Top 10 Holiday Gift Ideas for the Traveling Parent

Have a friend, relative or colleague parent with wanderlust? We've scoured through the myriad of travel products out there to present to you Momaboard.com's Top 10 Holiday Gift Ideas for the Traveling Parent (ahem.. this includes you too!). These trendy and useful items match any budget and style preference and cover the gamut of travel accessories and gear. Without further ado, we present our list:


1. KidCo Peapod Plus Indoor/Outdoor Travel Bed : Lightweight, portable, UV protection, self-inflating mattress and a phenomenal price compared with other portable beds. Any traveling parent will thank you profusely!

2.  The Totseat: You know how we love it. Now available on Amazon.

3.  Sunshine Kids Stow 'N' Go Car Seatback Organizer: Never lose another bottle or pacifier in the backseat. Great for roadtrips, with 2 bottle holders and several other compartments. Plus, great price.

4. The Pottery Barn Kids Travel Collection: Mix and match items from this stylish collection for any kids' ultimate travel set. DVD players with matching cases, backpacks, rolling backpacks, rolling suitcases, water battles, cameras, you name it. You can get each item monogrammed for an additional $6. I got Karam a backpack and matching rolling suitcase with his name on it for his birthday. Must have for trendy travelers!

5. Aquadoodle Travel-Doodle: Self-contained with only 2 pieces, travel size and with the potential to entertain for hours (ok, who are we kidding? 30 minutes - but that's awesome in baby time!). Great for road trips, on a plane, at restaurants or just generally hanging out. The kids will thank you this time.

6. "At The Zoo" Reusable Sticker Tote: If your child has discovered stickers, nothing will work better than this all-in-one back with sticker book and 100 reusable stickers. Cheap and cheerful!

7. The iPad: Now this has got to be for someone you really care about (like, yourself?), but the iPad is the ultimate in gifts that say "I get you" to parents traveling with children. Available in select (many) countries.

8. Swimways Baby Spring Float Sun Canopy: A great gift for the water lovers. Baby hangs out in this float, complete with sun protection and mum and dad can take turns snoozing on the beach.

9. Central Park Blanket: Ensure a rest stop anywhere with this easy-to-clean-and-stash mat. Durable and stylish for sure and a respectable price point for a good friend gift.

10. Stokke Changing Bag: We love Stokke's European compactness and style. The changing bag stashes all your sanitary needs effectively and is light and versatile to carry. So much better than those overpriced and bulky diaper bags (you hear us, Kate Spade?)

Happy Holidays, and safe travels from Momaboard.com!

Other posts in the Miscellaneous  series:

Where the Globe-Trotter Rests

Surviving Long Flights with Kids and Teens: Momaboard on Radical Parenting

Momaboard has been featured on popular parenting site Radical Parenting, offering travel advice for kids and teens. Check it out!

Travel can be daunting, even if it’s a short trip down to grandma’s.

Clothes, food, accessories, a multitude of gadgets, shoes and oh yeah, a $50 fine on overweight baggage. And an additional $10 if you didn’t pay it online before you were even fined.

With the recession and rising oil prices, airlines certainly don’t make it seem like they put the customer first. I mean, why else would you be allowed to travel with an infant, but not given any excess baggage allowance? Was it a non-parent who made that rule? Don’t they know that infants equate to more stuff than the rest of the family? And with further cost-cutting, who knows what else we will have to give up on flights – free water? Oh wait, too late.

But, there are some joys associated with traveling: vacations, adventures, family reunions, friend visits, and a sense of liberation as you ascend to the skies. Parents particularly get so caught up in the logistics that they forget how much children can learn through travel, by seeing the world through someone else’s eyes, in someone else’s language. But the distances can be tough so here are some tips to follow to survive long flights when you are traveling with your kids.

Read the rest here: