A question I often hear from fellow Travel Mamas is, “Do you have any secrets for entertaining kids on long flights and road trips?” Any journey can be do-able, and even enjoyable, with the right stuff (and the right attitude)!

One mom’s search for the best travel toys led her to found Kids Travel Happy, a site that specializes in toys and games for use on the go. Tracyn Thayer is a mom of two boys, Izaac (3) and Dylan (6). She launched the website in October 2008 after years of hunting for what her site describes as, “cool, non-traditional travel toys to take on trips, most of which fit in a standard kid’s backpack.”

Here’s a list of the best travel toys and diversions based on Tracyn’s advice as well as my own experience and that of other Travel Mamas.

In Transit Toys

For babies en route, Tracyn recommends Melissa & Doug’s Fill and Spill Jug of Bugs for their great textures, colors, and chew-ability. Older babies can fill and empty the jug.

The Manhattan Toy’s Skwish, a modern and more complex version of a standard rattle, intrigued both my babies during trips.

Tracyn described traveling toddlers as, “the most difficult age group, as they generally want to move, move, move!” For ages one to two, Tracyn’s top pick is Beleduc Soft Cubo Stacking Blocks. She said, “They come in a traveling case, promote creativity, are soft, can be used for catch, and won’t injure if the creation collapses.”

The best distractions aren’t necessarily toys. A Travel Mama named Emily Weaver Brown advocates purchasing little items from an inexpensive store (like The Dollar Tree). Things her 15-month-old especially liked during a long flight included a book light, a calculator, finger puppets, a Slinky and nesting cups.

Another Travel Mama, Tina Garcia, bought a toy laptop to keep her then 14-month-old son happy and occupied during a flight. She recommends V-tech’s Baby Learning Laptop. She said, “It has lots of buttons, different songs, and lights. I think he liked feeling like a big boy when I put the dinner tray down and set the laptop on it.”

About preschoolers Tracyn said, “There are so many options for the three to four age group!” Her favorite, and one of Kids Travel Happy’s bestsellers is the Magnetic Dress Ups, with which kids can dress a standing doll using magnetic outfits. She also recommends SAKOL Blocks, which are Velcro blocks from a high-end Swiss company for building on-the-go creations.

Here are a few of my personal favorites for the preschooler set. The Amazing Lacing Book by Klutz has a handy pouch for storing laces between lacing sessions. International Playthings makes Imaginetics magnet board sets in a variety of themes, like Airport, Fun on the Farm, and Dinosaurs. Peaceable Kingdom Press Sticker Activity Totes feature reusable stickers with mini-scenes, in themes like Thomas the Tank Engine and Mermaids.

For gradeschool children, Tracyn advises checking out Magnetic Go Games, with a range of ability levels from Memory Match to Sodoku and more.

My sister, Karen Mullery, a Travel Mama of triplets, suggests Polly Pocket and Littlest Pet Shop for entertaining grade school girls. While these go against my rule to avoid toys with a multitude of tiny parts, she and her daughter, Siobhan (13), swear by them. To make storage and clean-up easier, choose sets that come with their own case.

My nephews, Trevor and Ryan Mullery (13), propose Lego kits for elementary school boys, such as a 63-piece Lego Mini Jet that comes in its own portable container.

For middle school and high school kids, Tracyn suggests classics like Rubik’s Cube or iBall. She said, “Those hard to solve classics will have them engaged for hours!” She also likes 3D Magna Puzzles, 64-piece magnetic puzzles that come with their own case and solving surface.

Games

Card games like Old Maid, Crazy Eights, Hearts, and Rummy are fun for young kids. Get all four games in one pack from ThinkFun. Of course, you can play these games using regular ol’ playing cards. Read the rules for children’s card games at The United States Playing Card Company.

For elementary-schoolers, many favorite board games are available in travel size, like Connect Four Fun on the Run, Travel Dominoes, and Magnetic Travel Backgammon.

Tracyn’s favorite game for middle school kids is THINK-ETS, a game from Thinkalots, which she said, “encourages open-ended story play and creativity and can be played anywhere.”

Kids from preschoolers through even high school enjoy Car Bingo. Download free printable Car Bingo cards from MomsMinivan.com or buy magnetic Car Bingo cards from Family Travel Gear.

Arts and Crafts

My craft-loving four-year-old keeps busy during trips by coloring with her Triangular Crayons (that don’t roll away) and Flip-Top Markers (whose lids I don’t need to chase down) by Crayola.

As far as coloring books go, we got a lot of mileage out of the Disney Princess Coloring Book, even though I swore I would never allow princess-y stuff in my house! Boys will prefer something less girly, like a Star Wars Coloring Book with Light Saber Pen. For something more educational, check out the array of TREND activity books for various ages.

For budding sculptors, avoid Play-Doh…it’s too messy for on the go. Instead, choose Silly Putty. The Changeable Silly Putty changes colors with the warmth of kids’ hands.

Books

It goes without saying that you will need to bring along some favorite books for your kids, no matter their age. My one-year-old is an all-action boy, so to keep his attention, books must be interactive. For squirmy babies and toddlers, I suggest engaging books like Pat the Bunny and Touch and Feel Wild Animals.

I try to choose books for my daughter that are themed to our vacation. Curious George is a favorite in our household and the series offers several titles that coincide with travel, like Curious George Takes a Train, Curious George Takes a Trip, Curious George Goes Camping, and Curious George Goes to the Beach.

On road trips, hold off popping that movie into the player awhile and let your kids’ imagination flourish while listening to audio books instead. Children of all ages (and adults!) love the Harry Potter Series.

Electronics

Aaaahhhh, yes…most parents (including me!) at some point give in to the lure of happiness and silence that can be induced by a travel DVD player, Nintendo DS, Gameboy or iPod. My advice is to hold off on the electronic gizmos for as long as possible, but don’t be too proud to use ‘em when you need ‘em! If you allow video games and television at home, I suggest “starving” the kids of these treats for a week or so before departure. This ensures your children will be sufficiently enthralled by electronic entertainment when you need it most.

Many popular children’s television shows, movies, and video games can be uploaded to iPods before leaving home. Travel Mama Emily Weaver Brown recommends these applications for toddlers and preschoolers: Peekaboo Barn, Preschool Adventure, and Wheels on the Bus. She said, “These games have saved my butt numerous times and they cost only $2 or so each.” The previously mentioned toys can entertain kids after arrival too. Hopefully you will be so busy with site-seeing, outdoor activities, and other fun that you won’t need many diversions. Here are a few things you may want to consider packing in the suitcase though.

Destination Toys

For bath-time entertainment, I like Alex Squirters Transportation toys because they come with their own case. Girly-girls might prefer Alex Bugs in the Tub with its sweet butterflies, snail, and net scooper.

I used to think I didn’t have room to pack bulky sand toys. Instead I wound up purchasing and then ditching them at the destination on every trip. This method was not good for my pocketbook or the environment. Then it occurred to me that kids really only need one bucket and scoop for hours of sand play. Now I pack a small pail and shovel set, like one by Small World Toys for each of my children on beach trips. They double as a bath toys too!

An inflatable ball is great for entertainment at rest-stops, the beach, or even back in the hotel room. Plus, it’s lightweight and takes up practically no packing space.

Travel Entertainment Tips

As the Travel Mama, my advice is to keep a separate stash of toys, books, and games specifically for travel. This way, you don’t have to run all over the house pulling these items together for every trip. Plus, as we all know, children tire of their toys quickly. Hiding these toys makes them seem new again.

For lengthy trips you will want to splurge on a few new toys to be unveiled on the go. You can wrap these gifts to buy a little time and add to their magic. If you don’t have time to get fancy, use tin foil instead of wrapping paper.

Tracyn advises, “Keep in mind, especially with younger ones, that parent or older sibling interaction is key to (keeping little kids) content. This is not always possible if the only adult is driving, but it’s best for the non-driver to be back with youngest of travelers for interactive play.” She notes, “I’ve found that if I bring anything for myself to do, I’ll never get to it because my ‘to do’ is partially to keep my kids happy and entertained and guide them through their activities.”

For more ideas for travel toys, games, and activities, browse the over 700 items at Tracyn’s site, Kids Travel Happy.

Other sites worth perusing for travel games, toys and activities are Diapers.com, MomsMinivan.com, Family Travel Gear, and ThinkFun. If you want toys or other gear delivered to your destination, check out JetSetBabies.

What is your family’s favorite travel toy, game or activity? Leave a comment below!

For more information on this topic see:

• 4 Packing Sanity Savers

• Packing Lists

• Recommended Travel Toys & Gear

• Your Travel Questions Answered

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