| Issue #35, November 24, 2006 |
Car Trip? Kid Catastrophe No More
Heading to grandma’s for the holidays? Planning on a five-hour jaunt to see Aunt Margaret in Virginia? The first hour is probably going to be a piece of cake as your children are just plain excited to be on the road. The second hour (after the first potty stop) will be filled with videos on their portable DVD players. By the third hour, the fighting in the backseat starts, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Be stocked with some great travel-sized games and it’s guaranteed to be easy riding from there on in. Grandma or Aunt Margaret will be greeted with smiles, instead of a cranky, overstressed family.
You no longer have to fear zillions of pieces flying in every direction, or little cards and game pieces rolling around in the backseat. Travel games are well made, durable and pretty versatile. Many feature more than one game in a compact container, perfect for satisfying every type of child and every unique personality. One of the best travel games around is the “All in One” travel pack featured at www.areyougame.com. This set contains magnetic pieces (they won’t slip off during those bumpy rides) and allows your child to play Chess, Backgammon, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Bingo, Shoots & Ladders, Ludo, Solitaire, Steeple Chase, and Tic Tac Toe. The best part is that the pieces are stored in hidden compartments.
Travel Bingo is another fun one to play in the car. Mom or Dad can have fun calling the numbers and prizes can be rewarded for the winning cards. Be creative with the calls to keep everyone’s attention such as “I-9...for the highway that we just passed,” or “G-2...gee, it’s almost 2 and we need to stop for lunch.” You’ll be sure to keep even the littlest child entertained during the trip. “I Spy” also sells a great travel sized game to keep your children challenged and having fun. This memory matching game is very popular with parents and children alike. After playing a few rounds, put the game away and use the scenery that you are passing to create your own I Spy game. For example, “I spy three horses on the left,” and “I spy a tall building on the right,” are fun creations.
Other wonderful travel-sized games include Monopoly, Battleship, Electronic Battleship, Scrabble, Checkers and Chess, essentially, if you can think of a popular board game that’s out there, there’s generally a travel-sized version available. Most offer pieces that are magnetized, or scaled down for easy storage in a mini, compact box. It is great for playing in the car, or taking right into a hotel room quickly.
Looking for something different? Soduku is the challenging, exciting and sometimes frustrating numbers game that has gained popularity in the recent months becoming a “must have” and “must know how to do” game. Everyone is always playing it and talking about it...even young children. Do you Soduku? For kids, there is a great travel-sized book that can offer hours of fun to your 8 years-old and up child. Sisters and brothers have been known to put aside their rivalry and pair up to make sense of these fun number puzzles. Don’t leave your little one’s out either. Dora the Explorer has her very own Soduku book for the younger set that lets them play with stickers!
If your child is just not the board game kind of child, and their travel-sized and handheld video games aren’t cutting it either, don’t give up hope. It’s crafts to the rescue. The “Travel Arts and Game Tote” featured on www.amazon.com is a great product. It’s been tried and tested by my very own child and kept him entertained and busy for a 2-hour ride. The best part is that it comes with a car valet that attaches to the headrest of the car giving it a tray-like appearance. The set is pretty basic featuring a 9 x 12 inch pad, crayons and colored pencils. I vamped mine up with stickers, glitter glue and foam stickies. The concept of it attaching to the headrest and offering an entertainment forum that is fairly neat is what really sold me on the idea. The best part was that by the time we arrived at our destination, my son had plenty of artwork to give to appreciative relatives.
Traveling together as a family can be a fun event if you are prepared. Don’t leave home without a few games and activities planned to keep the little ones occupied and out of trouble. And remember, as a last resort, there’s always the license plate game...happy traveling!
– Jessica Gold
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