Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Find a baby car seat with pockets, hook and loop fasteners or straps to attach toys. Avoid irritating passengers by choosing quiet infant toys to entertain a baby. Attach a mobile, stuffed animal or vibrating rattle to a baby's car seat. Keep a couple of pacifiers and teething rings inside the pocket of the baby seat. Pack toys inside a backpack for hands-free travel.
Pack a favorite stuffed animal, a puppet, picture books or traveling coloring book with a crayon compartment for an airplane trip. Purchase toys with magnetic features to avoid a mess. Magnetic drawing toys will entertain toddlers and encourage creativity. Invest in electronic learning devices to help educate and retain a toddler's attention. Purchase no-mess craft projects at local craft or hobby stores. Inexpensive preschool-aged activity books are available at local dollar stores.
Travel with card and board games to interact and pass the time with children. Select magnetic board games specifically made for travel to avoid loss of important game pieces. Electronic devices that encourage reading, math and other learning skills will keep a child enriched, but make sure there is access for an earpiece for noise control. Travel with age-appropriate coloring and activity books with crayons or washable markers attached. Bring sketchbooks with pencils and erasers. Purchase or create a project for kids during an airplane trip. Ask a child to create a book with pictures, design a comic strip or draw pictures of anything interesting inside the airplane. Consider purchasing toys with nightlights or glow-in-the-dark capabilities during night flights.
Make sure teenagers pack items that are both educational and entertaining. Electronic music devices, DVD players and traveling video games are good toys for a teenager during an airplane trip. However, when the airplane door closes, 10 minutes after take off and about 20 minutes before landing, or when the flight attendant asks passengers to turn down all electronic devices, a teenager will be appreciative to have a toy to pass the time. Toys and items that will occupy a teenager's attention that do no have an on or off switch and are not battery operated are books, sketchpads, card or board games. Prevent travel boredom by keeping a scorecard for a trivia game. Uncover a teenager's creative genius by suggesting he think up a story idea for a book or even a script for a future blockbuster film. Give a teenager a pen and spiral notepad or journal to get the creative juices rolling.