The open road is calling your name. Maybe it’s because it’s finally Friday, the weather is good and you’re itching to get out of town. Or maybe it’s just easier said than done; you still have family commitments and a list of errands a mile long. If that’s the case, it never hurts to live vicariously and that’s what we’re doing, thanks to a globe-trotting little girl. Lately Lily is a fresh new face in the world of kids’ entertainment–and a refreshing one at that. This is not a girl who dwells in the virtual world, but who joins her jet-setting parents on their various travels and records her observations about these adventures. Aside from a doll in her likeness made by MerryMakers, Lately Lily [&hellip
travel toys Archive
As much we love to spotlight those big-ticket items on the top of every wish list, we also like to pay fair tribute to the smaller guys: those companies that fuel kids’ imaginations and give us yet another reason to wish we were little again. Urban Canvas is one of our latest favorites. They make eco-friendly toys fashioned out of recycled and reusable cardboard, including trains, buildings and even bugs. We love their Build 52 Playing Cards, a full deck of blank (save for standard numbers and letters) cards that kids can design and customize to their hearts’ content…and then use to assemble their own house of cards (thanks to their interconnecting edges). Not only is this toy a cool craft, but it lets kids [&hellip
Week Two of summer vacation and believe me, the novelty is starting to wear off. Since the weather hasn’t exactly been cooperating, we’ve been making trips to the library instead of the beach (at this rate, my 5-year-old will be polishing off “War and Peace” any day now…). Lucky for us, we managed to schedule a short road trip over the long holiday weekend, and that means packing a bag of goodies for the car that will keep two little ladies entertained and occupied (and me from having to say, “Don’t make me come back there!”). We recently got our hands on Where’s the Duck?, a new card game for ages 3 and up that’s easy to play and great for on-the-go. The object is [&hellip
When my girls were babies and we hit the road (even for a day trip to my parents’ house), I was always lugging tons of gear for my own precious cargo. Stroller, portable crib, booster seat…you name it. While I couldn’t, of course, duplicate all the comforts of home, judging from the trunk of my car, you’d have thought I was! For those babes on the go who can’t quite settle down without a little traveling music, comes the ideal solution. Tiny Love’s Take-Along Mobile looks just like the standard-size model snapped onto her crib back at home, but in a travel-friendly version. It attaches to most strollers, car seat carriers and play yards, so your little one will never feel compromised. Five different melodies [&hellip
My 4-year-old’s favorite time of day is undoubtedly the afternoon. After a fun-filled morning at preschool, lunch and (hopefully) some outdoor play, she’s content to hunker down in her room for a while and settle in with her stuffed animals. I’m not rushing her off to be somewhere, so her mind is free to wander. It’s during these moments, the experts say, that kids get to “be kids” and when their imagination really takes shape. For those with an active fantasy life, but who also need to recharge their batteries with a little down time, comes CuddleUppets, a 2-in-1 plush toy that’s as fun on the go as it is for naps or bedtime. We’ve seen other soft travel toys, but none that is as [&hellip
A mom friend of mom recently treated herself and her family (kind woman that she is) to an African safari…and I don’t mean a trip to the Bronx Zoo. We’re talking the real deal, as in they actually flew to Africa and immersed themselves within the continent’s lush surroundings. Judging from the stories she shared, it was quite the adventure–and one that she’d love to experience again. As for the unbearably long flight and having to schlep from airport to airport? Not so much fun, especially for her young daughter. Because this is the time of year when many of us are taking to the friendly skies or hitting the road with the family, we’ve been busy scouting out travel items for kids that make [&hellip
I can hardly believe that in another year, my younger daughter will be starting kindergarten. It feels like only yesterday that my older girl was boarding the bus for the first time, and now she’s about to enter third grade! Because the little one likes to follow in her big sister’s footsteps (or at least, some of those steps!), she loves playing school even when she’s not in the classroom. I knew then that my preschooler would just eat up Get Ready for Kindergarten, the latest book in the LeapFrog Tag Reading System. If you’re not familiar with this electronic learning tool, it’s essentially a “smart” pen reader that works by touching the page to launch interactive games, reading exercises and other fun-filled activities. We [&hellip
Packing for a vacation with kids is a job in and itself; trying to figure out what will fit in your luggage is one thing. But if you’ve got young kids, you also have to set aside some room for their favorite toys, especially for those rainy, indoor play days (we’ve had more of those than I care to remember!). Whatever toy we are taking along, I want to make sure it’s worth its weight: a toy that can stand up to wear and tear, offer hours of play and, for a refreshing change of pace, one that is powered by imagination, not batteries. Diggin Active’s new BoxSets line is just what every traveling parent is looking for. These carryall playsets, available as a castle [&hellip
Sometimes, my 2nd grader likes to speak backwards–not facing away from me, but mixing up the order of her words. She, of course, thinks it’s hysterical; I find it maddening, especially by the end of the day. Because she gets a kick out of making us work to figure out exactly what she’s saying, it’s a real power kick…for a 7-year-old. But I figure there’s got to be a positive side to her punchy behavior. Maybe this strange sense of little kid humor was the inspiration for Sentence Shuffle Fun Deck. Housed inside a Band-Aid-style box are 56 illustrated cards containing a bunch of words that are out of order (for instance, “scaredy cat is a Linda.”) Players must then unscramble the words to form [&hellip
I’m convinced that my bag will forever contain remnants of my daughters’ fledgling careers as artists. Broken crayons, dried-out markers and scraps of paper and old receipts have served as the materials and canvases for everything from stick figures to cityscapes. In fact, some of their best drawings have taken shape en route to some remote destination, so I often make sure I am armed with sufficient supplies. For convenient creativity, we’ve got our hands on the latest travel-friendly art kit: Crayola’s Color Wonder Tiny Tube. Looks may be deceiving, as this pint-sized container holds over 10 feet of tear-off activity sheets, along with 3 markers. We love the fact that the drawing sheets have adhesive backing, so they stick on to any surface for [&hellip
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