NOTE: I originally wrote this blog post to share a special themed activity kit that I put together for our Spring Break trip. Obviously, the climate in our community has changed drastically since this trip with the spread of COVID-19. So, while the majority of us have cancelled any upcoming travel plans, I thought I would continue to share this idea, as it would be an awesome tool to keep kiddos engaged during extended time at home. I know that long periods of social distancing will not be easy, but I pray that these fun ideas will allow caretakers to be more intentional, and afford us a bit more peace during the days to come.
Hey, friends! I am SO excited to be sharing the fun DIY travel activity kit that I put together for our girls. We do tons of mini-road trips, and I know my girls love to have their own little treasure box of activities to do along the way. This trip was extra special, as we were headed to Florida for our (surprise to them) Spring Break Disney Cruise.
As I was thinking of things to put together for the activity kit, I wanted to make sure there were a good variety of fun options. My girls could just color forever and ever, but I really wanted to make sure that there was no shortage of novelty in our activity kit. The kit was almost like its own Spring Break surprise before the actual vacation. The pink opaque tote we used is from Target, and you can snag one for less that $10 HERE (they also have gray). I also needed everything to be mess free. Traveling with tiny kids is chaotic enough, no need to add to crafting mess–the paints and play dough had to stay home for this trip.
The drive to Port Canaveral, FL is about 7.5 hours from us, so I knew I’d need to prepare some fun to keep the girls entertained for a huge chunk of time. We also went down the night before our sailing, so it was nice to have some things ready for the girls to keep busy in the hotel room, and even while we were waiting in restaurants.
I also love a good theme, and thought that it would be the perfect idea to do a mermaid/ocean theme for this trip, since we were headed to the islands. The girls would only have this activity kit to and from our cruise destination, and during our overnight hotel stay. What better way to get them excited about our vacation? SIDENOTE: I know that many of our travel plans have been cancelled due to safety concerns, but this would be a perfect way to use imagination to take us on an island journey, right from our own homes. In addition to mermaids, OOLY has a ton of other really fun themed options like monsters and unicorns. Also, if you’re looking for a more prepackaged option, OOLY offers their really adorable themed Happy Packs that contain several complimentary items.
You can’t go wrong with OOLY products. I love the high quality and attention to every detail. Their whimsical designs are exemplary when it comes to diverse representation. It’s not easy to find mermaid products with various hair textures and skin tones. I loved that my girls get to be creative with characters that look like they do!
Here is a list of items that I decided to go with for our ocean/mermaid theme–click on the item for a direct link to purchase:
- Stars of the Sea Crayons (perfect for tiny hands/fingers)
- Mermaid Magic 6 Click Multi Color Pen (Raegan’s FAVORITE kind of pen)
- Mermaid Magic Scratch and Scribble Scratch Art Kit
- Ocean Life Scratch and Scribble Scratch Art Kit
- Play Again! Reusable Sticker Scenes – Mermaid Magic
- Mermaid On-The-Go Stationery Kit -Magical Mermaids
- Outrageous Ocean Colorin Book
- Color Appeel Crayons
This activity kit was like magic during our car ride. The girls were thoroughly entertained, and mama loved watching them create. I saved their Mermaid On-The-Go Stationery Kits for our road trip back to North Carolina, specifically so they could document their own memory making. The trip back after a fun filled vacation is always a bit of a bummer, so I figured this was a fun way to keep the girls in high spirits, when it came to sharing what they did.
The stationary kits come in the cutest little starfish plastic tote, and feature: a notebook, postcards, letter sheets, envelopes, mechanical pencil, eraser, pen, and stickers. The girls loved writing and coloring their recent nautical adventures to send to the grandparents! What a perfect activity for kids who want to write special notes to friends and family while social distancing.
Overall the activity kits were a huge hit. They helped us surprise the girls in a fun way, while keeping them occupied and engaged during our road trip. It certainly afforded us a little more peace while traveling with toddlers. Both girls still create with all of the items in our playroom art space.
If you’re considering curating one of your own, remember:
- Choose a variety of different activity options
- Keep it mess free
- Consider a fun theme
I hope this post has given you plenty of ideas for your future adventures and/or time at home. Enjoying spending intentional time together, and making memories. Love one another and use plenty of imagination.
A full blog post about our Disney Cruise trip is coming to the blog soon. Be the first to know on Instagram, and by subscribing to our email list HERE. Don’t forget to share your travel activity kits with me by tagging me when you post!
xo
Shakira
OOLY gifted these products to me in exchange for my paid honest review.
I make it a point to only collaborate with brands that I truly enjoy and love.
All opinions are entirely my own.
