Our Favorites of 2008

In the spirit of the hurried holidays and all the fruitcake we’re currently eating, the reviewers of Props and Pans will be posting our favorite reviews of 2008 this week. We’ll be back next week with lots of opinions and giveaways, so as always stay tuned…

Travel Essentials to Keep Kids Entertained and Well Fed
Whether your travel plans include planes, trains or automobiles this summer, I’m sure you are busy assembling things to keep your children entertained. In our house we’re preparing for a cross country flight with a toddler and preschooler. Here are some of the essentials that I’m bringing along to keep my 2 children entertained and well-fed during our travels.

I always bring along some favorite paperback picture books, mini Magna Doodles, crayons, new stickers, blank paper and an iPod loaded with audio books from AudibleKids. Oh, and stacks of DVDs. We aren’t a huge TV watching family so watching favorite movies and shows on the plane is always a treat. These days the whole family loves Elmo! The new Elmo’s World: Summer Vacation is currently our favorite since we are right smack in the middle of summer. Our 2 year old son and 4 ½ year old daughter can actually agree on watching Elmo explore beaches, skin and cameras in his newest DVD. This means that while they are entertained my husband and I can actually kick back, relax and read something other than children’s books during at least 51 minutes of our upcoming cross country flight. Thanks Elmo! Elmo’s World: Summer Vacation is currently selling for $11.99 from Amazon.

Since airplane food is non-existent and was never good in the first place, I continue to pack food as if I were going to end up on an episode of Lost. Even when driving, you never know when the kids are going to get hungry and it could be miles until the next rest stop. Along with the requisite Goldfish, Chex, M&M’s and lollipops for popping little ear drums, this year I’m adding Brothers All Natural Fruit Crisps to our snack collection. Since trying them a couple months ago, they have since become one of my favorite healthy snacks. The single serving packs contain 100% freeze dried fruit. The fruit is crisp, delicious and a super healthy way to provide a 1/3 serving of fruit on the go without it getting squished en route. I’m partial to the Fuji Apple and White & Yellow Peach fruit crisps, but there are 5 other delicious flavors to choose from including: Asian Pear, Banana, Pineapple, Strawberry and Strawberry-Banana. Brother’s also makes an all natural line Potato Crisps, but I think the Fruit Crisps are a far healthier option for my kids. Brother’s All Natural produrcts are currently available at Costco and from the Brother’s All Natural website.

While it isn’t quite portable enough to take on the plane, Tutor Rummy is a great game that allows children 8 and older to practice United States geography before taking a cross country road trip. Played Rummy style, Tutor Rummy allows children to learn state capitals, rivers, lakes, mountains, oceans, neighboring countries, national parks, Indian tribes and natural resources using 2 decks of poker-like cards. The directions that come with Tutor Rummy are easy enough for even a non-Rummy player like myself to understand and there are instructions for a more cooperative game and more challenging play. Even if you aren’t taking a cross-country road trip, Tutor Rummy is a good game to help your child keep up with geography skills this summer. Tutor Rummy retails for $19.99 and is available on the company’s website.

Written by Leticia, a part time working multitasking mama who loves spending time with her husband and two children, exotic vacations, and cooking great meals. Leticia writes about technology products and technology issues affecting children through her blog, Tech Savvy Mama.