Comfort and Entertainment on the Road

Family travel keeps getting easier--at least the gear does. No gadget has yet been devised to keep kids from chanting, “Are we there yet?” or “I have to go to the bathroom,” but some new products meet other demands--from entertainment to basic needs. Many items may be available in stores. Unless noted, prices do not include shipping and handling.

Potty perfect: For car trips, this portable potty seat is invaluable through all stages of toilet training. At the outset, youngsters can use the free-standing seat with removable receptacle, molded-in splash guard and removable deflector. Later, the removable seat ring can be attached to a toilet while the inverted base can be used as a step. The seat ring also folds for travel (It’s ideal for trips by air or when space is limited), and the base can be used later as a portable seat.

Evenflo Potty Seat (610102) is $19.99 at juvenile furniture stores. For a store near you, contact the manufacturer; telephone (800) 233-5921.

Book light for kids: Zelco’s battery-powered Itty Bitty Book Light, which clips to the back of a hard- or soft-cover book, has been popular with travelers for years. Now the company has come out with a brightly colored junior edition for children. The collapsible yellow light comes in its own carrying case, with a compartment that holds the required four C batteries (not included).

Itty Bitty Book Light Jr. is $23 from Zelco; tel. (800) 431-2486.

Map fun: Two working moms with five children between them have designed an entertaining map for children that shows not only where they’re going but also acts as an atlas, encyclopedia and activities kit all in one. So far, only maps for Florida and New York are on the market, but maps for California, Washington D.C., and other destinations are planned. The colorful, laminated, fold-out 14- by 21-inch My Map Florida has a section with drawings of animals and objects for kids to spot from the car window, pinpoints spring baseball training sites, and provides information about indigenous Florida animals, points of interest and weather conditions. The My Map New York shows how to calculate distances around the state, discusses Manhattan skyscrapers and bridges and tunnels.

My Map Florida and New York are $6.95. To find a store that carries them near you, call the manufacturer at (800) 613-8668.

Easy ID: Such a simple idea, and yet such a smart safety measure: ID Me bracelets are disposable laminated wristbands for children with a cheerful pattern--such as teddy bears--on one side and on the other space to write the child’s address, phone number, destination and other vital information.

ID Me Wristbands are $1 for 2; $5 for 10. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope (32-cent stamp for two wristbands; 55-cent stamp for 10) to Practical Parenting, Department ID-JD, 18326 Minnetonka Blvd., Deephaven, MN 55391.

Gear & Gadgets appears the first week of every month.