Handy Kids' Tool--Backpacks!

Even though I homeschool, each of my kids has a backpack! I find that each of them having a backpack saves time and energy when getting ready for a long trip or even just a day trip over to my parents' house.

When we get ready to take a trip, I pull out the kids' backpacks and take out the items that they will not need on the trip. Then either I or the child who the backpack belongs to will fill it with the necessary things to take on the trip. This isn't the bag to put their clothes in but the items to keep them busy as we drive to our destination.

Each child is then responsible for their own backpack. What items are they are responsible for??

1. a notebook filled with paper for drawing, writing, or playing games like tic-tac-toe
2. two pencils sharpened--one breaks they have a spare
3. box of colored pencils--I use these rather than crayons when travel because they won't melt in the heat like crayons do!!
4. handheld games like battleship, connect four, boggle.
5. a book or two and NOT public library books! I don't like public library books getting lost! Sometimes I will allow 3 or 4 books depending on how long the trip.
6. a deck of playing cards or the UNO cards
7. coloring books--I make up my own! The older kids books have activities in them more than coloring pictures while the younger ones have their own coloring pictures.

For my little ones that are under 3, I do up a backpack full of small toys that they have like matchbox cars, dolls, toy phones, and other things that do not make ALOT of noise.

Backpacks filled with items to keep the boredom away on trips is what works for us!

This post is linked at:

• Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family!

**With the summer upon us, I wanted to bring this post that was originally posted July, 2008 to the top as a helpful tool for my readers.**