Do you have a Netflix playlist set up? If you have a trip over 2 hours coming up this summer, you need to get on this pronto. Most of the time, I limit technology. I don’t like them to have more than an hour a day of screen time but I’m not super strict about it because sometimes Mommy’s got a blog to write. However, when it comes to travel, I’m a big fan of giving my kids all the technology. All. Of. It. If it will help keep them quiet, go to sleep easier and/or forget about their thimble-sized bladder, then it’s a win for me! And that’s where the Netflix playlist comes in.
Just like on my new favorite streaming service of choice, Tidal, (solely for Lemonade), Netflix lets you set up a playlist of movies and TV shows you and your kids can watch. The benefit of setting up a Netflix playlist before setting off on your next trip is to simply avoid the fights. Avoid your child whining about not finding that one obscure show they saw one time 6 months ago. Avoid the simply ludicrous exclamation that there’s “nothing to watch”. Get yourself organized enough to have a new Netflix playlist prior to setting off on your travels and you will be glad you did.
Note: I use Netflix in the car by turning my phone into a hotspot and having the kids connect to that network. There are locations when the signal is weak but for most of our trips, it works like a charm. Connecting to an airport network, a fast food network, or a hotel network also works great when you are looking for a quick way to entertain the troops. This month we spent a long weekend in Washington DC (11 hour road trip) as well as a fabulous trip to Walt Disney World (8 hour road trip). Netflix was used in the car and at the hotel and I was definitely not counting their screen time hours!
Back to the Netflix Playlist. To get you started, Netflix has put together a genius playlist they call “Sugar and Spice” and includes entertainment for families that have both girls and boys. With 1 girl and 3 boys, this is a for realz issue in my house. Check out five of the top picks from this Netflix playlist at my house.
Top 5 Items on the Sugar and Spice Netflix Playlist
My only problem is trying to stay within a data plan! Any idea how much data you use for video when you are on a long trip like that? I’d like to be prepared next time.