Little things for little ones that keep ‘em rolling

There’s no shortage of new products that make taking the kids more fun and manageable. Prices do not include shipping.

Wheel-aboard kid

Ride-On Carry-On: Children who can’t or won’t walk those long airport or train corridors can hitch a ride aboard luggage. Designed by Darryl Lenz, a mom who is a flight attendant, the Ride-On Carry-On is a kid-size, lightweight folding chair with adjustable straps that slide over the pull handle of wheeled suitcases 18 to 22 inches tall. Another set of straps fastens around the body of the bag, and more straps buckle the child into the seat. The extended padded headrest doubles as a tray table when removed from the top of the chair and fitted into brackets at the front. When folded flat, the red polyester chair fits in the overhead bins of most planes. The Ride-On is limited to children who weigh less than 40 pounds, and it can’t be used on escalators or stairs. More caveats: It is not free-standing. The suitcase functions as the back legs of the chair, which could pose a safety hazard if the bag tips over, so a child should never be left unattended in the chair.

Ride-On Carry-On is $44.95 from R&D; Innovative Product Designers; (800) 290-6250, Ext. 65, www.rideoncarryon.com.

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Stow it, roll it

Stowboard Folding Skateboard: Skateboard separation anxiety need never be an issue again for traveling boarders. This innovative skateboard folds easily from 31 inches to 11 inches long, fitting into a backpack for easy transport. The board has large polyurethane-cast front wheels and tapered rollers in the rear for easier steering. Weighing 5 3/4 pounds, the board folds in three quick steps to a compact 11 by 8 by 4 inches. It slides into a zippered compartment in the backpack, which has another section large enough to hold books or other gear. An adjustment tool and Allen keys are included. The board is not intended for skateboard tricks or ramp parks.

Stowboard Folding Skateboard (67439E) is $129.95 from Hammacher Schlemmer; (800) 543-3366, www.hammacher.com.

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Riveting light

Frog’r Mosquito Repeller/Safety Light: This Evenflo product does double duty as a night light and a sonic mosquito repellent. Green and yellow reflective paint on the plastic frog with bulging white eyes adds to visibility when the light is clipped to strollers. It also clips easily to playpens, cribs or changing tables. A switch allows use of the frog as just a light or as a light and mosquito repeller. (The repeller mimics the sound of dragonfly wings.) Operates on one 9-volt battery.

Frog’r Mosquito Repeller/Safety Light (12775) has a suggested retail price of $8.99. Kel-Gar; (800) 388-1848, www.kelgar.com.

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Tots rock

Portable Fun UltraSaucer Activity Center: If play is child’s work, babies from 4 months to walking age have a slew of tasks ahead of them once they are settled into the Portable Fun UltraSaucer from Evenflo. Lower your child into the cushioned seat in a wide molded plastic disk, and he will find himself surrounded by 11 blinking, singing toys and activities within easy reach. The plastic components incorporate 22 songs and sounds. The disk holding the seat adjusts to three heights.The seat, in which the baby can bounce and spin, locks in six positions. The set is about 27 inches in diameter and 21 inches high when fully extended, but folds to about 12 inches high for transport. It takes a while to assemble.

Portable Fun UltraSaucer Activity Center (6161263) is $79. Evenflo; (800) 233-5921, www.evenflo.com.

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