games and listen to books on cd on road trips
Katelyn Linder says
This article came out just in time for our summer road trips. Thank you!
Lauren Jones says
Would be such a nice gift. Thanks for the chance.
Angela Waring says
We try very hard to keep my 3 year old unplugged! She loves coloring, singing, and being read too! We recently got a few Melissa & Doug WaterWow books for our trip to Florida and they were a HUGE hit!
Jamie Shapiro says
I learned that there are teetubbjes apps available!
Elizabeth S says
We bring Mini (12piece) Melissa and Doug wooden puzzles, which are great for traveling with there wooden lid to place the puzzles in. Another great item are travel sized white boards or chalk boards!
Carrie Heilman says
Drawing in the car has been a huge hit for my 6- and 2-year-olds this summer. $0.25 notebooks have been perfect!
Callie says
My road trip tip is to bring new toys that kids get to open on the trip!
Tina Conley says
Great tips! Love!!
Kelly S says
We leave in 3 days for a 4 hour road trip with two 3 year olds and a 10 month old. Planning fun stops at different parks on the way and having a special picnic lunch 🙂
Rebecca M Bos says
Perfect, We are just about to take a road trip with two littles!
Phyllis P says
I learned that they habe an app! I have no idea.
Vickie Whitley says
Always carry things for children, to keep them occupied while on the trip.
Kayla Norris says
That they have an app and that they are still on. Don't have cable but maybe I could download app
Marcie m says
Always need snacks, stuffed animals and dvds on car tripss!
Megan Marmo says
My daughter loves to look for motorcycles while we drive, and we always stop often to stretch our legs!!
Brandi Ellison says
i love this for a fun way to travel with kiddos!
Kelly Freeman says
We are driving to South Dakota in two weeks with our 4 kids
Weezie says
I didn't know about the app. My daughter will love it, thanks. I make car-specific games for the kids, and it makes a big difference.
Sandy Tsoi says
I love these ideas and it will be helpful when we travel.
Nancy says
These are all great ideas. It's not possible for every family, but we like to drive at night. That ways the traffic is less and the kids are asleep in their car seats.
Nancy says
From their site, I learned that Tinky Winky is purple, the biggest Teletubby and almost always goes first!.
wen budro says
I learned that they show the Teletubbies on Nick Jr. and they also sell an assortment of DVDs.
Tara Beckage says
I wish we had a portable dvd player for my kids... But the tablet always keeps them busy on long drives.
vera wilson says
Po is the smallest of the tubbies.
Sarah L says
They have a new app.
Thanks for the contest.
Elisheva Mayerhoff says
This is definitely a great idea for long road trips with kids! Must try it out on my next one!
Jan Lee says
It seems that these characters are great at promoting your child's development in several areas such as motor skills, language, socialization, and overall learning 🙂
Alisha S says
I'm always on the look-out for good, sort-of-educational dvds for my children to watch on long road trips. I haven't tried Teletubbies, yet, but I will definitely keep that show in mind the next time I am shopping for dvds! Thanks for the great suggestion!
Alisha S says
I'm always looking for fun activities for my little ones. I learned that the Teletubbies website has free coloring downloads and little video clips. Should be fun to try!
Deborah D says
Glad this show is on the air.
denise low says
I have learned that they have apps now for the kids to learn with.
Katieandaaron Petty says
We love watching videos in the van. It really helps on long trips. I am not a fan of the tellatubies only because I think it stunts the speech. My oldest will try to speak like them instead of the normally intelligent way he usually speaks.
Vickie Whitley says
My children loved Teletubbies.
Heather Cahill says
My son loves Teletubbies. Thanks for the chance!
Laurie Nykaza says
Tinky Winky is purple, the biggest Teletubby and almost always goes first! love the purple on so cute. Tubby Phone is a smartphone with a touch screen
Teresa Nguyen says
Very helpful. Thank you!
Heather Marie L. says
We have yet to go on a very long trip which is alright but, I am definitely prepared for when we do need to go somewhere that will have us in the car for a couple of hours. We have not yet started watching The Teletubbies as our son is currently obsessed with Blue's Clues, Sesame Street and Muppet Babies. It may be time to introduce him to some new characters! I always have an extra bag packed and left in my car with essentials for everyone. Just incase something happens while we are out...we will have everything we need for the time being.
Heather W says
Always looking for a good dvd option for our plane rides - plus I love the teletubbies!
Christina M says
We are never afraid to pull out the DVDs on long drives because it is also unnatural for the kids to be strapped down for such a long time. DVDs help everyone out
Bridget N. says
Learned that they still have teletubbies on tv. My tip is Cheerio snack necklace for a easy car trip snack.
Terri S. says
Whenever we take a road trip with our 2 granddaughters, I make sure I bring lots of activities for them to do (coloring books, children's story books and DVDs). Last trip they watched Jungle Boy. We have fun playing I Spy too. Snacks and bottles of water are a must.
Will says
My favorite character is the Sun.