Traveling with kids is a wonderful way to expose them to different cities, cultures and activities. However, while checking out a new location is fun and exciting, getting there, often, is anything but. Long waits at the airport, sitting in traffic, or taking a long train ride, are just a few things that make traveling tough for little ones.
To make things easier, we parents look for ways to keep our kids, calm, entertained and happy. While this often means using tablets or other devices (something I’m not ashamed to admit using) to make our journey smoother, I prefer non-digital sources.
When my family traveled to Montreal this year, I needed away to keep my two kids happy without necessarily having to rely on screen-time. Luckily, my sister found creative and money-savvy ways to put together activity sets for my two boys. Using dollar-store finds and free Internet resources, she was able to produce each one for around $5. Depending on the age of your child, where you live and how much you want to put in your folder, this price could easily be less.
What You Will Need
- Basic School Folder
- Crayons
- Stickers
- Printable Drawing Pages
- Puzzle, activity book, etc.
Most of these items can be found at your local dollar store or online, and run from about $1 each for the folders to about $3 for the crayons. You can get the cost per activity set down by buying in bulk — perfect for large families, or those who just need some spare parts. For example, I found the same Cars-themed activity book my sister purchased online here, available for under $4 for a pack of four.
While you could certainly purchase ready-made coloring books, the Internet is a wonderful source for free, high-quality printables. Plus, by visiting their websites and downloading their products, you are supporting creative people, which I love.
I was so impressed with what my sister was able to find online. I mean, how adorable is this printable, coloring passport, from Beyond Imagination? She also visited Supercoloring.com to find a wonderful selection of Canadian-themed printables to get my kids excited for their visit to Montreal. And because my youngest loves Frozen, she found these great pages here.
These kits can easily fit into a backpack or small suitcase, and because they are tech-free, you don't have to worry about batteries dying or no free Wi-Fi.
This post originally appeared on Maybe I'll Shower Today.
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