Road trip? Keep little ones entertained

For families with young kids, the desire to get everyone out of the house is at an all-time high. To avoid going stir-crazy, many are turning to road trips for a late-summer escape – and often with long car rides comes the use of on-screen entertainment. So, how can parents ensure kids are using screen time for good? These PBS KIDS educational apps engage little ones while tapping into their art, math, science, engineering and design skills.

• Parents can keep their kids entertained on an upcoming road trip and beyond with the free PBS KIDS Games app, which offers nearly 200 educational games that can be downloaded for offline play anytime, anywhere. New games are regularly added to encourage children ages 2-8 to explore math, science, creativity and more as they play. The app also has unique content like Scribbles & Ink, a character-driven interactive series that teaches kids, ages 4 to 8, drawing techniques as they move through six different worlds. With the open-ended nature of the art creation process, kids can let their imaginations run wild as they become part of the friendship between the beloved cat and mouse duo.
• Read, play, and learn with Daniel Tiger’s Storybooks – a collection of favorite stories from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. The Daniel Tiger’s Storybooks app offers a library of interactive stories narrated by Daniel Tiger. The stories show Daniel learning life lessons, like sharing with friends and being a helper. Each book, available in English and Spanish, includes a familiar song, charming animations, and a simple game to encourage children to play about the theme of the story.
• The new The Cat in the Hat Invents mobile app encourages young children to learn more about STEM subjects through fun activities such as designing their own robots, exploring different worlds and navigating challenges. Developed with the Next Generation Science Standards in mind, the free app allows players to use voice command when selecting specific tools to help characters Nick, Sally and the Cat in the Hat improve their robot.
• PBS KIDS’ Play and Learn Engineering app, brings little ones the opportunity to design roller coasters and problem solve through the twists and turns of obstacle courses. Preschoolers will feel empowered to develop a better understanding of the world around them and experiment with new tools and techniques. This free app is fully bilingual in English and Spanish.
• The Wild Kratts are off to the creature power rescue in Wild Kratts Rescue Run. Run, jump, fly, and swim through 24 action-packed levels, rescue animals to unlock information about each one in the Creaturepedia, and face-off against villains to keep the animals safe from harm. Learn about animals and their habitats while using problem solving skills to choose different creature power suits, each with their own unique creature power.