Family Travel Gifts

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It’s hard to believe but the holidays will be here before we know it. If you have friends who travel as a family, we’ve compiled a great list of gifts that they won’t only enjoy but will be useful in their travels.

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Sleep Easy While You Travel

First up on our list is a product that I think is absolute genius. How many times have you been traveling and you spend an hour (or more) trying to get the baby/toddler to bed? It is almost an impossible feat when everyone is staying in one room. Or how about this-you finally get the baby to sleep and 2 hours later once you finally close your eyes the baby wakes to peek out the side of the pack and play to realize you are in the same room as them. Oy Vey! Enter the solution-Slumberpod.

slumberpod-a pod to put over a pack and play to provide the baby with better sleep
Picture courtesy of Slumberpod

Slumberpod is a portable pod/tent that can be set up around your baby’s pack-n-play or portable bed. It provides a safe, private, and cozy sleeping space for your baby. The product weighs 5 pounds (which includes the travel bag) which makes it a great option for traveling families.

I must admit I don’t have one because it’s a fairly new product and my youngest is too old to use it. However, it is at the top of my list because I think it is an essential family travel gift for families with children under the age of 2. You can purchase the Slumberpod here.

Games On The Go

One of the most challenging things for parents planning a trip is figuring out what to bring to keep the children entertained while traveling. I believe travel games are a great way to keep little hands and minds busy while on the go.

Connect four and kanoodle

Growing up, connect four was one of our favorite travel games and it has become one for my family as well. While Connect Four was our favorite, Hasbro has several childhood favorites that are provided in the Grab & Go (travel) option. These are Battleship, Monopoly, Clue, and Trouble. Another great time-consuming game that is more suited for an individual to play is Kanoodle. Kanoodle is a brain teaser game using colorful connected beads.

Travel games not only provide a great activity for kids to do in the car or on a plane but they also provide a lot of great family time fun. In this day and age we are so consumed by electronics that sometimes it is nice to just spend time together laughing over a good game.

No Electronics Fun

In addition to the travel games, activity books are another great option to pass time on a trip. Some books that my children love to do and are great for practicing numbers are the Paint By Stickers Kids books. They have a variety of options to choose from like zoo animals, unicorns & magic, under the sea, and Christmas.

paint by sticker book

Another favorite around my house is anything Melissa & Doug. One of my kids’ favorites is definitely the Water Wow books. These books come with a little paintbrush pen that you simply fill with water. Then when the child rubs the notebook with the pen it makes the color appear (with no mess 🙂 There are a variety of options to choose from but some packs that look fun are fairy tale, make-up, and animals pack, vehicles, animals, and safari, or if you are looking for a 6 pack you can purchase the alphabet, number, safari, vehicle, animal, and under the sea pack.

Melissa & Doug Magic Color, Water Wow!, Scratch Art
Great gift to keep little hands busy.

Melissa and Doug also have other on the go options. They have magic color which is a great mess-free way to color. Some of the magic color choices are farm animals (pictured above), princess, and a combo pack. They also have the scratch art books. Using a wooden stylus the child reveals the colors under the picture by scratching the matte surface. I just purchased these for our next overseas trip 🙂 Some of the scratch art choices are safari, animal families, and the combo pack. For children who are a little older the Melissa and Doug secret decoder books will be a good option. We love Melissa and Doug products. The quality and fun are definitely there!

Say No To Germs

Can I tell you one of my biggest pet peeves of family road trips? Stopping to potty. Now I must tell you I am not a germaphobe, but one thing that drives me crazy is using public restrooms with children. No matter how hard you try to cover the seat with toilet paper or try to keep their undergarments’ from touching the toilet seat, it is bound to happen. Enter the next item on our list of great family travel gifts-disposable toilet seat covers.

toilet seat covers & pouch they come in

Most brands provide full coverage for not only the top of the toilet seat but down the sides and the front of the toilet as well. Some brands even package them individually-which is a nice perk! There are a variety of prints to choose from-cars, Santa bear/kangaroo, owls, and stars. **Note: These are made by different companies so read the descriptions to find the best fit for your family.

**EDIT TO ADD: We have been using these on our last couple of trips and I cannot say enough about how much I love them. The Santa bear/kangaroo pack I purchased is so convenient. They come individually wrapped so you can put them in your purse. I will not travel without them anymore! (unless I forget them of course 🙂

Headphones for Kids

Next on our list of great family travel gifts are Cozyphones. Cozyphones are by far one of our travel accessories that we never leave home without. Cozyphones are a soft headband shaped headphone created for children and adults alike. The headphones come in many adorable prints including Paw Patrol characters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and unicorns. Cozyphones also come in adult options such as active Cozyphones and sleep Cozyphones. We have not tried the adult version yet but we are pretty sure we would enjoy them as much as our kids do. To learn more about Cozyphones be sure to check out our detailed article on them here.

cozyphones on a child

Get Creative & Boogie

My children love to draw but I’m not about to load up crayons and markers to take on a trip. The Boogie Board is a great solution to this problem. This LCD writing tablet allows your child to draw, doodle, and erase without the mess. The Boogie Board we own and pictured below is the 8.5 inch version. We also purchased the Neoprene sleeve which is a great way to keep up with the pen and protect your board. The Boogie board brand also sells a version with a color LCD called Boogie Board Scribble and Play Color LCD Writing Screen.

pink Boogie Board & Neoprene case

Find It On The Map

Traveling around the world with your children provides a great opportunity to practice your geography skills. The only problem? A globe isn’t going to fit in your bag and a paper map is likely to not last long. The solution is in our next family travel gift-the scrunch map. Water and tear-resistant this map is a great way to encourage your child’s interest in geography as you travel. It scrunches up to fit in a carry case that comes with the map, and flattens out when you are ready to use it. You can purchase either the world scrunch map or the United States scrunch map. Even better purchase both!

scrunch map with pouch

Shine The Way

The next gift on our list for family travel gifts can be used at home or on the go. A headlamp is a great gift for a child or adult that loves to travel. It can be used while hiking, camping, or for a variety of other activities. There are several headlamps to choose from with different features. The MOICO headlamp uses 8 LED lights with various settings and it is also waterproof. It also has a backlight which is great if you also want to use it on bike rides. If you prefer a two-pack of headlamps Foxelli might be a great choice. Also waterproof and lightweight the Foxelli also has a variety of red and white light modes.

Building Time

The next gift is something my house is full of but I still buy for trips-LEGOS. Small lego kits are a great way to entertain kids and engage their minds at the same time. I typically look for sets under 100 pieces to keep the pieces manageable. Some kit this size are Kayak Adventure, Spiderman Car Chase, Emma’s Mobile Vet Clinic, and Construction Loader. A great way to keep up with all the little pieces is with the Lego Cinch Bucket. You could put your individual packages down into the sack and it also provides a place for your child to put their finished product.

lego sets good for traveling

Comfy Accommodations

As a family of five we often find that many accommodations are made for a family of four. Enter the last but not least item on our list of family travel gifts, the Hiccapop toddler travel bed. Having a travel bed can allow your family to stay in one hotel room and everyone still sleep comfortably. The Hiccapop portable lightweight toddler travel bed can be purchased with 2 bumpers located on the sides. It also comes with a pump and XL travel bag. It weighs 8 pounds so it is easy to toss in your suitcase for your next trip.

Buying holiday gifts that are useful for people is always a goal of mine. I hope this list of family travel gifts provides you some helpful suggestions for the travel families in your life. If you enjoyed this article please pin it to refer to later or share with others. Stay Peachy!

pinterest pin for families who travel
Signature Peachy Keene

76 thoughts on “Family Travel Gifts”

    • Jay,
      Thanks so much! I’m happy this was helpful for you. Yes, I think the Slumberpod would be a great gift for your cousin and wife. As for wanting one for yourself-I agree! 🙂 Happy travels!

      Reply

  2. What a clever post idea. I love all these items, and especially the scrunch map. Although I travel solo, I kind of want that for myself now!

    Reply

    • Jordan,
      Thanks so much! Yes the scrunch map is fantastic. It’s amazing how small it can fold up 🙂 You should definitely get one-or two (the world & USA 🙂 Happy travels!

      Reply

    • Yes, we love the water wow books. I feel like you can never have enough of them 🙂 What a great idea to use it during church. I remember drawing on the bulletin when I was a little girl :). Stay peachy!

      Reply

  5. Man, I need those toilet seat covers; so cool! Loved the kids maps and everything I’ve ever seen by Melissa and Doug. Thank you for this list; soooo helpful!

    Reply

    • Eva,
      Right! My favorite is that the toilet seats cover the front and the sides of the toilet as well. I’m happy the list was helpful! Happy travels 🙂

      Reply

  7. Great ideas for traveling with kids! I LOVE the scrunch map so much! I am definitely going to get one of those! Thanks so much for sharing ! 🙂

    Reply

    • Leeanne,
      Thanks so much! The scrunch map is such a great resource and gift. It is amazing how small you can make it. Thanks for stopping by. Happy travels!

      Reply

    • Eva,
      I cannot say enough good things about those toilet seat covers. I don’t know if I will ever travel without them again. They are fantastic!

      Reply

  21. You provided a lot of really great items to take with you or for gifts for those who like to travel and have little ones.

    Reply

    • Kendra,
      Thanks so much! Yes games and activities are always a great way to keep kids entertained while traveling. Stay Peachy!

      Reply

  28. Great ideas!!! I don’t think I previously knew of the Melissa and Doug books, but I love everything they put out. I drive 3 hours with my granddaughter every other weekend, and I think she would love these!

    Reply

    • Jennifer,
      Thanks so much! I agree with you, we love everything Melissa and Doug 🙂 You should definitely check out their travel books for your granddaughter. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  31. Great tips! I have the same pet peeve as you – I don’t like using public washroom during roadtrips or when travelling. I’m germophobe 🙂

    Reply

  35. So many great gift suggestions! I’ve never heard of scrunch maps but my boys would LOVE these! And I wouldn’t have to worry about them destroying it 😅. Ha! Great post!

    Reply

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