Do you love to travel? You want to visit far places with long drives and plane rides. But this time is a lot different. It’s not just you and your partner. You will be traveling with your kids. And these long hours of just sitting doing nothing can be boring to them. Long trips can be a challenge to kids and will also become a challenge for parents as well.
During long drives, children are taken away from places, faces and things that are familiar to them. That can be a great change and adjustment for them. They tend to be bored. They may demand the things that they can see or which they can do at home. Since they can’t get it all right away, that can be very frustrating for them. And once they started that mood change, you’ll also feel stressed and get frustrated too. You don’t want to mess that long-planned travel with the kids.
What can we do? We can use travel activity kits for the kids. What are travel kits for? Travel kits can ease up the boredom on kids, whether it be while traveling or waiting in long lines and next connecting flights. This will also entertain them during that quiet, free time. When storybooks, cartoons, and games on mobile devices are not enough, what else can you do? Want to keep their mind focus on other things than sitting and wailing? Here are some travel kits ideas to make your kids busy during that long haul.
Creative travel kits
Coloring kit. These can be made from an old DVD case. You can put holders on both sides. Load it with colored pencils and a lot of pieces of paper with cute drawings or cartoon characters. These can take a kid’s time during travel.
Lego kit. This can be made from the old tin lunch box. You can put the lego building board on the cover part and the lego pieces on the other. Just use some divider so the pieces will not fall on the building board.
Spelling kit. You can use a tin lunch box for this. Open the lunch box and put letters with magnets on it. The cover will serve as the board where the spelled words will be put.
Window markers. Since kids love writing on surfaces that they don’t need to, store-bought window markers can be fun to them. They can use it drawing and writing on windows. Worry not, it can easily be clean with wet paper towels or wet wipes.
Button snake. In making this, prepare assorted colors of square felt cloth, the size is a little bit larger than the button. Using a scissor, make a slit in the center of each square, just enough to fit the button. Get a ribbon, depending on the length that you like. Attached a button on one side and put one square cloth on the other end. A knot in place to serve as the stopper. This develops a child’s motor skills and the can practice on buttoning their shirts too.
Number cards. Prepare boards with corresponding numbers and number of dots. Let the kids attached colorful clothespins or paper clips in each card, depending on the number that is written on it.
Fishing set. This is easy to make. You just need hardware-bough washers depending on the number of fish you want to make. Cover both sides with fish-shaped felt paper. Using markers, decorate the fish with eyes, gills and some scales. Prepare a fishing rod using an unsharpened pencil as the pole. Tie a yarn and put a little magnet on the opposite end. Your kids can start fishing now.
Craft stick puzzle. Lay craft sticks. Glue fun and colorful pictures on the craft sticks. Using a craft knife, cut the pictures so each stick becomes a puzzle piece.
I Spy bottles. Fill an empty clear bottle with little objects and pour some rice on it, just enough to cover the items but not too full so the items inside can jumble. It can be paired with finding me cards. It is where the items to be found are written. The kid will enjoy the time looking for tiny objects or those shapes and colors. Be sure that the cap is sealed tightly so kids cannot open it and spill the contents.
Shape matching puzzle. Cut and laminate different shapes in different colors and sizes. Using a board with a white surface, trace the laminated shapes using colored markers. Be sure that no two shapes overlap each other. Laminate. This will serve as the outline game board. Put a small piece of double-adhesive tapes in the middle of each shape on the game board. Let the kids put the corresponding piece in each shape and size.
These are some homemade travel activity kits for kids. This can alternate those store-bought items which can be used during long trips like magnetic checkers, Rubic’s cube, drawing and coloring books, and crayons, puzzles, and etch-a-sketch. Note pads and activity books, toy cars, doll and clothing accessories are also a favorite among kids.
Just a reminder
Here are some points that should be considered when preparing travel activity kits for kids:
Do not include so many stuff. Your children may be overwhelmed that they know what they are going to use or where to start. They might end up just mixing everything.
Make everything age-appropriate. Be sure that everything is tailored to your child’s capacity.
Explain the activity to your child ahead of traveling time so both of you can enjoy traveling hours.
Be sure that the kits you prepared are those that are not prone to spills and mess.
Keep an eye on those tiny pieces that may cause choking hazards. Be sure that the sizes of the items will not pose any dangers to your kids.
Preparing travel activity kits for kids will make traveling stress and hassle-free. It will help the kids to engage in these creative substitutes than complaining about tired of sitting for so long and being bored. So before kids ask another “Aren’t we there yet?” You have a lot of activity kits lined up for them to enjoy.
Read also:
Safeguarding Your Kids in the Road
What are Educational Games For Kids?
The Best Beach Tents For Babies
