So, you want to do some travel with your trouble makers? Go to dinner with your disrupters? Take a road trip with the rough housers? We get it. We do too. We've all had those experiences that have prompted a silent car ride home ending in "we're never doing that again" because kids will be kidding. Except they're weren't kidding when they flung spaghetti across a crowded restaurant or stripped down to their skivvies while taxiing down a runway screaming "I HAVE TO POOP" (this happened, y'all). Entertaining the littles is a full-time job and we are just here to hopefully make it a little easier on you. I have all but devoted the last 4 years to building the best "busy backpack" to keep your kids entertained when you are out and about. Whether you are taking a cross-country trip or trying out that new Thai spot, keep these backpack by your front door so you can just grab and go and have the confidence that you. can. do. this.
If you are traveling, the #1 items are snacks (the limit does not exist) and water bottles. These are not included in the busy backpack below because they are a given and you won't necessarily want or need them if you are going to a restaurant. I get all of my snacks from Thrive Market and I will link to a post with all of my Thrive favorites so you can follow suit. Trust me, I've tried them all so you don't have to. As for water bottles, I have also done my fair share of R&D and have donated a lot of money to Amazon to find one that isn't plastic (I don't know, I'm from California and have been convinced plastic = poison), dishwasher safe, straw that isn't too annoying to clean, and doesn't leak. What I've come up with is that anything from Simple Modern is a pretty safe bet. People also rave about these Owala water bottles so there's that. One last tip is lollipops - if they are sucking on one, they ain't talkin'
Smart sweets and Suckerz both have low or no sugar versions and the kids don't know the difference.
Now, onto the busy backpack...
Here is the goal for the backpack: include items that can be reused, hold the attention of kids of all different ages, and attempt to include STEM options, creative outlets and things that can last.
Item 1: a reusable color or paint book. We chose the water wow books because our kids still like them and all you need is water. They are reusable and affordable. We also like this erasable drawing pad.
Item 2: Wikki Stix. Now, it took me a long time to get on the wikki stix band wagon. I didn't get it - like how is a wax noodle going to keep my kid entertained? But then we got a bag of them from a very smart restaurant and realized at one point every person at the table, adults and all, were futzing with the wikki stix.
Item 3: doodle tablets. We use these all the time and it comes in a pack of two for under $10, low risk / high reward.
Item 4: a mini bop it. I hope this item in invoking some nostalgia for the 90s kids in this crew. This thing is compact, cute, and bring out the competitor in your kids. We also love this handheld popper game or a tamagotchi if you want to keep with the 90s vibes.
Item 5: Barrel of Monkeys Game. Another under $10 addition, this is a game your kids can play with each other with very little parent involvement (if any).
Item 6: kids table topics (to go version). This deck has been sitting on our dining room table for months after we purchased it to try to get the kids to sit and hang with us during dinner. It worked and the questions are a fun way to get your kids talking.
Item 7: retractable markers. Crayons break. Color pencils need to be sharpened. Regular markers lose their lids and dry out. These guys retract so they are always ready to go - perhaps add in a fun notebook so they have something to color in.
Item 8: a search & find game. We love the Eye Found It cards or a good old-fashioned Where's Waldo book. There's also search & find books for basically any of your kids favorite shows, movies, or things (like Bluey, unicorns, or Disney princesses).
That's it, folks. That should be the winning combination to keep your chaos at bay at least until you can bribe them with dessert. I also tend to hit up my local Dollar Tree or 99cent store to grab some throwaway items that I can surprise them with. Sustainable? No. Smart? Yes.
Oh, and do yourself a favorite and get yourself a waterproof backpack because kids things are always wet and that leakproof waternbottle will spill and mold is hard to get rid of. This one is small, machine washable and under $15. This one is water-resistant, comes in a to of cute prints and colors and has a lot of pockets = easier to find things.
Editors note: we have also fallen victim to breaking out a tablet or putting Miss Rachel on a phone leaned up against a water glass because, well, we're human and we needed to get to the finish line of our Fettuccine Alfredo. Devices absolutely have their time and place and we throw ours in our backpack for long road trips or plane rides but this article is aimed at giving your kids some screen-free options.