"Measure" away your travel day with this 5' (60 inches, 150cm) tape measure from Toysmith. The perfect tool to learn units, numbers, metric system. Kids will have fun measuring anything around them. SO many games to make up with a tape measure (and, perfect size for a knitting bag or purse!)
A few suggestions
first of all, ANYTHING (well, less than 60 inches, with this tape) can be measured. Wherever you go, there's always SOMETHING! this is the most basic, yet widest-reaching game
how long is his/her hand (foot, shoe, hair)?, Mom's? Dad's? Siblings?
use to count by 2s, 10s etc..
use to teach fractions of units
use to teach conversion from English to Metric units
This simple measuring tape locks when pulled out, retracts at push of a button, fits in a pocket, carryon or purse.
And, if the child grows tired of it, it's perfect for the tool box, knitting bag or sewing set!
We LOVE these games from Melissa & Doug, as they have NO loose pieces and are self-contained (well, there is a 'loose' dry erase pen for the Hangman....)
WHY? you may ask.... First of all, in reference to all games generally
all are easy to take on any trip (who says you must learn about states and capitals WHILE driving ONLY?)
wooden, quality toys
educational
More Specifically...
Flip to Win HANGMAN: Classic word game with a twist! Think of a word and try to stump your opponent. Includes one game board with erasable whiteboard, self-storing dry-erase marker and eraser. No loose pieces (except for the dry erase pen & eraser lid)
Flip to Win Memory Match: Choose from among fourteen fun themes, slide a card into the gameboard and start looking for matches. This handy memory game includes one game board, seven double-sided game cards and a two-player scoreboard. There are no loose pieces and everything conveniently stores in the board
Flip to Win License Plate Game: Add excitement to travel with this sturdy, reusable classic travel game from Melissa & Doug. Learn the name and location of all fifty states, identify states by their license plate design or simply plot your trip by flipping the states along your route...this is truly fun on the go! No loose pieces to leave a trail! Can be played by one or more players. Backside of license plate has state capitals (cool!).
TRY one out on your next trip (or rainy day!) and you'll be 'flipping' before you know it!
Inflatable Globe from Toysmith - learn about the world, pack a ball for the beach!
WORLD MAP Reusable Vinyl Sticker Play Scene Set. Dream about where your next adventure will be
a $25 value, and we'll even ship it for FREE to any U.S.A. address
It's Easy to WIN, first choose one of the preferred (but NOT mandatory) methods (or BOTH) of entry (worth one each)
become a follower of the BLOG (on the right-hand column) OR follow KidsTravelHappy on Twitter OR both for 2 entries (if you already follow, just comment below to get credit)
ADDITIONAL Entries (feel free to participate in any or all of these!)
Tweet about this contest by copying this " I just entered to win a 'Set of Maps for Kids' from @KidsTravelHappy http://tinyurl.com/c6ptco "
We love maps, all kinds, as they provide a huge range of easy to look at information about an area. And, we're NOT talking about maps that highlight 'attractions', 'top restaurants' or the nearest 'rest area' (although, admittedly the latter can be very important!)
We feel that when we are planning a trip it's important to learn about topography, culture, geology, climate and historical landmarks, you know, all that 'educational' stuff. BUT, it's all so interesting. Have your doubts? We find kids really like the interaction, and pictorial depiction of information on a map. It's visual.
Here's a quick list of 5 basic map types, sites we like to use, and a couple of suggestions of what to do with them.... (each type is a 'blog topic' in itself, and may still become one, but we are going 'light' for now!)
Road Maps: we're all probably most familiar with these. These are the ones with various quality roads, from major highways to minor dirt roads. They also have cities, towns, railways, airports, and some places of interest. We like to go to Google Maps or Expedia and print out simple maps for our kids to follow along when we drive somewhere. Doesn't even have to be that far (their attention spans don't usually last hours on end for 'navigation' anyway). Also, AAA is a great resource for these types of maps
Climate Maps: these types of maps tell about weather, rain/snow etc., making them extremely useful when planning a trip! You may be headed to a warm place, but did you realize it may also be monsoon season?
Resource Maps (also included in this map group is 'Economic'): this type of map features natural resources of an area, which often reflects the economy of a region. We like to use these maps to teach kids about where things they may use everyday come from. Although we love to buy local, sometimes (and some seasons) things must come from far away. It's also good for kids to understand where major things come from, such as oil, or lumber.
Political Maps: these maps show state and/or national boundaries, and usually include capital cities. We like to make quiz each other (even as an adult, I must sadly admit, my country capital knowledge is NOT as good as I wish it were), and in doing so, we learn as much as the kids do. Want to make it simpler? Just teach the capitals of the states you will take your next road trip through, or the next country you fly to.
Physical Maps (and this could include Topographic - one of our favorites, and Geologic): this type of map shows the physical features of an area, such as bodies of water and mountains. Plan a hike, and use the map to 'predict' the topography, or the "ups & downs" you may encounter along the way. Will it be steep? Is there a river crossing? You can even do this in your own back yard. Print out your own topo maps for FREE HERE.
Some of the best maps we've found for kids that show a combination of the map types listed above including animals that live in certain areas are from eeBoo.
Although we live in a quite rural section of Western Maine, we are fortunate to live within an hour and a half of TWO great Children's Museums; one in Portland, Maine, and The Children's Discovery Museum in our capital of Augusta. If you live in an Urban area, the Children's Museum option is surely even closer! If you live in an even more rural area than we do, make a day of it (and of course, we can make sure your 'kids travel happy' :-). And, if you plan a trip to a new area, a Children's Museum can be the perfect rainy day remedy or a good way to put a vacation's focus on the kids. Adults will find these places fun too!
These are the things we like most about children's museums and discovery centers:
reasonable cost
the interactive nature of the activities
the activities focus on roleplay and imaginary play
the museums offer things for the youngest children as well as school age children (SOMETIMES this happens too: we have friends that just came back from the Cape Cod Children's Museum in Massachusetts and the facility there had 6 tables set up for ADULTS - puzzles, games and other challenges, very cool!)
often there are areas that focus on educating about the region the museum is located (in Maine we find there are 'logging' areas, and maple syrup making areas)
there are things to learn about animals and insects
the 'gift shop' typically provides economical, mind-stimulating activities to take home
great place to host a birthday party, and many museums have rooms and/or facilities for cake & festivities (and group rates!)
Do an internet search for 'children's museums your town/city/state'
Before you know it, your kids will want to go to the 'big person's' museums! Children's Museums are a great place to plant the seed and grow the appreciation for culture and active learning.
"Measure" away your travel day with this 5' (60 inches, 150cm) tape measure from Toysmith. The perfect tool to learn units, numbers, metric system. Kids will have fun measuring anything around them. SO many games to make up with a tape measure (and, perfect size for a knitting bag or purse!)
