What to take to Amuse Kids on a Family Trip

For Babies:

• any object that's bright and new!
• rattles of all sorts
• music-makers
• a few pieces of mega-blocks
• magnetic stick-together blocks
• toys of interesting shapes
• pop-up toys
• safe plastic mirror

Older Babies and Toddlers

• bubbles (to use in the airport, during flight changes)
• balls (for rest areas during car trips)
• nested containers
• sets of things to put into containers
• things that fit into other things
• Busy Boxes with levers, bells, moving parts
• board books
• simple speaking toys: baby pushes button, toy speaks (not too loud!)
• small wind-up toys
• blanket, stuffed animal

Pre-Schoolers

• picture books
• stickers and activity books
• crayons (preferably square so they don't roll!), felt pens
• lap-sized wipe-off easels
• small mirrors
• finger puppets
• costume jewelry
• pop-up books
• post-it notes, scotch tape
• masking tape! kids have fun just sticking it, unsticking it, etc.
• paper punch, stapler (careful!)
• wrapped presents, or snacks - even triple-wrapped
• inexpensive sets of plastic figures (animals, dinosaurs, astronauts...)
• magnetic letters & metal tin
• miniature wind-up train and track (my son's all-time favorite)

Pre-Schoolers to Grade 2's

• activity books
• tattoos that press on with a wet cloth
• stick-on play sets
• travel-size Magna- Doodle, Etch-a-Sketch
• threading sets (pictures with yarn)
• felt boards
• Travel Desk sets
• Leap Frog Leapster- fun games, and kids learn, too.
• small magnetic puzzles
• small wind-up toys
• Go-Fish cards
• silly putty
• colored beeswax (to model with - won't stick to stuff)
• slappy-hands (a sticky toy)
• walkman, with story/ song audiocassettes
• Pokemon cards and books
• "micro-machines": really small cars, sometimes sold in portable sets
• miniature worlds: little houses with figures, hand-sized playsets
• yarn: finger knitting, or simple knitting
• a "story bag" - write phrases on scraps of paper; pull one out of the bag, start a story, pull out another one...

Older Kids' Fun Stuff

• real books!
• Archie comics (still the same, still popular)
• activity kits by the creative Klutz Press, such as Glove Compartment Games
• blank paper, for playing Hangman and Xs & Os
• regular deck of cards
• travel-size Monopoly, Sorry, Snakes'n' Ladders, Battleships
• Speak'n'Spell
• miniature chess
• Mastermind: a great game for age seven and up-- travel-size available
• card sets (such as medieval-style "Magic-- The Gathering" IF kids are into this)
• small Lego sets (--store the pieces in Ziploc bags)
• hand-held toys with the sound turned off
• small 3D puzzle sets
• Walkman and portable cassette or CD players
• Game Boy-type handheld electronic games
• BrainQuest

Also for older kids: visit a good kids' bookstore, and check the non-book items: most children's bookstores these days have expanded their inventory to include high-quality games, such as card-based games or puzzle games that are perfect to tote along on a trip.