Entertaining gadgets for kids on trips

by Angie Felton (Subscribe to Angie Felton's posts) May 24th 2008 3:00PM

Categories: Toddlers, Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Teens & tweens, Playground Bureau, Gadgets & Tech

In addition to cookouts and sun tans, summer generally means some sort of travel. And whether you're taking plane, train, or automobile, there's nothing worse than scouring the depths of your purse to find something entertaining for bored kids.

The gadget gurus at Engadget have discovered five great products to keep your child too busy to even THINK about kicking the seat in front of them repeatedly. For three hours. Nonstop. While humming.

The old stand-by: a travel DVD player (don't forget a set of headphones!)
Hooked-on-Phonics Touch Screen Learner: great way to keep those developing reading skills sharp over the break!
Small Worlds Preschool Laptop: might even help keep their sticky little fingers off your Mac or PC!
Tiny Love Wonder Wheel: this toy for very young children is for car trips only as a "repetitive noise" is involved.
Tomy's Gearation: kids of all ages will enjoy creating a working mechanism with the magnet-backed gears that attach to the magnetic board.

Any of these suggestions are more fun than my standby: having the kids McGuyver something with an old cough drop, a hair band and assorted grocery receipts and should help get you arrival at your final destination with minimal passenger meltdowns.

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Comments (1)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Judy 5-27-2008 @ 12:31PM

We take fairly frequent long car trips (3 hours or more at least a few times a year), and we don't have any "gadgets" to entertain our children. The only exception is if we are going to be doing a substantial amount of driving at night, after dark, we bring the DVD player, but we have only ever used it in the car once.

I think if you allow the gadgets, they will use them instead of figuring out something else to do. Long car trips can be a great time for creativity and family time, not time to isolate yourself with a gadget. I won't even allow ear phones and iPods - we can all listen to music together.

When I was little and my family would take long trips, I would have crayons and coloring books, dolls, and would spend lots of time just looking out the window watching the world go by and learning the geography of different areas. My kids seem to be doing just fine with this so far, and I see no "gadgets" for us in the future.

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