Travel Bag Toy Review

So what are some games that we packed and how good were they? Thanks for asking. The numbers in parentheses at the end of each item is the age of the kid for whom this toy was intended/used)
1. Magna Doodle: Don’t leave home without it. Our home has been in possession of at least one of these portable versions – the Doodle Pro for the past six years. It’s great for any age (we start them at about age 1, when they first make the association between putting pen to pad and noticing it does something), and it really doesn’t take up too much space. (1,3,6)
2. Crayons and paper: I usually keep the crayons that the kids get at restaurants, and then pack a few of these mini boxes in the backpack, so I really don’t mind if they get lost or broken. And when they run out of paper, we hand them the Sky Mall catalog and in-flight magazine to have fun with – well, we always plan to, but somehow it hasn’t happened yet. (1,3,6)
3. A few toy cars: These honestly have yet to be played with, but I keep thinking that they’d be so entertaining rolling on the tray table during turbulence, and they take up so little room, that they’re staying. (1,3,6)
4. UNO: As it turns out, kids as young as three-and-a-half can understand the game. And the nice thing is, at that age, they don’t understand that it’s bad to lose, so you don’t have to worry about them crying, “He’s teasing me,” when his younger brother wins and cheers “I winned! I winned!” My kids learned this game in India, and proceeded to play with all their cousins. It was a great icebreaker. (3,6)
5. A deck of cards: While in India, my eldest also learned a few magic tricks, which he regaled at showing to everyone he met. The middle one tried some tricks too, though not as successfully as his brother. The youngest one, meanwhile, enjoyed picking up and dropping the cards over and over. So perhaps for older kids, cards are good on planes, while younger kids can enjoy them on land. (1,3,6)
6. Mandala Designer: I found this at PlayMatters in Shaker Square. It’s for older kids, though younger ones, again, can use it, though perhaps the end results are not as artistic as they could be. Basically, it’s a stencil in a box. Paper on the bottom, several circular stencils that you can rotate to repeat a particular design, a pen, and some colored pencils. All in a handy case. Draw the design using the stencil then pull the paper out and color it in. (3,6)
7. Mini tape measures: The plan was that when they got antsy from sitting in one place for too long, I would let my elder two boys walk around the aisles a little while “measuring things.” Well, somehow, they’re generally content to stay in their seats (apparently I’ve overstocked the toy bag) and they didn’t use them once on a plane, though they did use them later. Maybe next time. (3,6)
8. Wikki Stix: My boys got this as a gift years ago, and it is a great travel toy. Waxy, flexible, colorful sticks that you can shape into anything. Why my boys insist on building blobs with them, I don’t know. Downside, they collect dog hair easily, and rid of it hesitantly. (1,3,6)
9. Pipe Cleaners: I bought a pack of 100 multi-colored pipe cleaners from a local craft store, put it in a gallon-size Ziploc bag, and then play with my kids on the plane. We build glasses, flowers, the sun, people, etc. Still working on making them think in three dimensions, but it’s still fun. Caution: the ends are pointy, so be careful when playing with little ones. My youngest enjoys them as well, but I don’t let him use it unattended. (1,3,6)
10. Brain Quest Games: I only included a link to the 7-8 year old cards, though many others are available. I bought this one and the one for ages 3-4. I sat with the elder two boys and they took turns. One kid would answer one card of questions, and then the other would answer all the questions on one card. The nice thing is that the cards are all attached, so you don’t have to worry about dropping it on a plane and scrunching down to find them. This actually held the boys’ attention for quite a while, which always gets points in my book. (3,6)
11. Lauri Travel Activity Packs I got the Primer Pak for ages 3-6. Though my youngest was able to use some of it, perhaps I should have gotten the younger pack for him. (1,3)
12. Color Wonder Set: Markers that only work on specific paper? Sign me up! I don’t like it so much at home, because the artwork fades over time, which sucks for a homegrown masterpiece. But when traveling, giving them coloring books that you don’t care to hang onto forever… it works. (1,3,6)
13. Flash Cards: We have I Spy (so you can play Go Fish with a bizarre twist), alphabet, numbers, states and capitals, colors and shapes, and a couple more that currently elude me. We pack one set for each age. (1,3,6)
14. Klixx: I forgot all about this one. It occupied the kids - and the adults - plenty. It's cheap, small, and creative. I found it at PlayMatters, but I also saw it on Amazon.com. (1,3,6,35)

Next time, I think I’ll probably also (or instead) pack:

1. Rush Hour Jr.: My elder two boys love it, and it comes with a travel bag. (3,6)
2. Tangoes: Compact, puzzles that make the kids think, pieces that the kids can put in their own configurations, pieces too big to choke on. This isn’t on the other list only because I can’t find either one of our sets right now, and can’t bring myself to buy a third set. (1?,3,6)
3. Discovery Toys Green Gators: Discovery Toys is one of those Avon/Mary Kay/Pampered Chef/Creative Memories deals where you'd have to find an individual selling these products, which is why I didn't include a link. You can probably find this on eBay or Craig's List. The game is basically charades cards, with a picture of an item, then the name of the item in English & Spanish. It's for ages 6+, but I've been able to play it with my 3 year old by asking him guided questions and letting the other people playing guess. (otherwise, here's what ensues:
me: So, tell me about what's on the card.
3yo: it's a boat.
me: no, no. let's try again. [get out new card] You want to get the other person to guess what it is.
3yo (to other person): ok. What is it? What is it?
me: tell them something about it.
3yo: it's a banana.
finally... me: [with new card] Is it a type of food?
3yo: no.
me: What color is it?
3yo: green.
6yo: is it an animal?
3yo: yes.
me: Okay, so it's an animal that's green. Is it big or small?
3yo: small.
6yo: Is it a frog?
3yo: Yes! It's a frog!

Well, that’s all I can remember right now. One other thing we do is keep the bag packed at all times. This isn’t to say we’re ready to travel on a moment’s notice, but rather it keeps most of the toys out of the kids’ hands at non-traveling times, so they actually only play with these toys on trips, and their novelty hasn’t completely worn off by the time the plane is in the air. And never discount the appeal that a toy intended for one boy has for his brother. If you can assuage the jealousy and settle the fight, it could extend the usefulness of any game.