“Over the River and through the woods…”
Well, you know the rest, don’t you? Gone are the days of congenial drives in the family car to Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. Did those days ever really exist? Today, our little singer would rather don a pair of earphones and spend time staring at a screen (computer, gaming system, DVD player etc.) than participate in a family sing-a-long in the car. But, if like us and you feel that allowing your child to completely disconnect from the rest of the family is just plain unacceptable, there is a solution. TravelKiddy, a company that specializes in keeping your kids entertained on long car, plane or train rides without the need of an electronic screen is just a mouse click away.
Created by an industrious mom (aren’t we all?) who was constantly creating activity kits for her children while traveling back and forth from Hong Kong to the United States, TravelKiddy can best be described as “an adventure in a bag.” The staff selects bundles of toys, activities and crafts to challenge and engage kids for extended periods of quiet play.
TravelKiddy specializes in finding the best travel toys, travel games, educational games, brain teasers, travel activities, puzzles, and accessories that amuse kids on journeys around the block or around the world. The toys and activities are grouped by age as well as by stage development. So, your toddler might receive mini puzzles and stacking cups while your older children will be entertained by the selection of a unique games, puzzles, and brain. Plus, TravelKiddy uses brands that we’ve actually heard of like mudpuppy, eeboo, Crayola, Klutz, Think Fun, blue orange, Melissa & Doug, Peaceable Kingdom, and Stephen Joseph. Finally, the activity kits come preassembled taking the hassle out of a parent pulling together interesting and interactive toys prior to leaving for a trip.
Our family has used TravelKiddy several times for our summer car trips to Minnesota and our daughter has NEVER complained of boredom. Here are some of the things that were in her bag:
- 24 count Melissa & Doug® triangular crayons
- A luggage Tag
- Mini-First Aid Kit including: Bandages, Sanitary hand wipes and tissues
- Melissa & Doug® 6×9 doodle pad & a pencil
- Bead kit from Bead Bazaar
- Sticky Mosaic Kit from Orb Factory
- Squiggle™ On-The-Go
- 2 sheets of stickers
- 2 sheets of scene stickers
- Map coloring and activity book by Kappa Publishers
- Traveling Fun activity book (TravelKiddy® exclusive)
- Pocket snake
- 2 fashion bendi dolls
- Only Hearts mini pet with clip
- 2 Safari Ltd® animals
- Plastic spring toy
- Pocket Magic trick
- Jawbones construction kit
- Wikki Stix®
- Wild Wooly classic magnetic game
- Wooden 3-d puzzle from Puzzled, Inc®
- Happy cube puzzle cube
- Create your own puzzle
See what we mean about the best travel toys and games? It’s hard to get bored with all those surprises in one travel bag! And, if that isn’t enough, included in the cost of the kit is a “Return Pack” which I cleverly hid at the bottom of my suitcase for the return trip home. While not as big as the TravelKiddy, the Return Pack contains all new toys and puzzles. And let’s face it, the return home can be just as taxing as the ride there, right? TravelKiddy makes it possible for your kids to never run out of things to do.
So whether or not you are going over the river and through the woods or around the world for the upcoming winter holidays, we think that you will be hard pressed to find a more entertaining and varied entertainment package that doesn’t include a monitor or thumb-pad. Who knows? Your children may be so happy with their activities that may break out into spontaneous song? Or maybe your are hoping that the TravelKiddy will prevent them from singing at all?
