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People often ask how we keep the kids occupied on plane trips or infinite-seeming stretches of road. I do have a magic trick up my sleeve, but it isn't any big secret or surprise.
Tablets.
We hand the kids tablets. These long travel treks are the one time they're given total, unbridled (parental pre-screened) access to all the apps and videos their little hearts could desire.
I've raved about how our sponsor Amazon's Fire HD 8 Kids Edition can be setup for education purposes with features like Learn First, Bedtime, Discussion Cards and offline capabilities. And when it comes to entertainment endeavors, this tablet rocks as much as any electronic device possibly could. It's not at all the isolating experience that some parents picture, though. We can download the same content to each of the kiddos' tablets so that they're all on the same page with cultural learnings, hot topics and holiday happenings. Come time for seasonal travel, our Amazon FreeTime Unlimited accounts are our key to unlocking all the festivity! It's all included with our subscription. There's always fresh, relevant content – no need to shell out additional money for video rentals or book purchases.
Our Fave Holiday Picks on Amazon FreeTime Unlimited
Holiday Books on Amazon FreeTime Unlimited
Get that family book club going next to a festive winter break fire in Grandma's living room! There are a ton of widely-recognized holiday classics on FreeTime Unlimited. Here are our favorites.
The Santa Shimmy – This cute little jingle rhyming series is easy for preschoolers to follow (and a great way to have older kids practice reading holiday words).
The Elf Boogie
The Snowman Shuffle
The Reindeer Dance
Peek-a-Boo Santa – The Peek-a-Boo holiday series by Charles Reasoner follows a gang of silly merry-makers as they unleash their festivity on the world.
Peek-a-Boo Elves
Peek-a-Boo Snowman
Peek-a-Boo Reindeer
Mr. Getaway and the Christmas Elves – by Sally Huss
Just a Snowman – A Mercer Mayer classic
Sneezy the Snowman
Snowman's Story
The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving
Kevin's Kwanzaa – Learn how other cultures celebrate the season!
The Polar Express
Holiday Videos on Amazon FreeTime Unlimited
From the most-beloved Christmas shorts to seasonal episodes of your kids' favorite television shows, there's enough to keep the whole crew entertained for hours on end.
Pingu's Family Celebrate Christmas – Follow along as everyone's favorite penguins bumble their way through a wintery wonderland.
The SpongeBob Christmas Special
If You Give a Mouse a Christmas Cookie – Based on the well-known mouse who can never quite get enough.
Om Nom Stories Christmas Special – These silly little characters from the wildly popular web series entertain everyone from my baby through the elementary schooler.
Busy World of Richard Scarry's Abe and Babe's Christmas Lesson
Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
How to Draw a Cute Christmas Elf – These drawing tutorials from Em Winn follows a simplistic, sweet pattern that's easy to follow for kids and adults alike.
Draw Santa Claus for Christmas
How to Draw a Snowman and Snow Lady for Kids
Drawing a Gingerbread Man Cookie for Christmas
How to Draw Christmas Ornaments
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
Fireman Sam's Santa Overboard
Holiday Apps on Amazon FreeTime Unlimited
Take it a step further with interactive settings and immersive storytelling. These apps put you in the middle of a winter wonderland!
The Snowman and the Snowdog – Based on the runaway hit and NAPPA silver winner by Raymond Briggs, this app lets kids float through the sky in search of Santa. Catch snowflakes and golden angels along the way!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas – This app is basically a book that can read to you, help you read to yourself, or auto-play. Great for when your kids want a bedtime story but your voice is hoarse from all the merriment.
A Charlie Brown Christmas – Another self-reading book with lots of opportunities for kids to impact character movement.
We like to do crafts involving lots of the classic Christmas tales. I personally find that it helps really solidify the story if I can read it in traditional book form, watch it in a television adaptation and have the kids play an app version of it as well. Anything that gets them hands-on and increases repetition is always great for their memory!
Do your kids have an Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids tablet yet? If not, you may want to add it to their wish list for a fun and educational win. There's a big sale going on right now, too. With a money-back guarantee if your kids damage it AND a year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited included in the purchase price, it's a huge value!