SolarBots: 8-in-1 Solar Robot Kit

Toys using solar energy should be the wave of the future — what a great way to harness nature and play all day. These SolarBots which are unique robots that you create are powered by the sun. Build adorable characters that use a tiny compact solar panel to get their energy.

There are several options from building a drummer robot that marches along, beating a drum; an armadillo robot that does somersaults; a solar bug that crawls on six legs, and more! The 48-page, full-color manual guides solar power pioneers through model assembly and offers fun scientific facts about the real-life applications of solar technology. What solar-powered inventions will you dream up?

Age 6+.

NASCAR Crash Circuit Road Course with Winner’s Circle

Sure to make you smile, this hyper speed new race set brings the excitement of NASCAR into your living room. Compete like real drivers as you race around steep turns at lightening speeds while side swiping one another and even pushing your competition off the track. Your car might even fly and pass other cars and you might even get wrecked. A super charged, super fun game.

The Road Course Track set with Winner’s Circle comes with two motorized race cars, two flash chargers, pit crew figurines, and a Winner’s Circle that really spins!

AGES: 5 plus

VEX Robotics Construction Zone

Building has never been such fun… ok it has, but this is a real treat for the budding builder in your home that will adore the VEX Robotics Construction Zone. It Includes over 1,350 pieces, and there are three separate builds that function just like their real-life counterparts, including the construction workers to help you with the heavy lifting.

The Construction Crane has an elevator and stands over the site at about two feet. Control its operations to lift and move objects wherever the crane can reach. Complete with an engine, the Dump Truck can haul parts across your construction site. The Backhoe will help you scoop and do all the heavy lifting!

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These toys help kids learn to think in new ways, problem solve and are also fun. Of course these are the attributes that the serious traveler must have. They need to view the world through a new lens, navigate their way around language barriers, new places and new rules.

Thames & Kosmos
I Dig It! Rocks — Real Minerals Excavation Kit

This is a fabulous activity to do with your kids, it’s simple, fun and educational. It is a fun way to teach patience, foster curiosity and an activity that can be replicated at archaeological dig sites around the world. In the kit, kids can emulate geologists and dig up five different minerals from out of the soft plaster blocks. Included is the name and characteristics of the minerals and where they came from.

Tinkering Labs
Electric Motors Catalyst

Tinkering Labs’ Electric Motors Catalyst is for kids 8 and older, and it  focuses on creativity and problem-solving capabilities. It allows kids to build doodling robots, power electric model cars and add motors to legos. The kit comes with easy to understand instruction and is filled with opportunities for kids to become inventors of their own creations.

Buy from Tinkering Labs ($55) and Amazon ($59)

Playing Cards

A simple old time past time of playing cards is always entertaining and the award-winning card company Hoyle®, which created games like Go Fish has now created a new line of cards that teach different skill sets.

Check out is Hoyle Monkey, May I?^TM helps kids 4 to 6 years old to learn about making good choices, self-control, and self-awareness. Another one that is educational is Hoyle Catch’N Fish^TM   which reinforces simple addition and subtraction while helping kids 4 to 6 years old to understand values.

Magformers

For your budding builder and architect, a favorite toy that happens to be engaging for adults too is Magformers which is a magnetic construction toy. It comes in a variety of styles from simple blocks to ones that create specific items. So if your child loves to build cars and trucks check out the Amazing Rescue 50-Piece Set. It is a Rescue 50-Piece Set where kids can build a fire station and a fire truck. The Rescue set is a 50 piece set  that comes with 24 magnetic pieces, 2 characters and emergency vehicle accessories and much more.

Spring Ages 3+ MSRP $59.99

Thames & Kosmos
KF Coding and Robotics

Thames and Kosmos knows how to make science interesting. With Sammy a cute little peanut butter and jelly sandwich they teach new skills as he is actually a robot that teaches coding principles and skills to children in grades K-2.

What I like is that there is no need for a tablet, smartphone, or computer to program this robot; programs are created by simply laying down a sequence of physical code cards. As the robot drives over the code cards, an OID optical scanner on the bottom of the robot reads the code cards one by one and loads the program.  It has plenty of options and is creative and fun. MSRP: $129.95

Green Toys Tide Pool Bath Set

Green Toys are made in the USA- and are quality, sturdy, well made products. Their trucks are creative, fun and one of their newer products the Green Toys Tide Pool Bath set is perfect for the bath, beach or pool.

Goliath
Phlat Ball V3

Want to learn about gravity? The Plat Ball is a fun way to do it. This ball transforms from a flying disc to a catchable ball via a suction mechanism in the middle so it stays squished down. Its fun and funny — and no matter the age it will make you smile.

SMART PIXELATOR

Create a pixelated, beaded masterpieces out of any photo they have on a smart device with the smART Pixelator, from Flycatcher. Creations are made out of colorful iron-together beads! The toy also comes with a storage tray and organizer for your beads. And while there is also a tool to help you pick up the beads, you need little fingers and lots of patience — which travelers always must have.  The smART Pixelator comes with an SD card with preloaded projects,. A way to combine travel with this toy is to connect it to a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth and use your own photos of say the Eiffel Tower or the Sydney Harbor bridge and create those images. Using the smART Pixelator app, kids can pick any design from the activities loaded into the app, or engineer their own project using any photo from their device.

Thames & Kosmos
Crystals, Rocks and Minerals

IT is a big world around us filled with beautiful rocks and the minerals that form them.  If one digs deeper, there is a fascinating crystal structures for these minerals. The kit provides a way to learn about  the chemistry of crystals and the geological science behind rock formation with more than 18  different projects such as building a three-dimensional geometric models of common crystals shapes including octahedrons, tetrahedrons, and rhomboids. Learn where and when to search for your own minerals in nature to grow your collection. Specimens include amethyst, rose quartz, flint, quartz, amazonite, apatite, mookaite, labradorite, pyrite, and a desert rose. Ages: 6 & Up. MSRP: $54.95.

Redneck Roadkill
Raging Bull Pickup Truck

A fun throwback car with a fully functional remote control that is sure to make you smile. It looks like an old school pickup truck with a weathered body and fenders, beefy tires and working suspension. It comes with roadkill pieces that will give your youngster a chance to use their hand-eye coordination to try to knock them down or weave between them. It also includes Roadkill games with instructions such as Split the Squirrel – Grill the Armadillo – Plunk the skunk.

This fully functional battery operated remote controller drives forward, back, left and right to tickle tight turns and smoke straight-a-ways.

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Travelers must be flexible, curious, observant and have a sense of adventure. They must understand transportation and be open-minded to learning about new places, cultures, people and foods. If you want kids to be open to the world and open to the beauty that surrounds us, there are ways to help guide them along and then the sky is the limit. Here are a few fun fabulous gifts that can inspire kids and even adults.

1. Budsies

One of my personal all time favorite gifts is Budsies – a super cute, creative way to cherish kids creations. They turn children's drawings, artwork or a photo into a custom, handmade stuffed animal. So if your little one draws a picture of themselves in front of the Eiffel Tower or the Sydney Harbor Bridge, you can give them the gift of turning their creation and forever imbedding the location in their hearts as it comes to life in a stunning stuffed animal. Budsies are designed and handmade (mainly) in the USA and are the results are absolutely gorgeous and most important meaningful.

2. The Night Sky

It’s written in the stars and The Night Sky is both beautiful and an educational way to commemorate a special occasion. The Night Sky arrives as either a poster or a framed print. It is created by using the star catalog of the European Space Agency's Hipparcos mission, a high precision catalog of stars generated by the Hipparcos space-based telescope.

3. Wonderbly: Personalized books – The Wondrous Road Ahead

An all time favorite is way to teach kids about travel is through books and Wonderbly’s “The Wonderous Road Ahead" is truly a special way to make a child feel unique and loved. The book allows the gift giver to choose from three qualities that they want the child to feel passionate about. The choices are Kindness, Bravery, Curiosity, Determination, Respect, Honesty – the story is personalized and it brings up the chosen characteristics.

The book then takes the reader on a personalized magical adventure that is filled with gorgeous, colorful pictures.

4. Yoga Cards for Kids

Traveling can be stressful, especially with younger kids. One great gift is to teach your kids about yoga and mindfulness is the new Yoga for Children – Yoga Cards, by Lisa Flynn. The yoga activity cards are fun. There are over 50 cards with colorful photos and easy instructions. It is a calming activity that can be done at home, in hotels and even at the airport. They are four color-coded categories: Mindful Me mindfulness activities, Time to Breathe breathing exercises, Strike a Pose yoga poses, and Rest & Relax relaxation exercises.

5. GeoSafari Jr. Talking Globe

A great way to open up the world is to bring home the GeoSafari Jr. Talking Globe narrated by Wildlife Warrior Bindi Irwin. It provides a high-tech, hands-on, interactive introduction to geography. It’s also a great way to show kids how to explore without leaving your home, as it shows them how to find locations, animals and nature.

6. Osmo's Detective Game

This game is entertaining, educational and a blast for both kids and their parents to play with both at home and is perfect for airplane rides. Generally, I’m not a fan of IPAD games, but this one is enchanting, especially as it is a physical-digital, search-and-find experience.

The Detective Agency uses Osmo’s proprietary Reflective AI technology to let iPads, and Kindle Fires “see” objects in front of it so kids can use anything – hands, blocks, maps, a magnifying glass, to control the on-screen action and story.

The game teaches geography and culture while players track down missing item across Paris, New York, Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, Cairo, Sydney, Osmo Town, and the World.

The clues are hidden in the fold-out maps of each city, and players use a real-life magnifying glass to unlock the next chapter in each story. It’s a winner game.

7. Telescope™

The sky is the limit and a great way to explore the solar system is with the GeoSafari® Jr. Talking Telescope™. The telescope talks to you and will educate both kids and adults alike will learn over 200 facts. It also provides images of planets, stars, and space and includes images from NASA!

8. PLAE Shoes

PLAE Shoes are all about playing, having fun and making happy memories for kids and adults alike. The shoes are comfortable, well made, cheerful and are made with recycled and non-toxic materials and operated in a solar powered fair-labor factory.

One of their latest endeavors is creating adult shoes to match kids shoes called Sidekicks.

It is an adorable option for Moms who never have truly good options to match their little boys in a significant way. Plus shoes are great for travel, lightweight and truly playful.

9. Highlights: Jumbo Book of Hidden Pictures

If you want to teach kids how to notice the details in the world around them, the Jumbo Book of Hidden Pictures is a fabulous option. It is a collection of more than 175 illustrated Hidden Pictures puzzles. It’s a brain- teaser for both kids and adults, and helps teach observation and concentration skills. There are over 1,500 objects to find.

10. smArt Sketcher

Part of travel is seeing the art of every town, city and country whether it is on the wall of a museum or the building in a city. Now you can take those photos in front of the Great Wall of China, from an African Safari or the Empire State Building and transform them into artwork. The smART sketcher allows children and adults to transform photos taken from their smart devices into a sketch. The free app allows photos to be filtered and transferred via Bluetooth to the projector. Instantly your artist in training can find their desired image projected onto paper.

11. Plus-Plus: Learn to Build Set

Made in Denmark, Plus-Plus is a creative toy that provides endless ways to create wild animals, buildings, and designs. The Plus-Plus Learn to Build set contains 400 pieces, a base-plate and a guide book. Player can build in 2D, making patterns and mosaics, and then try their hand at 3D building to make people, animals and more.

12. Super Food Explorer Kit

Travel involves new places, faces and foods. The Super Food Explorer Kit, created by Dina Rose Ph.D. who is also the author of “It’s Not About the Broccoli: Three Habits to Teach Your Kids for a Lifetime of Healthy Eating” is a fun way to introduce kids to the discovery of new foods which is an integral way to experience travel. The Super Food Explorer kit contains many items including a magnifying glass, kids tongs, eye droppers, mini cups, and exploration tray and more.

13. 1-2-3 Build It™ Rocket-Train-Helicopter

The 1-2-3 Build It™ Rocket-Train-Helicopter shows kids that if you can create transportation, you can operate it. The toy comprised of 15 pieces provides clever mix-and-match pieces to build three different modes of transportation — a rocket, a train, or a helicopter, one at a time. Creative kids can also come up with their own unique form of transportation by combining the parts in different ways!

14. Fun Socks

Traveling is fun – and so are “Fun Socks” – especially as they come in packages of three – which makes it useful because they can be mixed and matched. You can always make a pair out of two of them that are not the same design, which is the trend these days. Also if you lose one along the way while traveling or somehow one magically disappears you can use the one you have with the other designs in the pack.

They are soft, durable and cheerful.

15. Mainstays Kids Inflatable Chairs

Kids like familiarity and fun, and Mainstays Kids Inflatable chairs are a great way to make your little ones feel at home in any hotel or new travel location. They are filled with Gold Holographic foil glitter in the shape of pentagons. It is easy to blow up – just use a hair blow drier. An added bonus, they are lightweight. The chairs are a great gift for both boys and girls.

16. Hess Trucks

Hess Toy Trucks are one way of keeping young kids entertained while on the road, and they teach about travel as they are created depicting different types of travel. This holiday season the 2018 Hess models are an RV, ATV and Motorbike set. They are sleek, loaded with lights and exceptionally well made with switch-activated lights. The details are sublime and the quality excellent. Best part batteries are included, so it’s ready to roll when you are!

17. Look Big: And Other Tips for Surviving Animal Encounters of All Kinds

When exploring the wild world, you inevitably will run into critters both big and small. In this book, "Look Big: And Other Tips for Surviving Animal Encounters of All Kinds" by Rachel Levin, she provides an illustrated field guide to avoiding interactions – both dangerous and annoying – with 50 wild animals, including survival techniques, wildlife etiquette, and other essential advice.

18. Gift of Camp – Maine Camp Experience

It might be winter, but one heck of a great gift is summer camp where kids can experience a whole new world. One avenue to explore is the Maine Camp Experience where kids unplug from technology and connect with nature. It provides an opportunity to learn communication skills and participate in outdoor activities. Campers get to try new things such as horseback riding, sailing, lacrosse, ceramics, playing guitar, acting in plays, taking overnight wilderness trips and much more. Also it is a great environment to try new activities and overcome fears.

19. The Melissa and Doug Water Wow! Reusable Color With Water Pad 3-Pack – Farm, Safari, Under the Sea are both educational for travel and useful while actually traveling. The coloring books use a refillable water pen to color on re-usable pages that depict an ocean theme, a safari and sea creatures. They can be used to teach kids about can new animals and the environment. It’s both practical while traveling as well as a clever teaching tool.

20. Beaker Creatures™

Science makes travel possible, so why not explore new worlds while you are at home. Beaker Creatures™ provides hands on science experiments. While the set explains how they are cute characters that hail from distant worlds, the game provides a working lab including fizzing reactor pods. The kit is a good way to foster a curiosity about the world around us and how it works.

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