I’ve logged many air and road miles traveling with my children. My best idea for travel is for each child to bring along their own backpack or canvas bag. If they’re old enough, they even get to carry it. The smallish size of the backpack limits the number of animal friends that just have to come along. And it gives me a place to put activities and treats.
The most important activity that goes in the backpack is the hard cover binder. The binder cover should be smooth because it also acts as surface for drawing. Inside the binder I put a zippered pouch for crayons and markers. I print out activity sheets appropriate for the season or places we are visiting. Consider a map of where you’ll be traveling through. Or you can make a word scramble or word search with places and people you plan to see.
I love the anti-coloring books from Susan Striker. Instead of a whole page to color, she puts a border around the paper and instructions for the kids to draw a new toy or invention, to draw what they would see on their magic carpet ride, to draw what they see outside the spaceship window. We also like the Hidden Pictures Coloring books.
Don’t forget classics like Dots, hangman, even a deck of cards. Kids magazines are great to bring along. They have a lot of stories and activities and they aren’t as heavy as books and don’t take up a lot of space.
Stickers can be used to decorate the notebook, to illustrate a story, or just to occupy small children quietly. You can even put them on the ends of markers to make stick puppets. Sometimes I’ve also included finger puppets, tiny animals, cars, dinosaurs. Etch-a-sketch, doodle pro or those inexpensive wax sheets that you draw on an erase are also a fun novelty. Have you tried Wikki sticks? They are wax covered strings that come in bright colors. You can bend them, shape them, or stick them to the cover of that notebook.
I also like to include a few age appropriate treats. Animal crackers, gummy bears, tiny jelly beans. For older kids I put a few sticks of gum to chew if their ears are bothered by altitude adjustments.
The notebooks help keep everyone happy and busy. I also like that they foster a little independence and responsibility. I love that they help to limit my scrambles and searches for crayons and treats.
More things to do on trips:
Fun Travel Games
The Alphabet Game
Car Travel Tips for Kids
Great Games for Car Travel
Travel Tips – Babies and Airplanes
Traveling With Children-More Airport Play Areas