Three Kids’ Travel Activities: Stickering, Journaling & Morphing
For my family’s seven-day, seven-state family road trip earlier this summer, I needed to be armed with some quality activities for the car. Sure, the kids had their Nintendos and iPods, but I knew there would be times when I’d want them to unplug, so here are three items I brought along, and our firsthand reports:
Stickers! and Incredible Stickers!: These colorful paperback books are simply charming and fun to flip through. I’m not surprised they were originally published in Japan, as some of the characters remind me of that chubby little Hello Kitty that is so popular among Japanese schoolchildren. In each, kids are encouraged to decorate a page spread with stickers found in the back of the book; stickers are sorted by color and numbered, as well, so the stickers intended for each page (say, candles for a birthday cake or mittens for snowmen) are labeled. Of course, there are no rules, and kids can decorate as they see fit!
I’m partial to the Incredible Stickers theme, where images of donuts become spaceships to detail, and a slice of bread becomes a house that is begging for colorful windows. Triangle-shaped sandwiches are mountain peaks and heads of broccoli are giant trees. The pages are super clever and little kids will find them super silly.
Preschoolers might need some help peeling and sticking, but these books are “play alone” activity for anyone over age five. In fact, I think kindergarteners are the ideal age for the sticker books. Still, my 8- and 10-year-olds got a kick out of the goofy scenarios, and from the back seat, while they were playing with them, I’d hear things like, “Look mom – the radishes are dancing!”
The books retail for $7.95 each on the Seven Footer Press website. I also found them on Amazon.com.
Children’s Travel Journal: My tween-age daughter fell in love with this spiral-bound, black-and-white diary on sight. She’s a “fill in the blanks” type of kid, and was pleased to find that she didn’t have to “write from scratch” on each page. Instead, she drew pictures and filled in a calendar of the dates that we’d be gone, and answered questions about “why we chose this destination” and “what I’m most looking forward to.”
While on the trip, she detailed a page titled “Landmarks” about our trip to St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, and on the “Museum and Galleries” page she wrote about our excursion to Oklahoma City’s National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Opposite these topic-centric pages are blank pages for writing and sketching. I like that the pages are made from cardstock and the cover is clear plastic with an elastic fastener — the book is meant to last, since it’s preserving important vacation memories.
One caveat: This journal seems like it would best fit a child who is traveling to a foreign country, since it has a world map inside to trace the route of the trip, an area to jot down the currency exchange rate, and a section to write translations for common words like “hello,” “good-bye” and “where’s the bathroom.” Still, my daughter enjoyed filling in the blanks where it was appropriate on our U.S. vacation.
The book is available for $15 on The Little Bookworm website.
Morph-O Packets: My art-project-loving daughter also had fun with this activity, where you color a “morph” — a thoroughly distorted black and white image — and then place a curved cardboard mirror on top of it to reflect the “correct” picture. See at right, where it’s hard to tell what the heck you’re coloring on the page, but the picture appears as clear as day in the “cup” above. To figure out where exactly you’re coloring, you need to look at the cup, but put your crayon on the paper. The optical illusion requires a bit of hand-eye coordination and brain power, for sure.
My kids used their own crayons and markers with the “Stretched Pets” packet, which came with five morphed coloring pages and a self-hooking mirror “decoder,” all packaged in a clear plastic hanging bag. (Fairies and dinosaurs are two other themes.) But you can also by Morph-O-Scope Kits, which come with 32 activity pages — mazes and such, besides the coloring pages — as well two decoder cups and 16 crayons, all in a carrying case.
The Morph-O Packets sell for $7.99 and the Morph-O Kits for $19.99 on the manufacturer’s website.
More kids’ travel activities:
Posted by Kara in Kids and Family on July 30th, 2010
Hard to Say, Easy to Wear: Shorts from Fjällräven
They wear shorts in Sweden? That’s what two people asked me when I told them that’s where these cool trekking shorts were from. In Scandinavia, Fjällräven is a well-known brand, with a long history of putting out quality backpacks and other gear for trekking, camping, and being outdoors. The company was founded in the small town of Örnsköldsvik in northern Sweden, so double points if you can pronounce both those words.
Summer is something to be savored up there, so these are quality shorts meant to last a lifetime and hold up in multiple weather conditions, not just worn for a year or two and discarded. This Sarek G-1000 model I’ve been trying out is comfy and durable, looking well-made and flicking off water like it’s a mere annoyance. The shorts “can be waxed and ironed for a water-tight seal, or washed clean on hot days for more breatheability.”
Yes, they are waxed shorts, which means they repel water naturally—see the pic here of how water beads up. It seems a bit odd that you would heat up your clothing with an iron or hairdryer before a hike, but apparently it works—the company has been making jackets and pants out of this fabric for decades.
The Sarek shorts are tough and have comfortable stretch Cordura. I especially dig all the pockets that manage to store lots of items without looking bulky. There’s a “map pocket,” small leg pocket with a zipper, two hand pockets and two back pockets with snaps. The Karl version is pretty much the same, but has one less pocket and is slightly lighter.
Fjällräven recently opened it’s first US store in New York City at 262 Mott street. Otherwise, get the scoop at the straight-Roman-script site www.fjallraven.us
There are few shorts I’ve bought that I can imagine still having a decade from now. These are a different story. They’re expensive at $65, but they’ll be around for the long haul.
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear on July 29th, 2010
Traveling Light Small Toiletry Kit from Sea to Summit
I’ve traveled with a lot of different toiletry kits over the years and I’m a big fan of the ones with multiple compartments and the ability to hang from a hook or towel rack. If you’re in cheap hotels, counter space tends to be at a premium—or non-existent. This compact Sea to Summit small toiletry kit is great for times when you only need a few items and packing space is limited.
I’ve now used this toiletries kits on two trips of less than two weeks and for that period of time it’s been fine. It has three mesh flap compartments that are about the width of a good toothbrush. Then at the bottom there are two compartments separated by a flap that can fit bigger items like deodorant and shaving cream. After about a dozen items it starts to get kind of tight, so this is not the right kit for a round-the-world journey (or a woman who uses lots of creams and make-up), but for a short jaunt it’s enough for the basics.
This Sea to Summit version is the lightest kit I’ve ever tried though, so if you’re trying to pack light it would be hard to do better. It’s a mere 2.8 ounces (80 grams), so it’s barely more than a few Ziploc bags. Plus you get a hook to hang it with, well-placed snaps, YKK zippers, and super-strong, water-resistant Cordura fabric on the outside. It comes in three different colors.
If there’s one drawback, it’s the price. At a list of $35, this kit is significantly higher than the price of others holding twice as much. Even from the same company, the one with twice the capacity but only 1.2 ounces more weight is only $5 more in price. When you ball this thing up into your fist, it seems like a lot of money for not much fabric. If you’re packing for a trip where every ounce counts, however, you’d be hard-pressed to find a lighter and more durable place to put your cosmetics.
Sea to Summit is an Australian company, so if you’re searching for this online, put an extra “L” into “traveling.” Or follow these links:
Get the Sea to Summit Travelling Light Hanging Toiletry Bags at RockCreek.com.
Sea To Summit small Toiletry Bag at Backcountry.com
Posted by Tim in General Gear, Travel Light on July 28th, 2010
Here’s the Latest: Travel Gear Rewind
One thing about technology is it keeps changing, and here are some updates on previous reviews on Practical Travel Gear.
FlightView for Android
One of the most popular travel apps for the iPhone, FlightView, has just been released for Android phones. I reviewed the iPhone/iPod Touch version of this app earlier and like the live flight tracking. You can not only track your own flights, but the flights of friends and colleagues you might be meeting on vacations or business trips. FlightView also does an excellent job of showing those dreaded airport delays.
The interface is sleek and easy to navigate. The Droid version sells for 99 cents, or a free version with advertising is also available. FlightView also runs on Blackberry and Palm phones.
Updated iPod Touch
My colleague, Tim Leffel, and I don’t go far without our iPod Touches. If you have a second- or third-generation Touch, and haven’t downloaded the free iOS 4 update, what are you waiting for? The updated operating system includes some features like multitasking and the organization of apps into folders. You know, the kind of things the iPod should have been able to do years ago.
Of course, multitasking only works with newer models—like the third-generation Touch line that rolled out late last year. I’m always amazed how they get away with it—selling devices that are years behind on some essential features. Then, when they finally arrive, Apple acts like they invented them. Go figure.
And how about that iPhone 4 antenna fiasco?
In-Car Internet
At 2010 CES, I had a chance to see some in-car computer systems that are being developed. And now a new survey shows most drivers—at least those under 35—want Internet access in their cars, despite the possibility of being distracted.
The Autobytel survey found nearly 70 percent of drivers under the age of 35 rated in-car Internet as “very important” or “nice to have.”
The biggest surprise in the survey—only 8% of those drivers wanted voice-controlled devices, which presumably would be safer by letting drivers concentrate more on the road.
Are you concerned about distracted drivers?
Safe travels!
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear on July 27th, 2010
WOWee One Speaker: Big Sound for the Road
Two things I don’t leave home without are my MP3 player and a good set of earbuds. But take out the earbuds and portable audio often leaves a lot to be desired.
The WOWee One portable speaker changes the game, though, by turning a desk or just about any other flat surface into a thumping subwoofer. And the small size makes it ideal for travelers.
The WOWee One connects to a music player with a standard audio cable. It includes a regular speaker that will easily outperform anything built in to an MP3 player or cell phone.
But the pocket-sized WOWee One also has a bass speaker that vibrates and sends lower frequencies through a Gel Audio pad, turning whatever it sits on into a subwoofer of sorts. The sound is impressive.
Half the fun is moving it to different objects to hear which ones sound better. The speaker works best on solid and flat surfaces with hollow spaces under them, such as desks or tables. Or try it on a wall, cooler or cardboard box.
Surprisingly, one of the best-sounding surfaces I found was a cookie tin I had sitting in the office. The tin is about half full of chocolate chip cookies—maybe just the right mix of cookies improves the sound! A cardboard box also worked well.
This speaker could also be connected to a cell phone for conference calls or to a laptop for business presentations.
The WOWee One is simple to operate. It includes an audio cable and a USB cable for recharging the battery that powers the bass speaker. A full charge lasts up to 20 hours and the speaker can play and charge at the same time. It weighs a mere seven ounces and measures 4.7″ x 2.4″ x 1″.
Just a couple of other notes—the WOWee One does not provide stereo separation like some portable speakers that can be placed apart from each other. But it still sounds great with the wide frequency response and thumping bass. The gel pad at the bottom does pick up dust and dirt, but that wipes off easily.
The WOWee One retails for $79.99 and is available from Amazon. The price is reasonable compared to other portable speakers on the market.
After listening for awhile, it’s not hard to see how the WOWee speaker got its name. And the WOWee One’s small size and light weight make it ideal for travelers who take their favorite tunes on the road.
Posted by JohnG in Business Gear, General Gear, Travel Light on July 26th, 2010
