These Parent-Approved Road Trip Playlists, Podcasts, and Audiobooks Make the Miles Fly By
Summer’s too short not to sing a little louder and listen a little closer.
A road trip to Seward, Nebraska—a quaint small town with a big annual Independence Day celebration—includes cruising for hours past nothing but corn. So much corn. It was the kind of drive where the scenery doesn’t change much, so good road trip playlists will keep the whole car singing and entertained.
Our usual go-to is Benson Boone and Alex Warren, two artists my boys love to have on repeat, of course with kid-appropriate lyrics. But for a full day of straight roads and cornfields? How about a podcast that’ll spark interest in new foods, or clean cuts of pop songs that won’t teach your kids to swear like a sailor!
Mixing it up made the miles fly by: music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Here is my parent-tested and backseat-passenger approved list for your summer road trip, or just the daily school run.
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Spotify Road Trip Playlists Set the Mood
If you’ve been *busy* and haven’t had a chance to build a playlist, Spotify is a great go-to. You can punch in a couple of songs and Spotify will add similar tunes. Or, you can type in a category, genre or mood, such as Sunday Morning Coffee, and you’ll get a playlist that fills the cabin nicely. You’ll find similar functions on Apple Music, Prime Music and others.
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The Ultimate Carpool Karaoke Road Trip Playlist
Who doesn’t love watching James Corden on the Late Late Show riding in his posh Range Rover with all sorts of singers and celebs, belting out their best. From Adele to Beyoncé and beyond, these this playlist features 8 hours of fun to sing to, popular and well-known pop songs from artists who rode in the passenger’s seat with Corden.
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100 Best Disney Songs of All Time
This Spotify playlist of classic Disney songs has been saved over 300,000 times. I’m not sure who enjoyed listening to this one more, the parents or the kids. Disney music brings a comforting and familiar nostalgia that makes everyone feel like a kid. Plus, when you get to that one song you just don’t need to hear again you can easily skip to the next one; there are plenty.
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The Best Belt-It-Out Playlist: The Score From Wicked
This soundtrack is musical magic. Wicked is one of my personal favorites for its powerful songs, storyline, and singalong moments—especially “Defying Gravity,” a modern staple that we’ve all learned to sing at the top of our lungs. Spotify has curated playlists as well as the full Wicked soundtrack from both the movie cast and the original Broadway cast so you can choose your favorite Elphaba—Cynthia Erivo or Idina Menzel. I think that any musical soundtrack is a great option for a long ride in the car because the songs tell the story of the show.
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This Cleaned-Up Family Friendly Playlist Has No Swearing
Another popular road trip playlist that my family loves to listen to in the car is this 10.5 hours of clean versions of popular songs with language that is appropriate for all ears—no surprises! We know our children are sponges, and while we do want them learning during summer break from school, new swear words are not it.
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The Best Podcasts for Family Road Trips
Since summer is a great learning opportunity and your kids are a captive audience, podcasts are a fantastic way to share stories, news, opinions and other topics that also make for great family discussion. After you find one podcast you like, Spotify and other platforms will suggest others to keep the conversation going.
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Family Road Trip Trivia Podcast
It’s exactly what it sounds like: a podcast packed with themed trivia games designed for families. There are hundreds of short (10-20 minute) episodes and topics to keep everyone interested and engaged, such as Marvel movies, Star Wars, and even U.S. geography. Playing a quick round of trivia as a family is perfect for the in-between moments when you don’t want to commit to a long audiobook, but still want something fun, interactive, and screen-free. The episodes are led by host Brittany and her teen daughter Meredith, which adds a cool mom-daughter vibe. It’s also a great option if your kids are different ages; the questions usually span easy to medium difficulty, so everyone gets a chance to feel smart.
Brains On!
This is a fun science podcast that’s kid-led and very entertaining. We listened to an episode about animal farts, and yes, there was cackling in the backseat for miles. This podcast is hosted by Molly Bloom and a new kid co-host every week. Listeners send in their questions to be answered on the show—always fact—checked by experts, of course.
This podcast was my personal favorite to listen to as a family because of the heated debate and conversation it sparked among us. It’s a debate-style podcast where two things go head-to-head. The episode we listened to was Pizza vs. Tacos, and the arguments are hilarious, smart, and totally kid-approved. My oldest was Team Pizza, my youngest (and very picky eater) went all-in on Team Tacos. My son Harrison has never even eaten a taco before, but he had to be on the opposing side of the debate from his big brother, naturally. As the debate breaks into rounds, and your kids get to score each one. We paused it a few times to argue (in a fun way) and keep track of our votes. The car ride flew by, and now my kids want to settle every meal with a debate. Next up: burgers vs. hot dogs. Send help!
Audiobooks the whole family will enjoy!
There’s a moment on every family road trip where the snacks are gone, the license plate game is getting boring, and someone (usually me) threatens to pull over just to regain a shred of silence. That is the perfect time for an audiobook. Listening to the right story together as a family can speed the trip by and transform a backseat meltdown into a full-family bonding moment. Here are a few audiobooks that kept the peace, and made us want to keep driving a little longer just to hear what happened next.
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (narrated by David Tennant)
Just like the movie we know and love, this audio book is pure magic. David Tennant (yes, from Doctor Who) brings every Viking, dragon, and disaster to life with wild voices and tons of heart. My kids were hooked by chapter two, and I couldn’t stop grinning at the banter. Bonus: it’s the first in a long series, so you’re set for future road trips.
The BFG by Roald Dahl (narrated by David Walliams)
Another moment of nostalgia for Mom and Dad, as we grew up reading the poems and stories of Roald Dahl. This is a quick-ish listen packed with Roald Dahl weirdness, giant-sized silliness, and just enough heart. My youngest was giggling at the word “whizzpopper” for an entire hour.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (narrated by the author)
This one hit me right in the childhood feels. I hadn’t revisited Charlotte’s Web since elementary school, but we played it on a quiet afternoon drive, and it completely pulled us in. The story is gentle and heartfelt, perfect for younger kids, but still resonates for us grown-ups. My boys got surprisingly quiet during some of the more emotional parts (you know the one…), and it sparked such a tender little backseat conversation about friendship, growing up, and loss. It’s one of those stories that makes you slow down a little, even on a fast-moving highway. Highly recommend for a wind-down moment or a bedtime listen when you’re road-tripping late into the evening.
It’s not the cornfields or the fireworks that we will remember most; it’s the sounds and conversations that filled all the moments in between. On cross-country drives or quick jaunts to the lake, the right playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks helped can make the trip an adventure. So load up your family, pass the snacks, and hit play. Summer’s too short not to sing a little louder and listen a little closer.
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