Travel Magnet Box

Keeping kids occupied while traveling can be a challenge. One has to be prepared with loads of different kinds of activities that are practical to keep in the car etc. I think magnetic activities are the best, since it can be contained(or sort of). We have this magnetic name tracing sheets that are also great for traveling.

I made this travel magnet box quickly, and I’m sure it will do the job when we’ll be traveling soon! I used a toolbox with compartments and added a strip of colorful duct tape to pretty it up.   
Inside, I added stickers with the alphabet magnet names. This help to keep every magnet in place, and also one can see easily if there is a missing one. It is also great for kids that are learning the order of the alphabet, and numbers too. Our fun fruit face magnets found a place too. One can add any type of magnets.

To make it travel friendly, I added a cookie tin lid with Velcro dots. Some dots on the tin, some on the inside of the box, and some on the outside.

When not in use, the tin is secured on the outside Velcro dots. When in use, you move the tin to the inside of the lid.

One could make cards/sticks for copying patterns like I did with this  Magnetic Button Busy Bag. Or make magnetic words to copy like I explained here. Obviously you will need more sets of letters for more words. I intend to get some lower case magnets too. One can also do sums with picture magnets and number magnets.

We have an ugly looking steel cabinet in our play room that we use as a magnet “board”. This I made pretty by adding strips of the colorful duct tape.

Now doesn’t that look more inviting:

So when we do not use our magnet travel box in the car, we use it here on our newly prettied up magnet board. Lots of fun learning opportunity. I do let my kids play with the magnets open-endedly. My son(2) will look for “friends”: grouping colours, pictures etc. Whereas my daughter likes to line things up, and use more of an imaginary approach.

How do you play with magnets?