I LOVE these Melissa & Doug Water Wow! books! The first time I saw them was at church. Another family offered one to my daughter to use and I was so worried she was using up their watercolor books. Little did I know that when they dry, they go back to white! You can use these again and again! This is just one three pack, but they have a bunch of different options, including alphabet practice if you want it to be more educational!

If your kids are a little older (6+), these Melissa & Doug Mosaic Sticker Pads are a new favorite of ours! They keep the kids busy and quiet for a nice long time! The pictures turn out SO cool! You can rip the stickers and page out of the book for easier access. Then they just match the sticker number to the spot in the book and arrange it correctly.

I have something similar to this from IKEA. If you have an IKEA nearby, theirs is only $16 and is much simpler. I chose this Car Seat Travel Tray because it can fold up. For an airplane trip or going in and out of cars with it, I think that’s a necessity. My girls use theirs in the car and in church. It is so great to hold some coloring tools as well as a coloring book.

A writing tablet is a must-have! My 3-year-old loves to take orders on it. My 6-year-old will draw or practice writing. They are so great because the kids can easily write and erase. This particular set has the pen attached. I wish ours were! We’ve lost pretty much every pen from our sets! This set also has a lock button, so they can’t accidentally erase all of their work. Super lightweight and portable!