When it comes to long journeys with children, audiobooks are amazing!
They keep children’s minds occupied and eyes looking forward, eliminating travel sickness and back-seat bickering.
5 Useful Tips For Using Children’s Audiobooks On Long Journeys
1. Do your research
Choosing the right audiobook can completely transform your travel experience, turning a tedious motorway crawl into a shared family laugh-a-thon, or a plane journey into a relaxing hour or two of silence.
What kinds of books do your children enjoy?
If they like funny books, you might like to check out my audio books, published by Puffin and excellently narrated by professional actors (more details below).
2. Ensure Offline Access Before You Leave
Motorway dead zones and high-altitude plane flights will instantly kill streaming apps. Download your chosen audiobooks entirely to your device while you are still on your home Wi-Fi network.
3. Invest in a Simple Headphone Splitter
If you want some quiet time up front to listen to the sat-nav or your own podcast, a cheap headphone splitter can be a lifesaver when using children’s audiobooks on long journeys. It allows multiple kids to plug into the same tablet or phone and listen to the story together in perfect sync.
4. Don’t forget the return trip
Keep a fresh comedy queued up for the journey home to combat the ‘end-of-holiday’ blues.
Here is the perfect laugh-out-loud double-bill for your next getaway:
- The Outbound Journey: The Accidental Diary of B.U.G.
- The Vibe: Witty, fast-paced diary-style chaos.
- Why kids love it: Billie Upton Green is an instantly relatable, funny protagonist navigating family, school, and biscuits.
- The Audio Magic: Narrated brilliantly by Ashna Rabheru, the energetic voice acting brings Billie’s doodles and top-secret diaries vividly to life without needing a physical page.
- The Return Journey: The Day My Dog Got Famous
- The Vibe: Hilarious pet antics and modern family warmth.
- Why kids love it: Follow Ferris Foster and his hopelessly lazy, untalented dog, Aldo, as they accidentally stumble into viral internet fame while dealing with a chaotic, lovable foster family.
- The Audio Magic: Narrated by Sebastian Humphreys, this fast-paced comedy delivers continuous giggles that will make a two-hour traffic jam fly by in what feels like minutes.
Download Today!
You can listen to free samples and download both audiobooks right now on your favourite platforms:
- Get The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. on Audible UK
- Get The Day My Dog Got Famous on Audible UK
Both books are also available on Apple Books, Google Play, and Spotify Audiobooks. If The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. is a hit (it will be!) there are two more audio books in this series.
5. Turn Car Games Into a Story Extension
Once a chapter ends, keep the quiet momentum going. Ask kids to predict what ridiculous thing Aldo the dog will do next, or invent their own “top-secret diary initials” just like Billie.
Using children’s audiobooks on long journeys will not be for everyone. If you want some brilliant car game ideas, you can find lots of ideas in this post.
Good luck using children’s audiobooks on long journeys – have a great trip!