What's your favorite travel toy?

[DeBestWife]

No one has written about books on tape! My boys have always loved to be read to, due to the fact that this might anoy people around us on the plane, I have always packed a portable tape player, tapes and follow along books. This has been a great hit. It doesn't take up much room, and like movies they would just listen to them and follow along in the book over and over again. We started doing this when they were only 1 and 5, and now at 9 and 13 it is still a favorite, just not with follow along books...LOL.

If you can't afford to buy books on tape, borrow them from the library. Or make your own with their favorite books. My mom did this for my boys and it was an instant favorite.

Stephanie in Idaho
Only one day left till we hop the plane to WDW

 

[psiprez]

We bring colored pencils, instead of markers or crayons. We avoid the mess of markers, and of broken (and sometimes melted) crayons. Strangely enough, they have never ever broken the points of the pencils, though I do pack a hand sharpener.

Secret Weapon #1: new Disney books and toys purchased ahead of time, and gift wrapped to add to their value. I will then show the kids the "prize" they will receive if they can be good until such-and-such time. Some prizes are little, some are bigger. They love never know what is coming next. Bribery? Yup, you betcha!

Secret weapon #2: we split the kids up on the plane. I sit with one, and DH sits in the row behind us with the other. They are remarkably well behaved when not under each other's influence!

 

[anty30]

Game Boy
Pixter
Video Now

All lifesavers.

 

[deadhedjen]

Secret weapon #2: we split the kids up on the plane. I sit with one, and DH sits in the row behind us with the other. They are remarkably well behaved when not under each other's influence!

I completely agree with this plan!!!!
That, and don't be in a rush to bring out the stuff to keep them occupied. Stagger them throughout the flight. Snacks are wonderful...especially ones in individual packs like fruit snacks.
Leapsters are amazing. Guaranteed to keep the kids quiet for a long time. IF they don't fight over it. (we own 3 of them and a ton of games) Take extra batteries if you go this route.
We tried color Wonder markers last trip but found that even though there was a little mesh zipper pouch to keep the markers in they still wound up rolling all over the floor.
I just asked DD6 what her favorite thing to do on the plane was and she proudly reported that her fave was the coloring and activity pages I printed out for her. I didn't show these to the kids until after we were in flight. Each of the kids had backpacks that contained some snacks, pages, toys, etc. Next time I would keep all that stuff in a separate bag and bring out 1 thing at a time.

 

[mitchwebb]

We are doing our first cross country trip with our three girsl 12, 6, 4.

So far we have:
Color Wonder coloring books and markers (I found an cute one at target with all the princesses).
Gameboy
Cd palyer/cds
Sticker book
travel lite brite
coloring books
21 ? ball
Pez (keeps my four year old clam for at least 15 minutes
Princess playing cards
lunch and snacks
gum for ears

Needs to last us at least five hours in the air- hoping for some nap time.

 

[Kimmielee]

I bought my son a Disney CD player with headphones... with Disney CD's!! He LOVES music so he listenend to it quite a bit and entertained us every now and then when he would forget and sing out LOUD!!!

 

[megan4777]

My DD#1 is 2 and I am planning on bringing:
1)Color Wonder markers and paper (You can also buy "colorific" invisible marker paper at the dollar store in a pad of 32 pages and it's the same stuff for only $1!!!!).
2)gummy snacks
3) window clings (hopefully halloween ones)
4)a magnetic mr. and mrs. potato head with clothes (she received it for her b-day and I hid it...heehee)
5)pez (whoever invented this stuff is a god in my eyes!!)
6)her new pal Mickey doll (she hasn't seen him, yet)
7)coloring pages (I printed Disney ones)and washable crayons
8)books to read (she loves the Disney 1000 words book)
9)her fleece blanket and a few of her stuffed "friends"(in case she decides to sleep since we have to wake her at 4 for our flight at 7!!! and she IS NOT a morning person. Like mother, like daughter)
Hopefully this will all fit into a carryon since we have a huge diaperbag (for her and her 4m old sister) and a small cooler to bring!

I may also use some great ideas from here if I can fit them in the bag!!!!

 

[digskat]

20 Questions Ball

I was thinking of getting one of these.
We pack our portable DVD player and movies. Last year I bought a couple of movies for the ride home. The kids love their Leap pad and books. DD8 will likely pack a few books. And of course there Game boys. This Year we have to pack light, we have a Ford Escape now instead of a van.

 

[digskat]

No one has written about books on tape!

I got Robert Munch "Love you Forever" and 12 other stories on CD My kids love his books.