Seven travel toys for school-aged kids
You're almost at your destination. Your toddler is happy playing with his Oombee Cube. Your kindergartener is making up plays with her finger puppets. And now, it's your school-aged kiddo's turn: "I'm bored! When are we going to get there? Can I play on your phone?"
Here are ten choices for bored big kids. All of these are no-tech, can be played solo, and don't require any reading.
This little tin contains three spatial and logic games that can be played by 1 to 4 players. There are 16 cubes in the tin, and the goal is to recreate a design using four cards or all sixteen. Kids use the challenge cards to either recreate a design quickly or attempt to do it from memory. They can also create their own designs.
Ages: 6 years and up
Ideal for: airplane, restaurant, visiting relatives
Restrictions: requires a table or flat surface
These are classic challenges for kids and adults. There are six styles of puzzle, and each one comes in a tiny (5x5x5 cm) box. Some of these can take hours to solve, so they just might keep your kid (or partner!) busy for the better part of a transatlantic flight.
Ages: probably 6+? The manufacturer says 3+, but I can't imagine a three-year-old having the patience for this
Ideal for: car, transit, airplane, restaurant, waiting room, visiting relatives
Restrictions: not good for kids with low frustration tolerance
Thinkfun Block By Block and Shape by Shape
Block by Block is a 3D building logic puzzle based on the Soma Cube. There are seven puzzle pieces, made of conjoined tiny cubes, and 60 challenge cards with structures for you to build. Shape by Shape is a similar idea, but it's two-dimensional and based on a tangram with a border. Each game is sold separately and comes with its own travel bag.
Ages: 8+ (definitely a challenge even for adults)
Ideal for: airplane, restaurant, visiting relatives
Restrictions: requires a flat surface
Kanoodle is a brain-teaser that involves two hundred different challenges, some two-dimensional and some three-dimensional. If your kids master all of them, there are other versions, like Kanoodle Genius and Kanoodle Extreme. You can get by without a flat surface since the box has indentations to keep the pieces in place.
Ages: 7+ (great for teens and adults too)
Ideal for: car, airplane, restaurant, waiting room, transit, visiting relatives
Restrictions: don't use this anywhere where dropped pieces are irretrievable
The beautiful Crocodile Creek puzzles also come in 150-piece tins for older kids. Your options are dinosaurs, ocean animals, and African animals. The finished puzzle is 12x8 inches, so it's small enough for an airplane tray.
Ages: 6+
Ideal for: airplane, restaurant, visiting relatives
Restrictions: requires a table or flat surface
Again? Yes, this is truly a toy for all ages!
These magnetic wooden blocks can be assembled to make a variety of creations. They're safe for babies but also fun for older kids, so both your toddler and school-aged kiddo can enjoy them. The Travel Pals, Pocket Pouch Prisms, and Pocket Pouch Original lines are small sets that are ideal for travel. The Pocket Pouches come in a variety of different colours, and you can combine two pouches to make bigger creations. The Travel Pals are shaped like animals or vehicles, but you can reconfigure the blocks to make other designs as well. These toys can be used by one kid or possibly shared by siblings (depending on how well they cooperate!). Since the blocks are magnetic, you don't need a flat surface to play. Tegu are expensive, but they're worth it because your kids won't outgrow it. Don't be surprised if you find yourself playing with these as well.
Ages: 0+
Ideal for: transit, car, airplane, restaurants, waiting rooms, visiting relatives
Restrictions: not ideal for anywhere where dropped pieces can't be retrieved, so whether or not it's a car-friendly toy depends on your child
Kaleidoscopes and pocket prisms
This is another toy that was also on the preschool list, but big kids love these too. Just when you're tired of hearing "When are we going to get there?," pass these cool classic toys to your children and let them enjoy seeing the world in a whole other way. If you have more than one kid, get enough kaleidoscopes for everyone, since this isn't a toy that's easily shared. Some of these are small enough that your kids can carry them in their own pockets. The mini camera is neat because it allows kids to pretend to take photos and has a carry strap. Most of these are available to order from Dilly Dally Kids, an amazing independent toy store in Vancouver. If your school-aged kid bores of this toy sooner than a preschooler does, pose this question: "How do you think it works?"
There are a few brands that make these:
Ages: 3+ (I've seen ten-year-olds mesmerized by these)
Ideal for: airplane, car, transit, visiting relatives, waiting room, restaurants
I hope that adding these cool toys into your purse or carry-on can help keep your school-aged kid happy and screen-free!
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