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Travel Toys We Love: Savvi Magic Paint Posters

Savvi Magic Paint Posters
cover an array of topics.  

Traveling with kids requires a certain amount of flexibility, creativity and patience – and an awesome set of toys and games to entertain the children along the way. It isn’t always easy to find a great assortment of items that meet the special circumstances that are inherent in travel, so we have compiled a list of items that our children (and we parents) love to take with us on our adventures.

Our latest find is Savvi’s Magic Paint Posters.  These posters come in packets of twelve in an assortment of topics that appeal to both boys and girls including bugs, pirates, furry friends, and butterflies as well as some holiday themes.  I found our original set at Dollar Tree, but this week at Michaels the booklets are only 50 cents each, so if you have a trip planned for Thanksgiving or Christmas, now is the time to start gathering the entertainment goods! (Note:  These are listed on Amazon for around $3 - so the Micahels deal is a pretty good one!)   

Each picture comes with six watercolor paint squares at the bottom of the page, which Savvi refers to as the “magic paint palette”.  Children just tear out the picture they want to paint, dip a cotton swab in water and they are set to go.  We used these on our last flight to California and they were very convenient to use.    

A Savvi Magic Paint Poster page
showing the "magic paint palette.

I took a handful of cotton swabs, two bottle caps, and the booklets in my carry-on bag.  (If you are traveling by car, it might be easier to use small cups in cup holders.) When the kids needed something to do, I just pulled out the booklets, let them choose a picture, filled the bottle caps with water and let the fun begin.  Our watercolor mantra is “water, paint, picture”, which helps remind the kids to clean the cotton swab before choosing the next color so colors don’t blend into something they don’t want.  Plus, I had enough cotton swabs to allow them to get a new one, if needed. 

The posters are about 6.5” by 8.5” and are lightweight, so they are easy to throw into a bag.  The other supplies (cotton swabs and bottle caps) are lightweight, expendable and easily replaceable so if they get lost it is no big deal - important characteristics when choosing toys for travel. 

    

Kids Travel Product Review: Orb Factory Ltd. Magnetic Mini Puzzles

Entertaining children while traveling is a challenge that many parents would rather not face. Some rely on electronic gadgets and the zombies they create, while others would rather stay home than subject their children to huge blocks of time parked in front of a screen.

Of course, finding the toys and games that can withstand the rigors of travel and still keep the kids happy isn't easy either.  And there is nothing worse than getting underway only to find that the stash of toys you have brought along has already been tossed aside and the "Are we there yet?" chorus has begun.

With that in mind, Tourist Baby has created a list of travel toys we love and a series of product reviews for toys and games that didn't make it into our carry-on bags more than once.

When our son was about two years old, I found a series of themed magnetic puzzles that I thought would occupy him while we traveled.  The back cover of the puzzles even stated in bold face type: Great for Travel!  So I purchased three puzzles - Diggers 'n' Dumpers; Bug andShell and took them along with us on our next trip.

Mini Magnetic Puzzles come in a series of interesting topics.

When my son saw his new puzzles, he was very excited.  The topics were all interesting to him and he had just started a love affair with all things "truck" soDiggers 'n' Dumpers became the instant favorite.

I opened the book and began to read about the different trucks, finding each corresponding puzzle piece and letting him play with it while I read the description.  Once we finished reading, we then used the magnetic page of the puzzle, which depicted a construction site, as a backdrop for our trucks to get down to business with my son making great truck noises as each vehicle did its job.  All in all, the book was pretty entertaining and I even managed to show him how all the pieces fit back together as a puzzle.

At 6.5" by 6.5" square, the mini-puzzles fit easily into carry-on baggage, although they do weigh more than a book of the same size would due to the use of magnets.  The main problem with this book, and its counterparts, is the nine small puzzle pieces are exceptionally easy to lose.  Not only because they are small and very thin, but also because the strength of the magnet is very weak and they don't stick to the page very solidly.  A good bump in a plane or car easily jolts the pieces right off the page.  Case in point - our book is now missing two pieces.

The mini-puzzle's small pieces are easy to lose when traveling.

On a scale from 1 to 10, I rank the Orb Factory Ltd. Magnetic Mini Puzzles as a 3 for travel-related use and an 8 for general entertainment.  My son really loves these mini puzzles, but I am reluctant to take them out of the house, since we have already lost two of the trucks from the Diggers 'n' Dumpers puzzle.  A better option is to avoid any toys or games with small pieces that are integral to its function and look for small, light-weight activity books with stickers and coloring pages for entertaining children during travel.

Travel with Kids Product Review: SafeFit By My Side Harness with Backpack

Traveling with kids - especially toddlers - brings a whole new perspective on how to get from Point A to Point B.  Old standbys like baby carriers and strollers start to fall by the wayside as children begin to strengthen their walking skills.  But getting quickly from one place to another isn't a high priority for a toddler, nor is going a long distance.  So parents traveling with toddlers need to consider other options to keep everyone happy and safe while getting where they need to go.

One option that we considered was the By My Side Harness with Backpack from SafeFit (now called Brica).  I thought the harness would give my son some freedom, while still keeping him within a safe distance and would also give my tired arms a rest.   We used it for the first time at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeowhen he was about 15 months old.

When we arrived at the rodeo, we  gave our umbrella stroller one last longing look, before grabbing the backpack.  My son was very excited to wear his own special backpack and it was small enough that it wasn't bulky or bothersome to him.  The "leash" part of the backpack seemed to be an appropriate length for keeping him close enough to me to stay safe.  The side pockets for holding drinks or sippy cups weren't tall enough for the job, so I didn't use them for that purpose.  Note: There is a new model out that may have better side pockets.  Be sure to check them before purchasing to ensure that cups will fit securely.

We did end up carrying my son through the parking lot, to the Fannin South METRORail light rail station and he sat on my lap for the ride to Reliant Park.  I also decided to keep carrying him through the ticket lines and into the livestock buildings.  (So much for resting my tired arms!)  But once we were inside, I put him down and we began our experiment.

Here is where things became dicey.  First off, everyone looked at me as if I were demeaning my child by putting him on a leash.  Not one to let public opinion sway me, I shrugged it off in  hopes that the harness system would work for us.  However, things were even more of a sideshow as time went on.  Of course, my son had no compunction about walking in front of anyone and no self-regulation when it came to wrapping himself around poles or someone's legs.

Wearing the By My Side Harness System by SafeFit at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

I thought the harness system would give me a chance to view the livestock as well, but in the end I just spent my time untangling my son and apologizing to the massive crowd of folks that he managed to walk in front of or trip.  At least when he wasn't tied to me, he could walk away without disrupting the entire flow of traffic in a crowded place - and I could race after him without adding to the mess.  My shortsightedness contributed to our dilemma as well, I kept thinking I would be able to divide my attention between my son and the livestock, but in reality I had to pay more attention than usual since the leash gave him just enough distance from me to get into mischief while also impeding the walkway.  (The leash portion of the harness system measures 45.5" from the tip of the handle to the end of the clip).

On a scale from 1 to 10, I rate the  By My Side Harness with Backpack from SafeFit as a 4.  The backpack was small at 8" tall and 7" wide and comfortable for my son to wear.  There was room for a diaper and small pack of wipes, but the side pockets were not large enough to hold his sippy cups at only 2.5" tall.   Overall, the harness system itself was not functional in the crowded livestock show, so I can't see it working in other crowded settings either - and honestly, those seem like the places where a parent would want to use it, thus the poor rating.

I could see how a harness system might work for someone with multiples, but for one child it seemed to increase the need for vigilance instead of reducing it.  Holding hands was a better option for us and we never used the harness system again.

Birding - Accidentally on Purpose

Earlier this year, my husband allowed me to cash-in last year's Christmas present of a "me" weekend.  My gift certificate allowed me to leave Friday night and return Sunday afternoon, while he took care of the kids.  A small asterisk beside the "me" weekend offer noted  that I had to stay within 100 miles of home, quickly reigning in my imagination - but I was still happy to have some time to myself.

Of course, as I tried to schedule everything I wanted to do into one weekend, I quickly realized that I would have to narrow my list down significantly.  I decided to make Saturday a bit of a spa day, while reserving Sunday for some much overdue bird-watching.  What an exciting thought - to go birdwatching on purpose!

So Sunday morning, I woke up late - contrary to popular birding techniques - stopped at Starbucks and headed to Bay Area Park and the incessant drizzle that was to be the weather for the day.  Not a great start, but I was going to see some birds, come hell or high water.

Needless to say, when I arrived at the park, I had it all to myself.  So I grabbed my binoculars, tucked my bird book under my jacket and walked onto the boardwalk over the lake.  The lone Northern Mockingbird sitting in the bush about 20 yards away was truly mocking me.  I mean, who goes out of their way to see a mockingbird?  But, I stuck to my guns and continued to wander back and forth between the viewing shelters trying to spot something a little more unusual than what I typically see in my back yard.

Eventually I did see a few interesting birds including an Osprey, Red-bellied Woodpecker and Ruby-crowned Kinglet along with the usuals like Black Vultures, Mallards, Snowy Egrets, Great-tail Grackles, and Blue jays.  And just as I was about to leave, I turned and saw a Helmeted Guineafowl walking across the park path toward the water.  I almost fell down, thinking this must be some sort of joke.  I looked around to see who might have kicked this bird out of the farm truck, but I still had the park to myself.  As I quickly scribbled down a complete description, I thought there must be a petting zoo whose exotic birds had flown the coop.  (I later learned that hunters often release these game birds into the wild to establish feral populations.)

Although the day didn't go exactly as I planned and the meagre list of ten birds wasn't much of a sighting adventure, I had found another place where I can sneak in some birding with my kids. The park itself is filled with a variety of play structures, the restrooms are clean, and the path to the viewing shelters is a short walk from the parking lot.  It won't be difficult to convince the kids to spend a few minutes watching for birds, when they know that the swings and playhouses are just steps away.

Travel with Kids Product Reviews: Travel Pillows

As airlines continue to cut corners to stay solvent, travelers are finding air travel to be less and less comfortable.  Charges for checking bags have resulted in cabins packed to the gills with luggage and a race to get a spot in the overhead compartments.  Since airlines have been charging for food, which was apparently supposed to reduce the amount of food carried on each flight,  we have seen passengers on an 8-hour flight stuck with nothing but chips or cookies when the sandwiches were all sold before the cart reached the back of the plane.  And when my husband asked for a blanket and the flight attendant said the "Comfort Pack" was $8, we realized there was no going back.  Some airlines have taken it a step further by doing away with pillows altogether so even those in first class feel lucky to get a blanket.

In conditions such as these, when even adults can be hard pressed to keep their cool, families traveling with small children need to carefully consider how to pack for the flight.  For us, blankets and pillows have become a no brainer, even though they can be bulky.  The comfort they provide, particularly on longer flights, is worth the hassle.

Cheap travel pillows are a wise choice when traveling with children.

We purchased a travel pillow for my daughter just because it was small and seemed safe to use in her crib.  But when my son saw it and demanded to have one of his own, we realized that our kids' tendency to love all things small could work in our favor.  So we purchased a second travel pillow and began to take them with us whenever we went somewhere.  Since the kids sleep with them every night, they provide a slice of home no matter where we are, in addition to the comfort they provide when the kids need a nap while we are on-the-go.

Travel pillows are essential gear for kids on-the-go.

Our travel pillows are distributed by Wolf Manufacturing Company in Waco, TX and consist of a zippered pouch filled with polyester fibers which is about 9"x14" and 4.5" thick.  The pillows come with a pillow case and are machine washable.  We purchased our pillows at Walgreens for $1.50 on sale.  They are regularly $3.99 at Walgreens and sell for $4.95 plus shipping on the Wolf Mfg., Co. website.

On a scale from 1 to 10, I rate these travel pillows as an 8.  They are small and lightweight, easy to pack and keep clean, and are very affordable.  At this point in time, they work better for our kids than neck pillows would since they still prefer to lie down when trying to sleep and this shape can still be used at home and in a hotel giving them some measure of comfort in strange surroundings.  The low price is an important factor as well, since the risk of losing them or ruining them in some way is rather high when kids are involved.   An added bonus is that my husband can use them for lumbar support during the flight - at least he can when he is able to sneak them away from the kids.