Find a small piece of luggage, such as a backpack, to contain the boredom buster travel kit. If flying, reserve space in a carry on bag for the kit.
Visit the local dollar store. Purchase inexpensive coloring books, drawing pads and crayons for children or crossword puzzle and sudoku books for adults. If they carry small electronic games, invest in one or two if they can be played silently. For children, magnetic checkers, chinese checkers and tic tac toe games are good bets as well as magnetic doll (action figures, if they are boys) sets. For adults, magnetic solitaire games (such as tangrams) can be entertaining and magnetic chess and backgammon sets can be pleasant diversions and can help the solo passenger meet fellow travelers.
Pack a book or two if reading does not induce travel sickness. If possible, leave the bulky, traditional books behind and invest in electronic versions.
Include anything from around the house such as MP3 players, PDAs, portable DVD players or handheld game systems that can be loaded with several entertainment options or purchase such an item if the budget allows. PDAs can not only play games but hold books and sometimes even play music and video. Purchase something new for the trip such as a few new CDs to load into an MP3 player or a new game cartridge.
Bring the laptop if age appropriate. It is worth investing in an extra battery or cord to power the laptop in the car because a laptop can hold music, games, ebooks and video. Even laptops without DVD drives can play MPEG-1 or VCD formats using common media players.
Purchase, if necessary, sleep masks and travel pillows (inflatable versions use very little space) to help facilitate a nap. Sleeping, although not commonly thought of as a form of entertainment, is a great way to overcome boredom and arrive refreshed!
