There's no getting around it. Hours trapped in cars and planes with kids can be downright excruciating as they fight, whine and complain their way across the state or the country.
"How much longer?" That inevitable question is as bad as chalk screeching on the blackboard -- especially when it's asked every three minutes.
At that point, parents are willing to pay anything for a little relief. The good news is that all you need to do is hit a toy store before you leave and think "travel" when you're searching for those last-minute stocking-stuffers or that last "big" present.
Consider a small tape or CD player so the kids can tune in their own music. Each of our kids has one, and the investment has paid off in spades, preventing back-seat battles over which tape is played. Another plus: Those tape players have kept us from going nuts listening to the kids' selections for hours on end.
If your youngsters already have a player, how about a couple of new tapes by a favorite group?
Hand-held video games are always welcome gifts too. If the kids have the basic device, get a new game for it.
For the musicians in the family, consider the Classical Kids series from the Canadian Children's Group, which combines music and storytelling about famous composers. Look for the newest, "Tchaikovsky Discovers America," which retails for $9.98 and is also available on CD.
For art lovers, fill a box with markers or colored pencils (the fluorescent colors are always winners), stickers, stamps, scissors and colored paper.
Throw in the newest book from their favorite series like Goosebumps or Nancy Drew or one set in the region you're visiting.
Action lovers can fight battles or stage races right from their seats with tiny cars or plastic characters.
This season, there are also plenty of terrific, relatively inexpensive toys and travel-sized games to choose from for all age groups-- fuzzy finger puppets, classic games like Scrabble or Monopoly, a pocket-sized Etch-a-Sketch that sells for just $4.
The new toddler and preschool version of the enormously popular Brain Quest quiz cards kept my 3-year-old busy for longer than I would have thought possible on a recent crowded flight. If you're visiting someone who has a computer with CD-ROM, take along the new computer version of Brain Quest for your grade-schoolers. Retailing at $29.95 for each grade level, it's a winner.
"Look for things that the kids can play with in different ways, things that challenge them to do, think or feel," suggests Diana Huss Green, editor of the non-profit Parents' Choice Awards, which recommends toys, books, audio and videotapes and computer games each year after they're tested by children and rated by parents, teachers and librarians.
Ms. Green's don't-leave-home-without list includes card games, small puzzles, finger puppets and Lego and Duplo kits.
One Parents' Choice suggestion that was a favorite among my youngest toy testers: Tippy Toes Finger Puppets. These are furry animal puppets that include bears, mice, cows, moose and beavers. The kids put their fingers in the puppets' legs and walk them around, making up stories as they go. I liked the price: From manufacturer Mary Meyer, they retail for just $5 each. (Call [800] 451-4387 to find a retailer near your home.)
For babies, Parents Choice recommends Primetime International Playthings' Activity Wheel with its clattering rings, hologram, beads and mirror for $10.
Another recommendation for the 7-and-up crowd interested in history might be Aristoplay's "A Time for Native Americans" biographical card game with pictures and stories of nearly 50 famous figures including Hiawatha, Pocahontas and Squanto, who taught the Pilgrims farming techniques. It retails for $10.
My toy testers were also intrigued by ExploraToy's Bug Pals, a collection of individually packaged 3-inch plastic bugs that light up and make sounds. They come with a tiny book and trading cards and sell for $4.99.
Whatever the kids' interest, there's no end of choices for on the road. Travel toys, in fact, have become a $38 million annual business, the Toy Manufacturers of America reports -- more than doubling in the last four years.
One recent Sunday, a group of toy testers aged 3 to 11 spent the afternoon trying out some of the new travel offerings.
One clear winner among the girls: Ohio Art's travel SparkleLights illuminated peg drawing toy. It comes with built-in storage, would easily fit in a backpack and costs $7. The younger kids liked the travel version of "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" ($7), and all the kids liked the travel versions of Milton Bradley's "Guess Who?" and "Memory" ($8).
With so much to do along the way, there shouldn't be any whining on the road this holiday season.