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These are the backseat boredom busters you’ve been looking for!

I've been a BuzzFeed Contributor since 2020 and I'm always on the lookout for products that are the perfect blend of form and function — especially if it's in the realms of parenting, travel, and home goods and décor.

Promising review: "My two children have so much fun playing with this in the car. The belly is filled with different colored beads and also with different objects. It comes with a stack of cards attached to it and even a little pocket to tuck the cards into when you aren’t using them. Each card has a picture of the item you are looking for and the word for what it is also for those that can and cannot read. The bear itself is soft and squishy. Perfect activity for my two and six year olds!" —Nicole

Get it from Amazon for $10.99 (available in two styles). 

Promising review: "Love this for my 4 year old. Especially for road trips/vacation. Easy to use, sturdy, and fun to see what moments they choose to capture" —Brad

Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in five colors).

Promising reviews: "I bought this for my toddler, and it’s been such a great purchase! It’s lightweight, easy to use, and mess-free — no paper, no crayons to pick up, and no worrying about walls being drawn on. My child loves doodling on it, and I love that it’s reusable with just the press of a button. The screen is bright and clear, and the stylus is the perfect size for little hands. It’s been a lifesaver during car rides, waiting rooms, and quiet playtime at home. Plus, it’s durable enough to handle the occasional drop or rough use. Highly recommend this for any parent looking for a fun, screen-free activity that keeps their little one entertained and creative!" —Minerva Hernandez

Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (originally $19.99, available in six colors and four sizes).

Promising reviews: "I bought these for a cross-country plane trip with my 2-year-old. They held up great, and I really like that I can wash them off. My nephews (12  and 10) played with them daily for a week and were not easy with them, but they are still going strong. I plan to give these as gifts!" —Melissa

"A LIFESAVER for the airplane/traveling! Out of all the toys I bought to entertain my toddler on a long flight, she loves these the most. Cheap fun!" —Jaden

Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in a 6- and 16-count).

The cherry on top might be the Amazon Kids+ subscription — it comes with a huge library of age-appropriate books, along with the option to set reading goals and track progress.

Promising reviews: "It’s been a game changer for encouraging my child to read more. The device is lightweight, easy to hold, and the adjustable lighting is perfect for reading day or night without straining the eyes. The parental controls give me peace of mind, and the colorful protective case is both fun and durable. If you’re looking to get your child excited about books, this is absolutely worth it!" —Natalie

"Got this for my 9-year-old’s birthday. I love that there is no access to the internet, so I am okay with her using it before bed in her room. She is easily able to navigate and use this. She has brought it on international travel, and it was durable and stayed charged for the trip despite only charging it all the way before the trip. Plus, she thinks the whale case is so cute and whimsical." —Busymom

Get it from Amazon for $129.99 (available in three colors/themes).

Promising review: "We love these for school & travel. Perfect for practicing ABC’s, & math. We love using them in the car as an alternative to crayons for creative play with no mess!" —Realmacdaddy

Promising review: "We love these headphones! Great quality, good sound control, comfortable, and easy to pack up for a flight or other travel. My 5-year-old uses them on the plane and on long car rides. While the headphones themselves have parental volume control, I did find that there are some settings on the iPad that you also need to adjust to make them louder in certain situations, like on the plane — if it seems like the headphones aren't loud enough, investigate the settings on the device itself." —Ashley

Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in 10 colors).

Promising reviews: "This pad has been a HUGE hit in my house. My toddler loves 'painting' the farm scenes and watching the colors appear. Once the pages dry, she can start all over again, which means it keeps her entertained for much longer than most activities. It’s completely mess-free (just water), which I really appreciate, and the chunky water pen is easy for little hands to hold. The book itself feels sturdy, and the plastic flaps and pages have held up well to repeated use. It’s also small enough to throw in a bag, so it works great for travel or quiet play. Overall, it’s simple, reusable, and worth having on hand. Seemingly appropriate for toddlers and up." —Tatiana D.

Get it from Amazon for $8.95 (available in five themes, including farm, animals, safari, under the sea, and jungle).

Promising review: "We LOVE these. I grew up with them, so it felt nostalgic to buy. But such a fun way to engage my son and really test and learn a variety of types of thinking. We can run through them many times. It is a win-win as he liked doing these "quizzes" with me, and I love to see how his mind works, and he can process the questions." —Rebecca S

Promising review: "I really liked this toy! I love playing this as an adult! My toddler loved it! Purchased for plane rides, and it really kept her entertained! It was nice and small, durable and fun!" —Nancy

Promising review: "The best for traveling, diaper bag staple for toddlers and kids. The set has a perfect amount of tiles to build and play with. Case is metal so the tiles stick. Case shuts solid and we don’t worry about loosing pieces. Love it." —Caitlin

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in four styles).

Promising review: "My kids love these. She’s 3 up to 7. Perfect for a longer car ride, plane ride or a break from screen time. I buy a couple before a trip. They enjoy it time and time again." —Amazon Customer

Promising review: "We have so many good memories playing these as kids. So many good memories that I still have my originals from the 70’s , but I don’t want to share them. I bought these for my niece so she can have as many good memories as her mother & I did as kids (and as adults)! She loves them too now. Great gift for kids to get them looking out the windows & not on stupid devices. A road trip must have!!!" —Shell

Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (available in five styles).

Promising review: "The Where's Waldo? Deluxe Edition brought back so many great childhood memories! The illustrations are just as detailed and fun as I remember, and now I get to enjoy it all over again with my kids. It’s a great way to keep them entertained and engaged without screens. High-quality book with classic pages and a few extras — perfect for all ages. Love having this on the shelf!" —Nikki B.

Promising review: "I bought this for my son’s birthday goody bags and kept the leftovers for my son. He’s 3, so these are perfect because they are small and come in handy for car trips, running errands, or just anytime. The colors are so vibrant and fun. Super easy to mold. Would recommend and would most likely purchase again." —Mariela

Promising review: "Bought this to use as a 'car game' while on recent 700 mile car trip! Kids loved it, thought it was a new game (i had to smile) no tablets or cell phones used for miles!!" —shirley dietz

Promising review: "I used to love games like this when I was a kid- so I was thrilled to see they’re still pretty popular. We just got a large van because we have a large family now - and it’s almost 40 years old, so it doesn’t have phone chargers, cd players, or much to do for kids… and most of our family lives many hours away. So we’ll be taking lots of road trips and these games are going to come in handy for keeping the kids entertained." —HeathenHeather

Promising review: "My 4 year old daughter has loved this sticker book. It has lots of scenes and stickers. It also has pages for coloring. Perfect to take in the car or play with on a cold wintery day. The pages are nice and thick and the stickers don’t rip easily which makes them very kid friendly. Would highly recommend." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $14.98+ (available in 45 titles).

Promising review: "My Nephew loved this gift! He was so entertained it was hard to take it away from him when it came time to leave. He was able to play with it in the car without losing any pieces. Great gift idea." —The Golf Diva 

Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in seven designs).

Promising review: "Took this mad lib book on a looong car trip. The kids loved it! The 7 and 8 year olds had a great time filling in the blanks and the 4 year old got into the act in choosing the silliest word to insert. The words are divided by parts of speak -- noun, adjective, etc. -- so there is an educational component also. Another trip coming up next month so I bought 3 more! Highly recommend!" —Lili

"This game is great for kids who get bored sitting at a restaurant, or traveling in a car, etc. I put it on the kitchen table so the grandkids can play it while I am cooking or doing laundry or at the end of a meal. It keeps their minds busy and they enjoy the puzzle." —mamadee

Promising review: "Our three youngest grandchildren get the biggest kick out of this. On longer trips in the car, it sure helps the time pass by." —Teresa

Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in six colors).

Promising review: "These are a great road trip activity and super easy for kids to complete!" —Brandi R.

Promising review: "Play by the rules or just as a team. Great for road trips or just to stop every day bickering in the car on daily car rides! My kids love i spy books and these are just like those. My 3 year old who cannot read yet can still play most of the cards. The pictures are great to help with that." —Caitlin

Promising review: "I bought these as an additional item to keep my kids busy on our long car ride this past summer.

They were a hit with our 9, 12 and 16 year old. I'm not ashamed to admit my husband and I also both enjoyed tinkering with them. There are so many movable parts, they aren't terribly nosey when you move them either which is good for quiet enclosed spaces. For me personally I struggle with small noises so these little fidgets were great." —Shelby B

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in nine variations). 

Promising review: "I purchased this travel tray for my daughter and we absolutely love it! This product has been a game changer for our car trips. My daughter can now comfortably play, draw, and watch her tablet during our drives. The tray is very sturdy and well-made with great quality materials. The tablet holder is secure and the storage pockets are perfect for keeping all her toys, snacks, and markers organized. The waterproof surface is easy to clean which is a huge plus. I especially appreciate the bonus activity sheets and markers that came with it - my daughter enjoys them so much! This tray has made our travel time so much more peaceful and enjoyable. Highly recommend this product." —Serhii

Get it from Amazon for $25.98+ (available in seven colors).

Promising review: "Very good for traveling, my kids keep their snack and games! Only think if you put to much stuff its giving you less space for you legs in the car! But, still works for us! Especially if you have toddler and you want to keep their stuff all in one place, works good!" —Elvis

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* Toys And Games For Siblings Who Actually Love To Share

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Plus bikes, sensory toys, and finds from Walmart.

BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.

The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.