There’s no doubt that any parent who has been on an extended plane trip or car ride with their kids needs to be prepared. That means food, supplies, extra clothes, entertainment, and of course toys. Any parent knows there can be a very line between a happy and content kid and one that is on the brink of a (very loud) meltdown, and toys can certainly help.

But, the problem with toys is they can take up quite a bit of space, especially if your little ones like to switch up to new toys every few minutes. Unfortunately, there usually isn’t enough car or luggage space for all of them!

There is a good solution though.

Homemade toys.

You got it. Not only do these toys help keep the kids entertained, but you can make them at home, saving money and space, which is really important for travel.

So, are you ready for it?

Lego Lunchbox

Lego bricks are always a go to toy for lots of families. But, they aren’t always the greatest thing to travel with, until now. Rather than carting a box of Lego’s around, instead create a Lego Lunchbox.

Take a standard metal or plastic lunchbox, and glue two Lego bases to them, one to the lid and one against the lip of the lunchbox, this will help keep the Legos in. Then fill the lunchbox with a bunch of Legos, and the kids have an automatic play station all in one.

Find the instructions at Mama.Papa.Bubba >>>

Breath Mint Tin Games

No doubt you’ve probably got a couple of breath mint tins on hand in your home. Rather than tossing them into the recycle bin, keep them and use them as the basis to create a number of fun little travel toys for your kids.

Here are just a few ideas:

Glue a small piece of blackboard to the top of the tin, and fill the inside of the tin with bits of colorful chalk and a small cloth for cleaning. Play tic-tac-toe, hangman, or keep track of things you’re I-Spy-ing!

In keeping with the theme of art, cut up small squares of paper that fit inside the top part of the tin, and then add in a few crayons or colored pencils (and a sharpener) to the other side, giving your kids a perfect traveling art set.

Magnet Activity Boards

Magnets are always a quick and easy toy that can help out kids a lot. Take a small magnetic board and paint it white, or reuse another magnetic surface (like a sheet pan). You can then create pieces of paper that fit over the board with different scenes, a racetrack for your car buff, a farm for your animal lover, or a tic-tac-toe board for your mini gamer.

Then have a small bag with your magnetic pieces inside them, the kids can pull out the pieces that match the top of the board and then switch them in and out if they are looking for something fresh.

Read how one mom made a farm magnet game for gifts at Unoriginal Mom >>>

These are just a few of the ideas you can use to create homemade toys that are perfect for travel. They are small and compact, yet provide hours of fun and creative entertainment for your kids.