The Best Audiobooks for Kids on a Road Trip

Over the past month we spent 40+ hours in the car on a road trip through the Pacific Northwest and Idaho with our 7-year-old, 5-year-old, and 6-month-old.

Was it magical every second?

Definitely not.

There were plenty of snack requests, sibling squabbles, diaper stops, and moments where everyone (parents included!) needed a break. We definitely took turns losing our minds.

Yes, we watched a few downloaded movies along the way, but the absolute heroes of our trip were the audiobooks.

We borrowed some from our local library on CD, downloaded others through Audible, and found a few on Spotify. They turned long stretches of driving into shared adventures, sparked great conversations, and made the miles pass so much faster.

If you’re planning a family road trip, these are the best audiobooks for kids on a road trip that our family couldn’t get enough of.

Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne

This was probably our biggest hit. Jack and Annie travel through history on exciting adventures that kept both of our older kids completely engaged. The chapters are short enough for younger listeners while still being exciting enough that everyone wanted to know what happened next.

The Kingdom of Wrenly Series by Jordan Quinn

If your kids love castles, dragons, and magical creatures, they’ll love this series. The stories are easy to follow and have just enough adventure to keep young listeners entertained without feeling too scary.

Your Classical Storytime by American Public Media on Spotify

This ended up being one of our favorite discoveries. These beautifully narrated stories are paired with classical music, making them perfect for quieter moments in the car when everyone needed a little reset.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl just has a way of capturing kids’ attention. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory had everyone laughing and imagining what it would be like to visit Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

Disney Storyteller Collection available on Spotify

These were such a fun surprise! Many of the stories are 45 minutes or longer and include several of the songs from the movies, making them feel like a cross between an audiobook and a movie without the screen.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

This one had a completely different feel than the others, but our kids loved hearing about everyday pioneer life. It slowed the pace a little and sparked lots of fun conversations about how different life used to be. Check out our guide to a family book club with Little House on the Prairie here!

Audiobooks We Can’t Wait to Try

We also heard great things about other audiobooks. These are next on our list!

• Anything by Roald Dahl
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Winnie-the-Pooh
• The Frog and Toad Audio Collection
• The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
• The Princess in Black Series

Enjoy!

One thing we loved most about listening to audiobooks was that everyone experienced the stories together. Instead of each person watching their own screen, we were all laughing at the same parts, wondering what would happen next, and talking about the characters during snack breaks and gas station stops.

If you’re getting ready for a road trip, we can’t recommend downloading a few audiobooks enough. They completely changed the feel of our drive and quickly became one of our favorite parts of traveling together.

And if your family has a favorite audiobook we should add to our list, let us know! We’re always looking for our next great road trip listen.

X.o. Emma