Road Trip Activity

CDs that you all sing along to. Great family activity. You can get classic tunes, not just the really annoying ones!

Get into looking out the window to find sights: bridges, barns, the color red, cows, motorcycles, trailers, a blue sign, etc. We used to play travel bingo with the kids or just get pads of paper with pictures and a check-off box for each item. The 2 year old can't write or figure out the 5-in-a-row bingo game, but can help looking for items. It makes the scenery part of the adventure and makes everyone want to keep driving rather than be part of the "are-we-there-yet?" mentality.

We never had all those electronics, and while I feel they have a place, they aren't the only way to go. Participating in group activities is part of the joy of car travel, and individual electronic games really encourage each person to be more isolated.

Good luck!

For entertainment purposes, and also for your own sanity, may I suggest getting a couple of those "grabber" things that have a claw on the end of a stick? The kids will love to pick stuff up with them and it will save you the irritation of constantly turning around in your seat to retrieve dropped books, etc.
When we went on a road trip with our little ones, I went to the dollar store and bought about 8 little gifts...a book, a window cling, a plastic pinwheel, etc. Then I wrapped them up and handed them out periodically. Just the unwrapping is fun for them.
Clementines, those little seedless oranges, are healthy and little hands can peel them easily if you get them started. My kids have found this oddly entertaining. Also they make the car smell good.
We play word games in the car sometimes. I'll say to my son "tell me a food that starts with 'a'" then have my daughter tell me another food that starts with the last letter of his word (e.g. he says "apple" so I say to the 2 year old "what's a food that starts with 'e'?")
If you give your kids electronic devices in the car, are they really "entertaining themselves?" Maybe you mean they're not bothering you. I'm sure the itouch, DS, and tv in the car have their time and their place, but fond memories of childhood road trips usually have human, not electronic, interaction.
Just my opinion.

Our little guy loved Leapfrog Tag Junior when he was that age. It's a great car activity because it has lots of book options (Pooh, Curious George, jungle animals, etc.) and no small parts to lose. And if he accidentally dropped the "guy" -- that's what he calls the little battery-powered alien-like doughboy thingy -- we could easily reach back and pick it up for him :-)

travel games
make sure your dvd is young enough to capture her interest (we had 2 diff
dvds when traveling w/2 age sets).
white board w/dry erase pens
coloring books w/crayons AND pens
stickers
a new toy (like a doll w/bottle & blankie)
a musical toy for the 2 yr old
stop often if the 2 yr old gets fussy (just to get out of the car & stretch those legs)

I go to the $1 store and stock up on trinket toys and pass them out every 30 minutes, or as needed. The whoopie cushion and silly red nose and glasses were a lot of fun.

Stickers. Get her a variety she can stick all over blank paper, magazines or coloring books.