Screen-Free Travel & Entertainment Systems for Families

For my family travel has changed a lot over the years. These days it seems like everyone has a phone, tablet, or other device within reach. While technology can certainly make traveling easier, some of our favorite family memories have happened when we put the screens away and simply enjoyed spending time together.

I remember trips when it was just Suzzane and I and we would be traveling to Oklahoma with my parents. There wasn’t much room in the car for toys and books. I would let Suzzane pack one book, one car game and one toy of her choice which had to fit into her tote bag. Most of the time the toy she picked was her doll and her clothes.

Then she was gone and it was Charlie, David and I traveling to Oklahoma. When Charlie was younger we would load up the car before daylight. David would make sure everything was packed, and I would double-check that we hadn’t forgotten anything important.

No matter how carefully we planned, there was always a moment when someone asked how much longer the drive would be or Charlie complained about being bored. As parents, we quickly learned that a little preparation before leaving home could make the entire trip more enjoyable.

What surprised me most was that the activities our family enjoyed the most were often the simplest ones. They didn’t require batteries, internet access, or expensive gadgets. Instead, they encouraged conversation, laughter, and creativity. As long as we took the time to interact with Charlie.

One of the greatest benefits of screen-free travel is that it helps families reconnect with one another. When everyone is focused on a device, it can be easy to miss the beautiful scenery outside the window or the opportunity to have meaningful conversations. Some of the best talks our family has shared happened while driving down the road with nothing more than music playing softly in the background.

Travel provides a wonderful opportunity for children to observe the world around them. They notice interesting buildings, unusual road signs, wildlife, changing landscapes, and small details they might otherwise miss. These observations often lead to questions, discussions, and learning experiences that no app or video can replace. More times than not we would return with new ideas for our classes.

Another benefit of screen-free travel is the way it encourages imagination. A simple notebook can become a travel journal. A coloring book can provide hours of entertainment. A deck of cards can create friendly competition and laughter. Children naturally become more creative when they are given opportunities to entertain themselves without relying on electronics.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that having a simple travel system in place makes a huge difference. Before leaving home, I like to gather a few activities that can be easily accessed during the trip. Having books, notebooks, puzzles, coloring supplies, and travel games available helps prevent boredom before it starts. It also gives children something new to explore throughout the journey.

One thing I’ve learned is that travel is not only about reaching a destination. The journey itself becomes part of the adventure. Some of our favorite memories have come from unexpected moments along the way. We’ve laughed at funny billboards, sung along to favorite songs, stopped for snacks at small-town stores, and shared stories that probably would never have been told if everyone had been focused on a screen.

Of course, no family trip is perfect. There are delays, wrong turns, forgotten items, and occasional disagreements. Those things happen to every family. What matters most is how we handle those moments together. Sometimes the trips that don’t go exactly as planned end up becoming the memories we treasure most.

As parents, it’s easy to feel pressure to keep children entertained every minute of a trip. The truth is that children don’t need constant stimulation. Sometimes a little quiet time allows them to think, observe, imagine, and simply enjoy the experience of traveling. Those slower moments can be just as valuable as the busy ones.

I believe screen-free travel helps create stronger family bonds. When we share games, conversations, stories, and experiences, we are building memories that last much longer than any movie or video game. Years later, children may not remember what they watched on a tablet, but they often remember the funny things that happened during a family road trip.

As we begin this Family Travel series, my hope is to encourage families to embrace the journey as much as the destination. Over the next several articles, I’ll be sharing practical ideas, travel tips, activity suggestions, and real-life lessons our family has learned over the years. We’ll talk about keeping children entertained, reducing stress, handling unexpected problems, and making the most of family travel experiences.

No matter where your travels take you, remember that the most important thing you can pack is time together. Destinations come and go, but the memories you create as a family can last a lifetime. Thank you for joining me for the first post in this series. I hope you’ll come back as we continue exploring ways to make family travel more enjoyable, meaningful, and memorable.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates