50+ Audiobooks to Keep Kids Entertained on Your Summer Road Trip

Summer is here.

The weather is warming up.

And for many...that means it’s time to hit the road.

Are you planning on taking a road trip (or a few!) this summer?

If you are, stay tuned for our favorite vacay-worthy audiobooks to keep you and your crew entertained along the way.

Audiobooks are exactly what you need to pass the time when the kids won’t stop asking, “Are we there yet???” They’re a simple screen-free activity that keeps everyone engaged and on the edge of their seats, wondering what’s gonna happen next.

I’m gonna break our top picks down into three categories — audiobooks for families traveling with young kids, audiobooks for families traveling with older kids, and audiobooks for the whole family to enjoy together. 

→ Try a free trial of Audible Plus, where you can listen all you want for one low monthly price (affiliate link), or find free sources for audiobooks.

Let’s get started.

Audiobooks for Families Traveling with Young Kids

In this section, I’ve included several classics that many of us remember from our childhood.

All of these books are beautifully written and voiced and can easily be enjoyed by the entire family.

I also chose quite a few that either come in a collection or series because once you’ve listened to the first book, it’s easier for young kids to grasp the storyline of subsequent books.

Audiobooks can be a hard sell at first for kids because there are no pictures or screens. They have to use their imaginations to see the story and that’s a skill that takes practice.

In the case of a series or collection, they’re already familiar with the characters and setting and that means they don’t have to work as hard to enter into the author’s world.

Bonus — when you borrow or buy a series or collection of books, you’re getting extra hours of expert storytelling to keep your kids entertained on a long drive!

Read on for our top audiobook picks for families traveling with young kids.

• Little House in the Big Woods
• Stuart Little
• The Roald Dahl Audio Collection
• Matilda
• Charlotte’s Web
• The Magic Treehouse Collection
• The Wind in the Willows
• The Henry Huggins Collection
• The Ramona Quimby Collection
• The Ralph S. Mouse Collection
• The Boxcar Kids
• The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
• The Collected Stories of Winne the Pooh
• A Bear Called Paddington
• Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
• The Trumpet of the Swan

→ Try a free trial of Audible Plus, where you can listen all you want for one low monthly price (affiliate link), or find free sources for audiobooks.

Audiobooks For Families Traveling With Older Kids

Similar to those listed above, almost every single one of the audiobooks in this section is part of a series.

If you and your kids enjoy the first book in the series, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy and engaged during long hours spent in the car.

The titles below are a mixture of new and old, but each and every one shares a common theme — they all will take you on an adventure and leave you wanting more.

This is just a sampling of the many incredibly written and narrated books you can find at your library or through an audiobook subscription service.

Here are our favorite audiobooks for families traveling with older kids.

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
• The Hobbit
• The Penderwicks
• The Green Ember
• The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
• The BFG
• The One and Only Ivan
• A Wolf Called Wander
• Hatchet
• The Land of Stories
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Anne of Green Gables
• The Railway Children
• Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
• White Fang
• The Mysterious Benedict Society
• The Mystwick School of Musicraft
• The Upside Down Magic Collection
• Where the Red Fern Grows
• Eragon

→ Try a free trial of Audible Plus, where you can listen all you want for one low monthly price (affiliate link), or find free sources for audiobooks.

Audiobooks for the Whole Family to Enjoy Together

The books we’ve included in the following list, like the ones above, are a mixture of both new and old….series and standalones.

Regardless, each of them is a timeless work of literary art and sure to keep your family entertained this summer as you hit the road.

If you have kids that span a wide range of ages — and make it through the list below — check out the other sections in this post.

Many of the choices you see are perfect for those of any age.

Keep reading for our carefully curated selection of audiobooks for the whole family to enjoy together.

• My Father’s Dragon
• Mary Poppins
• Walk Two Moons
• Tuck Everlasting
• Island of the Blue Dolphins
• Wonder
• The Wild Robot
• Because of Winn-Dixie
• Pax
• Flora and Ulysses
• A Wrinkle in Time
• The Inkheart
• A Series of Unfortunate Events
• Peter and the Starcatchers
• Holes
• How to Eat Fried Worms
• The Ickabog
• The Enchanted Castle

The Wrap-Up

Want to stop the kids from complaining that they’re bored? When listening to audiobooks, pair them with activities that will keep little hands busy. Lego bricks, Rubik’s Cubes, Color Wonder products, sketchbooks, and handicrafts — sewing, cross stitching, loom bracelet making, paracording, knitting, crocheting etc. — are all examples of activities that travel well.

Now that you’ve got plenty of audiobook ideas and a few tricks up your sleeve to keep hands busy, you’re all set.

One last quick tip — don’t forget to pack snacks...lots of snacks. Keep kids fed and entertained and your time on the road wil be a breeze.

→ Try a free trial of Audible Plus, where you can listen all you want for one low monthly price (affiliate link), or find free sources for audiobooks.

What are your summer vacation plans?

Share in the comments below!