10 nifty gadgets for travel with kids

1. Ride-on suitcase

Some airports will have you walking considerable distances. At worst, you’ll be under time pressure on top. And dealing with a kid who refuses to walk. Either way, a ride-on suitcase will really come in handy. This ingenious idea turned ordinary hand luggage into a rideable toy.

2. Ride-on suitcase and bed box

If you have a long-haul flight ahead of you, the BedBox could be just what you need. The suitcase is also a ride-on, so you can pull your child through the airport before departure. Once you’ve boarded, the piece of luggage doubles up as a leg rest. If you place the small included mattress on top of it, the suitcase almost becomes a bed. What’s more, this piece of multifunctional luggage also provides plenty of space for things to keep your kid busy.

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  Guide

  Ode to the children's suitcase: a blessing for stressed parents

  by Patrick Vogt

3. Travel tray

Drawing, playing games or watching movies – you can do pretty much everything on this foldout lap tray for children. It was originally designed for car journeys. But you can also use it on planes. Especially, as aeroplane tray tables are often too far to reach for young passengers. Pencils, books or colouring paper can be stored in the side compartments so that everything’s quickly to hand and nothing ends up on the floor.

4. Seat organiser

A car transporting children is never clean and tidy. An organiser hanging from the front seat at least brings some order to the back seats. Toys, books, a water bottle and snacks can be stored in the pockets for easy access. And, depending on the model, even a tablet will fit. A nice side effect is that the organiser also protects the front backrest from dirty footprints.

5. Activity board

Identifying colours and shapes. Opening buckles, zippers and knots. Or getting to know numbers and letters. This tricky and handy activity board will keep your child busy for a while. Although the activities are primarily aimed at children around the age of three, some of the challenges – such as reading the time or tying shoelaces – are also suitable for older kids.

6. Game case

This travel board containing various games is suitable for children aged around four. Twelve reusable cards are available for painting, drawing or puzzles. You clamp them under a sheet of plexiglass before painting or labelling them. Once you’re done, you just wipe it all down again with a cloth.

7. Snack spinner

You don’t play with your food, they say. But on long journeys, I think it’s OK to be a bit lenient about this. This box has a special button and it’s so much fun. Firstly, it offers plenty of space for snacks. Secondly, it turns to the next compartment when you press the button. What’s also cool is that the box happens to look like a small suitcase.

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  Product test

  Snack spinner by Göbe put to the test

  by Anne Fischer

8. Foldable cup

You can use this cup for drinking. Obviously. But you can also use it for other things when you’re out and about with children. As a snack cup, for example. As a temporary storage container for plastic figurines. Or as a container for stringing beads. When the cup’s not in use, it folds up and you can stow it in your rucksack.

9. Neck and headrest

Neck supports are worth their weight in gold when you’re travelling – and not just for adults. The special thing about this model for one- to four-year-olds is that it also supports the head and makes sleeping in an upright position twice as comfortable. And thanks to a magnetic closure, the head’s prevented from tilting forward.

10. Toilet seat covers

Public toilets and children aren’t a great mix when you’re on the road. As adults, you just avoid sitting on the toilet seat when it’s disgusting. But for children with their short legs, that’s impossible. Maybe you always have a few disinfectant wipes on you anyway. Or just bring along a few of these handy toilet mats in your car or hand luggage.

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  Product test

  Easy pee-sy? Lowdown on the mobile toilet for your car

  by Katja Fischer