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The key to a great road trip or airplane adventure is being prepared — and when traveling with kids, that goes double. In addition to reliable standbys like their favorite stuffed animal and book, consider packing new items they can look forward to opening en route, like mess-free art kits and light-up headphones. These seven easy-to-pack products are sure to enthrall. 

Agoigo Kids Waterproof Camera

See your family vacation through your child’s eyes. Give them the Agoigo waterproof camera and let them snap away, capturing images of their favorite activities. Then back home you can go through the photos together and relive the trip. The camera, with your kid’s memories stored on a 32GB SD card, also takes video and can go underwater down to 98 feet. For kids 3 to 12. ($36, £28, Amazon)

Crayola Create ‘n Carry art set

Everything your Picasso-in-training needs for their next masterpiece is inside this kit. The portable 75-piece set comes with fine line markers, washable gel FX markers, construction paper crayons, colored pencils and mini-sheets of construction paper. The storage kit doubles as a lap desk, so your budding artist can draw while in the car. For kids 5 and up. ($24.50, £19, Amazon)

iClever cat ear kids bluetooth headphones

These adorable, light-up cat ear headphones make listening to anything enjoyable. Foldable and adjustable, they can be put into Bluetooth mode or connected to an audio cable for in-flight entertainment systems. There is also a volume limiter and extra soft cushioning, to protect little ears. For kids 3 and up. ($37, £29, Amazon)

Melissa & Dog Sticker Wow! activity pad and sticker stamper

If there is one item universally beloved by kids, it’s the sticker. This Melissa & Doug set comes with 300 animal-themed stickers, a refillable stamper and a 24-page pad filled with counting, matching and search-and-find activities. The stickers are also easy to remove, which is a relief to parents whose children might miss the paper and start marking their airplane seat instead. For kids 3 to 7. ($9.50, £7.50, Amazon)

My First Bananagrams 

An airplane tray table is the perfect platform for a game of My First Bananagrams.  This tile word game can be played with up to three other people and is a great way to get kids excited about spelling and reading. The tiles come in a small zippered banana-shaped pouch for easy transport. For kids 4 and up. ($15, £12, Amazon)

Simon Micro Series

This compact version of the classic game will put your child’s memory to the test. To play, you watch what color appears, remember it and then repeat the sequence for as long as you can. This will keep them occupied for quite awhile, and can be played solo or in Pass It mode with others. Because it beeps, this game is better for the car. For kids 8 and up. ($6.89, £5.39, Amazon)

Tekfun LCD writing tablet

Pack this doodle board and leave those stacks of paper, coloring books and markers at home. Using the attached stylus, kids can write or draw whatever they want on the 10-inch tablet, with their words or pictures showing up in different colors. Push the lock button to prevent any accidental clearing and the erase button when ready to move on to the next painting. This is a quiet, mess-free way to get creative. For kids 3 to 8. ($32, £25, Amazon)