Have a Ball - kids of all ages love 'em

This topic occurs to me as I'm siting at the computer and my kids are running out the last of their evening's energy. Balls, any kind, size, or form see to spark the imagination and play of almost any child (or, adult for that matter).

We have a rule in our house about how high a ball can go (knees or below) EXCEPT when we play toss around the living room. It DOES have to be a soft ball, and if anything breakable becomes at risk we DO end the game, but oh what fun. We each choose a corner of the living room, and begin by tossing a couple of balls around. Simple, cheap, nothing to plug in, nothing to do the thinking for you (or the kids). OK, I must say, I couldn't resist and had to join in the fun with "Daddy" and my 2 boys, 3 and 5 years old. This lasted 30 minutes or so, until it was time to get PJs on and transition to bedtime stories, but would've lasted longer had we started earlier.

This got me to thinking, never leave without some sort of ball to pass the time. What can we offer at KidsTravelHappy.com? Here are a few easily packable suggestions....

• Guatemalan Footbag: perfect for a game of toss anywhere, or to 'hack' around, indoors or out
• Inflatable Globe Beach Ball: packs flat, educational, blows up to a fun-sized beach ball, and ready for hitting back and forth
  
• Hi Bounce Ball: great for rest stops or super-bouncing, not so great for inside, as it's quite hard
• Juggling Balls: aside from learning/practicing one's juggling skills, these toss well too
• Skytail ball/star from Sarah's Silks: perfect and safe for inside or outside games, beautiful and fun to watch fly through the air

Another way to make sure your "kids travel happy", and make sure they always "have a ball"!