Watching movies in the car

[Anonymous]

If you don’t have an entertainment system in your car, how do you set up tablets or iPads so kids can watch movies stream videos during long car rides? We got a new car but it doesn’t have a DVD system like our old car so trying to figure out what will work. Three kids currently. We have subscriptions to streaming services but currently do not have any cell based tablets. Trying to get ideas for what makes sense (we take a fair amount of very long car trips).

[Anonymous]

My kid has my old phone or her tablet. She uses my hot spot for data when we are on long car rides. It kills my battery so if you do this take a car charger. You can buy holders that attach to the headrest to put them in so they’re at eye level.

[Anonymous]

My kid has an iPad and downloads shows and movies before we leave.

[Anonymous]

Amazon Fire and kid downloads shows before we leave.

[Anonymous]

They have these things called books. And games. Try those?

Also, it's OK for kids to be bored on long car rides.

[Anonymous]

Each kid has an iPad and headphones. They are allowed to watch for portions of the drive. We also talk, listen (and sing) to music, listen to books on tape and podcasts. Two of my 3 kids get carsick if they read in a car but they’re ok with an iPad so we do what works for us. They read a ton otherwise, and often listen to audiobooks or music instead of watching shows.

[Anonymous]

Oh - and they download what they want to watch before we go. Super easy and they usually stay downloaded for several weeks.

[Anonymous]

We download movies and shows to an ipad, then use this mounting device: https://www.amazon.com/Tablet-Holder-Car-Mount-Headrest/dp/B0148WQKNQ/ref=asc_df_B0148WQKNQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198093101467&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17929447973847127571&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1028394&hvtargid=pla-378617882806&th=1

Kids use a headphone jack splitter so that 2 can listen to the same thing.

[Anonymous]

They each have a cheap Walmart brand tablet and headphones and we download a bunch of stuff before we go.

[Anonymous]

My kids (6 & 9) each have a tablet that has downloaded content. When we remember, we update the content before trips. We also have a portable DVD player that was handed down to us, but haven't used it in the five years we've had it. Fwiw, my kids have the Kindle Fire tablets for kids but will likely upgrade to ipads, or similar, at some point.

[Anonymous]

Download first. Even if you had cell streaming that would be a boatload of data usage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They have these things called books. And games. Try those?

Also, it's OK for kids to be bored on long car rides.

Yeah, nobody does that anymore. I see kids on phones and tablets at the grocery store, restaurants, in strollers on walks. It's really kind of pathetic. I'm old enough to remember trans-pacific flights with one lousy movie that you could barely see (flights were over 10 hrs, two legs), and now everyone freaks out if they have to fly 3 hrs with iPads.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone, especially for the mount link and recommendations to download before leaving. We definitely don’t allow screen time for the entire car trip, but watching a movie or two during a 10-14 hour trip is a modern convenience I am happy to allow! I don’t know how much space movies take up - if we need to buy a tablet or iPad, what’s the minimum storage we should aim for?

[Anonymous]

When she was younger a tablet with holder attached to the headrest in front of her. Now she holds onto it. She also does bring a book and typically some slime or play dough (fidgety hands). She will read for a little but she has dyslexia and it's hard enough getting her to read during school let alone for "fun" in the car lol. She will often play games on it when in the car though and at least is reading then.

[Anonymous]

We don't. Firstly, that's a GREAT way to get carsick. Secondly, we don't take long car rides. If it's over two hours, we fly.