Below, find lots of fun kids' stuff for car rides or plane rides, for different age groups.
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
Kids Fun Stuff - 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 favorite)
- learn a long story and tell it well: kids like to hear the same story over and over
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
- LeapFrog Leapster- fun games, and kids learn, too. (Ages 4 to 8).
- 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
- tiny cars, sold in portable sets
- miniature worlds: little houses with figures, hand-sized playsets
- yarn: finger knitting, or simple knitting-- here's a how-to book for kids
-
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 (--bring Ziploc bag to store the pieces)
- hand-held toys with the sound turned off
- small 3D puzzle sets
- BrainQuest
Also for older kids: visit a good kids' bookstore and check out the non-book items for the latest card-based games or puzzle games that are perfect to tote along on a trip.
And in the wired/ electronic amusement department:
- DVD players: allow kids to watch a show they'll enjoy, no matter what the in-flight movie selection is
- iPods, CD players (of course)
- Game Boy-type handheld electronic games
