I Think I Need a Surprise!

I'm a traveler and the birth of my first son did not slow me down; we made 11 trips before his first birthday.  He was an easy travel companion, if he was dry and warm he was happy. As he grew taller and more curious, keeping him occupied on long journeys became more of a challenge.  I adopted the practice of preparing a bag of surprises for our trips.  Whenever he became restless or bored I would produce a 'surprise' to keep him content.

I found that the 'surprise' bag need not be elaborate - the trick is to look for small, lightweight items that will entertain for more than 30 seconds. Have a variety of things and reveal them strategically.  Your kids will catch on - on day two of a road trip and about an hour shy of our destination my 2-year old screamed from the back seat "I THINK I NEED A SURPRISE!!"

List of ten time-tested surprises:

Set of miniature cans of play-doh: this is perfect for the airplane where you have a tray table to roll out the dough - a little messier in the car

Small Lego kits: good for children over 3 years of age.

Small snacks (goldfish, teddy grahams and cheerios):  good for growling stomachs and playing counting games

Pad of paper and a set of markers: This is one of my favorites - I was living halfway across the globe with two small children and an infant.  We had to make an unexpected trip back to the states and I only had a few hours to pack.  I stopped at the school bookstore when I picked up my son from Kindergarten and grabbed two drawing pads and two sets of new markers.  That was the only surprise for a 13 hour flight and it kept my five year old and 2 year old occupied for the entire trip.

Miniature action figures: the young imagination can act out a number of scenes with a bag of the objects - army men, cowboys, Indians, princes, princesses, and any other favorite creature.  Combined with the play-doh the tray table can transform into an entire village.

A new stuffed toy: naming, talking to and cuddling with a new friend is comforting for a small child dealing with the stress of travel.

A new book: age appropriate for you to read to them or, if old enough, to read on their own.

Miniature Etch-a-Sketch:  almost as fun as the full size version, but without the bulk.

A deck of cards: select standard cards or a set designed for young children.  All 'kids' love to play card games.

Electronic game or video: load up your iPad with a couple of new age appropriate apps that you can explore with your child.