kcparker's Profile

For a young toddler, I recommend a large yogurt tub with different size/shape holes cut in the lid (slot, circle, triangle, square). Inside that, put a mesh bag like what you get oranges in at the store, run a ribbon through for a drawstring, and put in some assorted sizes of craft pompoms, pennies, pipe cleaners, triangular or square blocks, ribbons or bits of yarn, wine corks, or other small items that you don't care about losing if they can't be retrieved from the floor of the plane. They can spend HOURS putting the objects through the slots into the container, putting them in/out of the net bag and the refuse bag in the seat pocket, sorting items by color or shape.

We also picked up a set of flashcards with Landmarks of the World at Target for $1. They are great story/conversation starters with the 3 year old, and he recognized the Taj Mahal when he saw it in another context weeks after we'd been looking at the cards.

And Magnadoodle has been our MVP for the last 3 long car trips we've taken. No home should be without one, seriously.

Now if somebody can tell me how to keep a squirmy, mobile 13 month old lap child happy, we'll be in business for our holiday travel!