Traveling with kids: educational & fun activity books

Like most parents, I really love toys, books and activities for my kids that combine fun and some educational value. And if it's something that my kids love, is easy to pack, and can keep them entertained for long periods of time, then it's perfect to bring along on a flight.


My daughter (who is five), has recently fallen in love with a puzzle-book called The Great Dinosaur Search. It is part of a series of books called Great Searches, by Usborne books. We have only checked out the dinosaur version so far, but other titles are  The Big Bug Search, The Great Undersea Search, Great Planet Earth Search, and I'm pretty sure we will be looking at all of them at one point or another.

The idea of these books is to find various items on each page. There are about 100 things to look for on every page, and around the picture are descriptions of each creature, plant, or whatever else you have to find. This also tells you how many of each thing you are supposed to find in the picture.

In the dinosaur books, there is also a short paragraph on each page with general information about a certain prehistoric era. My daughter loves the book. She loves learning about dinosaurs, and she loves trying to find all the creatures in all the pictures. At the very end of the book there is also a short quiz related to things you've learned from the book, and she also loves that part of it.

This book is definitely coming along on our next flight. It's easy to carry, and it can keep her occupied for a long time. All in all, a highly recommended travel activity book!