Travel games, toys and tips

[Renrel]

Personally I need a few recommendations on this topic for a long daily commute by train (at least 40 minutes not counting getting to and from the train) but I figure with summer there are alot of moms looking for things to keep the kid(s) busy on long car, train or plane rides.

We have stayed occupied so far with the following:

A snack
just looking out the window and around the train
books for reading
color wonder coloring books
invisble pen book with stickers (big hit- I need to find some more like this one)
travel checkers (good but we will lose pieces eventually)
20 questions
riddles (the same ones over and over and over)
Travel Bingo
Scholastic handheld word game
Leapster (suprisingly I have only pulled this out once in about a months of commuting, and that was because he were making a shopping stop mid trip)
word hunt book

I have been looking at those flip over versions of hang man, connect four and tic tak toe. They look safe for the train.

Any other ideas or suggestions?

Any tips for how to pack supplies to make them easily accessable, especially when we hit the winter months and are more bundled up?

[emschwar]

We just took a LONG (9 hours each way) train ride, and here's what I had to entertain Noah:

color books and crayons, colored pencils, etc
color wonder stuff
Klutz books (we got Totally Tape, Fun with Felt and Rescue Trucks)
DVD player
Pixter
Many many snacks
new viewmaster reals
"I Can Read" books

I think that's about it. I can't really remember - I think I've blocked the trip from my memory.

[twainny]

My son loves sticker books (where you have to find where the stickers go).
You could get kids books on tape/cd, and download to an ipod and let him "read" the book himself.
if you son is into tracing, you can get priddy "wipe clean" books.
there are lots of games can play with cards (if you have a table or a seat between you) and i mean stuff you can make up.. taking 1/2 a deck and doing matching, so putting them in order, or separating by suits.


that is all i can think of....

[Renrel]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I will have to look in the klutz books and a viewmaster.

Unfortunately I don't have an Ipod or a MP3 player, I am thinking of getting one for my b-day at the end of the summer. I was thinking one with good video possiblities would be a good idea but I know nothing about these things.
There is no table on our train. We are lucky though that we nearly always get seats together (as opposed to me standing next to him or sitting one seat over and sideways so I can see and talk to him) since we get on and off and each end of the line.

[emschwar]

Renrel, doesn't he have an FP3 player? You can get stories through the online FP3 store, or you could always check out stories on CD from the library and put those on.

[Ohana]

The I Spy books would be good. We found a smaller travel friendly one that was fun. I even got a little magnifying glass, which is fun while searching or just to check out one's own hands, feet, etc.

I've also seen books that are magnetized and have a number of games in them (the Disney Store sells severla versions). The magnets are pretty small, but I imagine many preschoolers would enjoy them (they didn't go over well with DD1 because she had to keep the book away from her sister).

[Renrel]

emschwar - We might try the FP3 player but I think he will object to listening by himself. He is thrilled to be riding the train because it is mommy time and listening to the FP3 player is probably too solo an activity. He also does not like the headphones much, he likes to listen to it on the speakers. I have a feeling that after a while I will turn to this as a possible option though.

Ohana - The eye spys are a good idea. DS seems to like them at school so they might work for a awhile. Most of the magnetic toys I think will unfortunately be more trouble then they are worth with pieces falling on the floor and getting lost and all that.

[emschwar]

I thought of something else, renrel. Discovery Toys sells 2 "change the story" books - Once Upon a Time and Ahoy, Pirate Pete. On each page, you insert the object you want into the slot to change the story. They're lots of fun, and he could probably read them himself. LMK if you want more info on them.

[AlisonCO]

Hi Renrel

We just travelled a bunch and one thing that Aidan really liked was to make bracellets and necklaces from different beads. I would put them in a small tupperware container and give him a pipe cleaner or piece of thick twine and he would string them. I found some fun big beads at Hobby Lobby - animals, shapes, sun, moon, flowers. He also liked stringing cherrios and then eating them (like a candy necklace but healthier:)). Also recently in Target's $1 bins they had some mini board games like tic tac toe, memory, connect 4.