Add a little education and generate excitement about your upcoming vacation by using books to spark interest in the destination.

Guidebooks:  Traditional guidebooks have little to offer kids – some of them are dry for adults as well!  But there are now many guidebooks on the market written just for kids.  The Planet Explorers guidebooks by Laura Schaefer are among our favorite.  She manages to mix the right balance of trivia, facts and destination tips to allow kids to play a meaningful role in the trip planning.  Unfortunately the titles are limited right now but she is always adding new destinations so it is worth a check to see if your vacation spot is on the list.

Puzzle Books:  Usborne Publishers makes some great puzzle books that feature the USA or World atlas spread over a series of pages.  Kids learn a bit of geography and have fun working puzzles.  On our travels we have found many puzzle books not found in the US – our kids still play with them today.  In fact, these have been by far the best souvenirs from several of our European adventures.

Trivia Games:  Not exactly a book but trivia games like University Games’ Brain Box – USA and Brain Box – The World are a fun way for the entire family to learn more about new destinations.

Magic Tree House books:  Far and away my favorite way to spark interest in both the history and geography of a vacation is with this series.  Jack and Annie have traveled almost everywhere in the world, visiting historically significant time periods in their journeys.  Both the fictional tales and the related research guides offer a rich insight into the culture of a country and/or time period.  The short chapters and detailed illustrations make wonderful read-aloud books for young readers.  Emerging readers will appreciate the appropriate vocabulary (challenging yet not frustrating) and even older readers can enjoy the quick read filled with interesting details – especially in the research guides.

What are your favorite resources for sparking interest in a new destination?

education travel · travel books for kids · traveling with kids

Everyone agrees that electronics – from DVDs to ipads – make road trips with kids easier but even the most tech savvy kids are likely to get bored without some variety on long road trips.  Stop the “Are we there yet?” refrain with these suggestions for great road trip games.

1. Bring along some trivia games the whole family can enjoy.  Big Box USA and Brain Quest are sized for travel and designed for play by kids of multiple ages. 
2. You can never go wrong with the classic travel games – try the standard license plate game or try something new with one of three versions of Car Tag.
3. Solo play games are a must – from brain teasers to water games all kids need some time for alone play while on a long trip.
4. Pit stop fun – don’t forget some balls, jump ropes or frisbees for fun at rest areas along the way.  Use the time wisely to burn energy in active kids!

Happy travels!

brain teasers · games for kids in the car · road trip games · travel games

Every year we embark on several marathon road trips to visit family in St. Louis.   What’s marathon?  It takes us 13 – 16 hours to get there (depending on potty stops), which is about the extent of my willingness to road trip versus fly.  Here are my top five road trip necessities:

1. First aid kit.  As moms know, a band-aid can cure almost anything.  They cover both real and imaginary scrapes and have even been known to prevent a meltdown.
2. Sicky Cup.  Even the best travelers occasionally get a little car sick.  It pays to keep this within arm’s reach!
3. Zip lock bags.  Love ‘em or hate’em, they can be a traveler’s best friend.  From stashing trash, to portioning out snacks to storing funky clothes; these are a road trip must-have.
4. Pit stop plan.  Every long road trip needs at least one long, energy burning stop.  Be prepared to run the kids with games or toys (the TravelKiddy Made in the Shade works well for this).
5. Car activities.  Of course we prefer the TravelKiddy activity kits and Think About It kits but you can certainly make your own.

What is on your list?

family road trips · Road Trips with Kids

Despite my best attempts at reform, one of my kids is an extremely picky eater.  This present quite a challenge and is highly annoying when traveling – especially internationally.  I know what you are thinking – “she will eat when she gets hungry.”  While that’s true; she will also be very cranky and irritable for a LONG time before she is hungry enough to eat.  I can fight the battle at home but choose not to on vacation.  Here are my tips for handling a picky eater while traveling.

The Picky Eater

1. Prepare for the experience of new foods by preparing them at home before the trip or find a local restaurant that feature the cuisine.
2. Don’t limit options to the children’s menu.  Many international restaurants either don’t have a children’s menu or it features local favorites.  Ask for a smaller portion off the adult menu if it seems appealing.
3. Challenge them to find one thing they like – and be willing to share tastes from everyone’s plate to find it.
4. Encourage them to try new foods without forcing them to eat the entire plate if they don’t like it (this is where sharing helps!).
5. When all else fails, bring peanut butter!

It is impossible to rationalize with young kids and it is not worth spoiling a vacation to make a point about eating.   To avoid food hassles, we always traveled with a jar of peanut butter until The Picky One was about 8.  By 8, she was old enough to read a menu and make a decision about what she might like (or at least be willing to try).

How do you handle a picky eater while traveling?

feeding kids on the go · picky eater

Toys and games for gifted kids  – really for all kids – should meet at least one of the following criteria:

Stimulate the imagination
Develop fine motor skills
Enhance creativity
Foster learning

While it sounds sterile, it is these traits that makes a toy or game fun.  I think many people make the mistake of thinking that toys and games for gifted children need to be complex but we have found that this is not always the case.  Simple toys are often perfect for these kids because it allows them to use their imagination in far-fetched and creative ways.  Here is a list of our favorite games and toys for gifted kids.

Tell Tale  Journey into story land with this award winning game from Blue Orange.  Players use one or more of the 60 illustrated cards to create stories from ordinary to out-of-this-world.  While it is designed for ages 8 and up, we have found that kids of all ages like to make up stories based on the pictures.  It is even more fun if each person adds a piece to the story – you will be amazed at how clever and creative kids can be!  ($13, recommended for ages 8+)

Crazy Cheese  A puzzle and a brain teaser all in one – it’s like a power snack for your brain.  We like it because of its fun design and unique challenge.  The two levels of difficulty keeps it from being overly frustrating yet challenging enough for even the most avid puzzler.  ($10, ages 7+)

Magnetic MightyMind  A modern take on the traditional Tangram puzzle!  We love this version because it can entertain kids for hours at home or on the go while teaching them the logic of building and solving puzzles.  ($24, ages 3 – 8 )

Sumoku Numerical crossword game that is addicting for solo or family play.  We use this fun math game in a variety of ways to build on math facts.  Younger kids can play matching games or sequential games with the colorful tiles.  ($16,  recommended for ages 9+ but our younger kids love to play with variations of the games)

Yo Yo  Sometimes nothing beats the fun of trying to master new tricks!  A yo yo is the perfect tool to push kids out of their comfort zone to try something new and challenging.  For older kids, it makes a great study break.

What are your favorite games?

clever games · educational toys · games for gifted kids · gifted kids games · learning games