Are We There Yet? How to Find Catchy Kids’ Music for Your Next Family Road Trip

The family road trip is an American classic. Every year, millions of families load up their SUVs and vans to hit the freeways in search of fun and memorable destinations. While these trips can be the highlight of the year, they don’t come without their challenges. Specifically, long hours on the road can be tough for kids to endure patiently, which is why having some fun kids’ music ready to go should be a top priority for all parents.

Finding Catchy Kids’ Music for Your Next Family Road Trip

Great Music Makes a Long Car Trip Shorter

Every parent knows the struggle of trying to get kids to sit (relatively) still and remain (somewhat) quiet during a long road trip. For kids, it’s hard to understand that the long wait is going to be worth it when they get to do something fun at the end of the journey. It’s easier for adults—who might also be bored in the car—to understand that there will be a reward for making the drive. Kids struggle with that kind of delayed gratification, and they want to have fun now.

So, how do you make a long road trip fun for kids? We can’t claim that listening to the right music is going to completely eliminate the struggle of the long drive—parenting is never that easy—but it can be a big help. Once they are caught up in some songs they love, the time will start to move faster, and the miles will roll on. Then, once the music session is over, you’ll be that much closer to your destination, or at least a place to stop for some food and to stretch your legs.

Elements of Great Road Trip Music for Families

It’s hard to argue with the power of music on a road trip, but you aren’t going to have the same level of success with every song. Spending some time in advance to prepare with the right music is going to make things work out much better in the end.

What makes for great kids’ music? The following elements are a good starting point:

• A Great Beat: This one is obvious. If your kids are going to be rocking out in the van or SUV as you cruise along, the songs you pick will need to have a good beat as a foundation. That’s not to say you can’t slow things down with a carefully selected mellow tune from time to time, but for the most part, kids are going to respond to songs that are as fun and engaging as possible.
• Simple, Memorable Lyrics: Kids love to sing along, but that can be difficult when the lyrics to a song are rather complicated or hard to understand. Good music for kids is direct and straightforward in terms of the lyrics that are presented. The chorus should repeat over and over to help the kids get the hang of it, and the words that are used should be appropriate for even the little ones in your group.
• A Meaningful Message: Starting with a great beat and some simple lyrics is a good formula for a winner. While you are at it, however, you might as well look for songs that deliver a meaningful message along the way. That’s something we take pride in at Go Fish, and we love the idea that our songs can not only entertain the younger generation but also help them understand their place in the world and what it means to be good to others.

Where to Look for the Right Tunes

Parents who had small children a generation or two ago would scoff at the thought of any new parent struggling to find entertainment for their children. To be sure, the options are everywhere. If you want to look for songs for your upcoming road trip, just pull your phone out of your pocket and get to work. With resources like Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and more, it shouldn’t be hard to find countless suitable options to add to your playlist.

Building a Custom Playlist

Speaking of a playlist, the weeks before a road trip are a great time to start a new one you can add tracks to as you find them. Any streaming music platform is going to allow you to create a playlist that you can later play in the car while you are driving. Name it “Summer Road Trip” or something similar, then pick out songs that are the right fit for the whole family. You might even want to try out some of the songs with your kids before the trip arrives just to make sure you are on the right track.

This is also where you can leverage the power of technology to help you get better results. Some streaming services will help you build your playlist if you just “seed” it with a few songs that you like. Once those songs are in there, it can use an algorithm to figure out what else you are likely to enjoy. Soon enough, you should have a long list of relaxing music for kids that you are ready to load up when the time is right.

A Few Extra Road Trip Music Tips

You know your kids better than anyone else, so trust your instincts to pick out songs they will love as you build a playlist. Along the way—and during the trip—use the additional tips below to get the most out of the experience.

• Wait a While: There is no need to start up your playlist as soon as your vehicle pulls out of the driveway to leave for the trip. Instead, keep this “in your pocket” to pull out later when you hit a patch of the drive where everyone seems to be bored or restless. This way, you might get 30 or 60 minutes into the drive before you need to turn to your custom tunes, and you’ll be that much closer to making it through the journey as a happy family.
• Rotate Control Over the Playlist: For families with more than one child, take turns picking songs so everyone gets to be in control for a while. This will make the process of listening to music more engaging, and the kids will be able to develop their own tastes and decide which songs they enjoy and which they could do without.
• Try to Time the Themes: This last tip might be tricky to execute, but it could be fun for the right trip. If your drive is going to take you through some mountains, over a big river, into the desert, or some combination of various environments, try to use those as inspiration for your song choices. Then, you could play relevant songs depending on where you are on the journey and what is around you. This will have the added effect of making the kids more aware of their surroundings, and they might start to enjoy the experience of seeing the world change around them.

Go Fish Will Bring Your Road Trip to Life

At Go Fish, nothing brings a smile to our faces quite like the thought of families traveling on memorable road trips while singing along to some of our fun music for kids. Whether you have been listening to our music for years or you are just now learning about us, check out our fun road trip music for kids today. We think you’ll love what you hear!