How to Keep a Toddler Happy in a Prius

Editors Note: My wife originally wrote this article in October 2013 and it was not edited / published at the time.

So let’s get real. If you have kids, a Prius is not at the top of the list for kid-friendly vehicles. Space is the biggest issue here. Kids need space to put their toys, books and sippy cups.

When my husband and I went looking for a new set of wheels, a Prius wasn’t even on our radar- too expensive for starters. But then I saw a shiny, black 2010 Prius on the lot and I liked the look instantly. The salesman was so smart, spouting off all of these things we wanted to hear- “best-selling car in Northern California” and “black is elegant.”

When I calculated all the miles we drive up and down Skyway- the main road that connects Paradise to Chico- I was sold. 50 miles per gallon? Like, really? Really? Between visiting family all over California and trekking to and from my husband’s half-marathons, this was a smart choice.

Honestly, we bought the car knowing it would be a tight fit. In retrospect, I did not calculate our baby-at-the-time would grow. She would soon become a toddler, then a young adult and so on and so forth. My emotions drove the purchase and a portion of my practicality went out the window. Now I get why most Mom’s drive minivans.

There were several conversations had with regards to how to drive far in a small car with a small child. The goal was to not be exhausted on arrival to our destination. We contemplated getting an iPad. We budgeted for one, but then decided to upgrade our phones instead as we were late to get on the “Smart Phone Train.”

Our baby is now 2 ½ years old and she loves technology, specifically Daddy’s phone. More specifically, YouTube and Netflix. I cannot imagine a road trip without these tools to help keep our toddler entertained.

My husband has a HTC Evo V and I have a Samsung Galaxy Victory. Neither comes equipped with the cables that you need to keep a young person happy on a long road trip. The issue is that the child wants to hold the phone but it needs to be plugged in to get juice or to play from the speakers.

Here are two cables from YourCableStore.com that never leave our car:

1) 6’ or 12’ Headphone Extension Cable- H3MM6-B or H3MM12-B. If you plug your phone into the 3.5mm auxiliary jack, your child can hold the phone and it can be heard through the car’s speaker system.
2) 6′ or 10’ USB Extension Cable- USB 2 AM- AF 6 or USB 2 AM-AF 10, plug into the charging cord and have it charge while the child holds/ uses the phone or tablet. (Editors note in 2013 we sold single units of these items but due to the rising costs of selling on Amazon we now only sell 5 packs).

Now our daughter can watch Daft Punk’s new video on YouTube on repeat to her heart’s content. She likes to get funky.