When I was in the market for a new minivan, a DVD player was a deal breaker. No DVD? Not happening. I knew we planned on taking a lot of road trips, so that DVD player was a total necessity! But, let’s face it, even DVDs get old after a while, especially on long road trips.
Enter audiobooks!
One thing that I have grown to love over the past few years is my Audible account. I started my subscription when I was training for my first marathon — something else to listen to during those long training runs — and it very quickly became a necessity. It wasn’t until a few years later when I realized that it’s the perfect accessory for our family road trips. Plus, if you have kiddos who are prone to motion sickness, taking a screen break and looking out the window will be a welcome distraction.
This year, we’re planning a long drive up to Iowa to visit family. I already have most of these books loaded up in our account!
My 5 Favorite Holiday Audiobooks for Little Kids
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas:: In this rockin’ new spin on the traditional The Night Before Christmas, Pete the Cat proves that giving your all in the spirit of Christmas is the totally groovy thing to do.
How to Catch an Elf :: You’ve been waiting all year long, and now it’s finally Christmas Eve! Is this the year you’ll finally catch an elf? Start a new Christmas tradition with a hilarious children’s book. This funny story is sure to become an instant classic, beloved by parents and children for many holidays to come!
Olivia Helps with Christmas :: Christmas is coming, and Olivia is incredibly busy. She has to wait for Santa, make sure Dad sets up the tree, wait for Santa, watch Mom make the Christmas dinner, wait for Santa, oversee the care with which the stockings are hung and, of course, OPEN HER PRESENTS! Do you see how hard it is to be so helpful during the holidays?
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell! :: What happens when the hungry old lady swallows a whole bunch of different Christmas items? Hilarity ensues! The book itself has fantastic illustrations, but the rhyming text is great to keep you entertained on the audiobook version.
The Santasaurus :: Listen to this story as Pato the stuffed dinosaur believes that by acting as Santa Claus (being giving and loving and kind), he will eventually become a real dinosaur. Will he be able to do enough good deeds in order to make his dream come true?
My 5 Favorite Holiday Audiobooks for Big Kids
Winterfrost :: Bettina’s parents are called away unexpectedly, leaving her in charge of the house at Christmastime. Her family forgets to set out the Christmas rice pudding for the tiny nisse who are rumored to look after the family and protect the farm. Nobody actually believes that these nisse are real, except for her grandfather. What bad things could happen by forgetting this little custom? When her baby sister Pia disappears during a nap, the true magic of the nisse makes itself known.
Father Christmas and Me :: How hard can it be growing up human in Elfhelm? Well, it can be pretty challenging, even if your parents are Father Christmas and Mary Christmas. Elf school can be a bit tricky when you’re singing Christmas songs all year long, and those toy-making tests aren’t easy! When the Easter Bunny and his rabbit army decide to attack and stop Christmas, it’s up to our hero to keep Christmas alive!
The Girl Who Saved Christmas :: Amelia Wishart is known to be the first kid to ever receive a Christmas present. This book teaches us that it was her Christmas spirit that provided the special magic for Santa to make his first trip around the globe. When Amelia’s spirits begin to fall, magic levels begin to dip dangerously low in the North Pole. Santa knows something must be wrong, and he sets out to find, and save, Amelia.
When Santa Fell to Earth :: Santa and his crew have come crashing down to earth during a storm just two weeks before Christmas. Luckily, he ended up in a very nice neighborhood; however, he is not safe! Gerold Geronimus Goblynch is set to put an end to all wishes and turn Christmas into his own money-making machine. With the help of some local kids, Santa sets out to face Goblynch and save Christmas!
Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf :: Leave it to Sammy Keyes to seek out trouble, even in the middle of the local holiday parade! She volunteers on a float to help a friend, only to have the star of the show dog-napped right under her nose! She’s up against the clock to find the dog before the ransom is due, but all she seems to find is a little girl named Elyssa, who is full of her own problems.
My 5 Favorite Holiday Audiobooks for the Whole Family
A Christmas Story :: You can’t go wrong with this one. From Ralphie Parker discovering that his prized decoder ring is really a crummy commercial to his parent’s historic fight over the leg lamp, and the most famous Christmas present campaign in the history of Christmas presents: an official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle!
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King :: This is a great book to listen to before checking out the movie! Mary and Fred open presents on Christmas Eve and Mary’s favorite gift (a nutcracker soldier) breaks. She puts him away carefully, in hopes he will be fixed eventually, but then he comes to life! Suddenly, all of her toys come to life, and an incredible journey begins.
The Night Before Christmas :: Jeff Bridges reads this classic story and brings it to life! This is one of our favorite family traditions and a must-add to your list of Audible books. His reading is perfect for the entire family.
Enid Blyton’s Christmas Stories :: A wonderful collection of stories ranging from mysterious to magical — delighting readers for over 70 years!
The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog :: Dave Barry has been making us laugh for decades with his columns, novels, and short stories, but this particular book is something special. It’s a story for the whole family that is heartwarming and hysterical. And you may never look at a manger scene the same way again!
Audiobooks have very quickly become a staple in our family. My favorite part are the voices that the readers incorporate into the story; it adds a whole new level to storytelling!
Do you have any favorite Christmas books available in an audiobook version? I’d love to hear your suggestions!
