If you are looking for a great gift for a 3 or 4 year old, the Art Book to Go is a great pick! Many kids will be doing a lot of traveling and visiting this summer, and they can take this wherever they go. It comes with 6 dry erase markers, an eraser and an 8 page wipe-off coloring and activity book. I love this better than paper because the kids can use it over and over and there is no waste. The case zips shut so there is no chance of stuff falling out, either.

We just returned from our trip to London with 5yo Benjamin. It was amazing – it is such a kick to see a city you love through the eyes of a child. Benjamin was a terrific tourist. We walked for miles. He was captivated by everything we saw. He has become a “student” of the monarchy (Henry VIII is his favorite king) and is so interested in the history and all of the major sites. London is still a pretty expensive city but the exchange rate has moved in our favor. Museums are most free and many of the other sites charge significantly reduced fees for young children.

• Here are some of his (and our) favorite sites and activities:
• Tower of London is a must (we went twice). There is so much to see including the truly spectacular crown jewels.
• St. Paul’s Cathedral. Climb up as high as you can go (it was open up to the middle when we went – 267 steps). The views of the city are incredible.
• The London Eye. Built by British Airways for the millenium. A 30-minute ride on a “ferris wheel.” (That’s Benjamin and me on the Eye).
• The Science Museum. I think this is the best museum for children…anywhere. There is an exhibit on space with all sorts of relics from NASA. The Launchpad exhibit explains the science of how things work in simple and interactive ways.
• The Natural History Museum. Dinsoaurs, rocks, pretty typical stuff but presented in a user-friendly way and the building is gorgeous.
• The Tower Bridge. Walk across the Thames on this historic bridge and climb up the stairs to walk across the top level and learn about bridges.
• The British Museum. Benjamin is fascinated by ancient Egypt and this museum has one of the best exhibits of mummys anywhere!
• Hamleys. I don’t usually recommend toy stores but this is a don’t miss. It is almost 250 years old and while they sell lots of stuff you can get at home (some from GIFT HERO) they also have their own line of science toys and great souveniers of London.
• The chocolate bars. The Brits do candy better than we do. Two of Benjamin’s favorites are Wispa and Twirl.
• Take the tube or the bus (all are double decker and the view from upstairs is great). Do take at least one ride in a real London Taxi. Young kids ride free on the tube and bus.

Next year, Benjamin has already decided, we are going to Paris!

In honor of her five and a half birthday I let Maya pick out a present on GIFT HERO. She chose the Milk & Cookies game, which surprised me. It arrived today, and Maya was disappointed that the cookies weren’t REAL! She thought she would be getting real cookies! I am still laughing about that.

Luckily, she really, really enjoyed playing the game with me and forgot that the cookies weren’t real. This is a high quality game – I love the box because it is made out of extra sturdy cardboard and the lid is attached and magnetized, so it open easily and closes tightly. This is definitely not one of those games that is going to start falling apart shortly after you get it. This makes it great for travel too! You can definitely take this to a picnic or on a trip.

This game is a great birthday gift for 4 and 5 year olds because it is a little more sophisticated than Chutes & Ladders and Candy Land. There is certainly some strategy and thinking involved in this game. Players have to figure out how to move their cookie jar to a cookie tile that matches the color and number that they spin. It is just right for 4 and 5 – not too complicated but interesting enough. Josh joined us toward the end of the game and he seemed to enjoy it too, even though he is 7.

Of course, once we finished playing we took a break for real milk & cookies!

We are going on vacation this week. Leaving on Thursday for London. This will be Benjamin’s first trip to Europe (not surprising since he is only 5). The flight is scheduled for 7 hours – the longest plane ride he has ever been on. I have been thinking about what will keep him entertained for all of those hours…and free me up to read my stack of magazines. He will watch movies, listen to music, play some videogames, and have multiple snacks but it is a long time for a boy to sit still.

I like to give him gifts on the plane – things that are new and he hasn’t played with before. One game that is definitely on my list is Clever Castle from ThinkFun. It’s a single-player pattern matching game designed specifically with younger kids in mind. Players use the clues provided to help nine party guests find their rooms in the castle. When every princess, knight and dragon finds their assigned room, you flip the challenge card over to see if you are right! Clever Castle is designed to encourage children to explore, succeed and have fun. The game includes a Parent’s Guide and 40 Challenges ranging from Easy to Super Hard. ThinkFun offers a whole series of these wonderful games and GIFT HERO sells many of them for ages 5 and up.

With Benjamin busy, what will my gift be? Hopefully, some quiet time with my ipod and maybe a nap!

We are on our second day of our London trip. It amazes me how much the kids remember since of our visit last year. Since we did all of the main touristy stuff last year (Big Ben, The London Eye, Buckingham Palace, etc…), we decided to do less obvious but still interesting stuff like visit the HMS Belfast, an WW2 battleship that is now a floating museum. Both Josh and Maya had a blast, which surprised me. The key was a “scavenger hunt” they do for the kids – they get so excited about finding everything. Then we braved the crowds and went to Borough Market, the largest farmer’s market in Western Europe I am told. We spent about an hour walking around and sampling all of the delicious cheeses,olives and fresh produce. They also sell Prosecco by the glass and let you walk around with it – very civilized these Brits are! We bought some sweet strawberries and cherry tomatoes and ate them on the way back to the hotel – delicious. Today Maya and I went shopping and I fell in love with a couple of brands of women’s clothing that are not available in New York. “COS” is a gorgeous, yet affordable Swedish-owned label that has also just started selling incredibly stylish little kids clothing but only up to size 4. “Massimo Dutti” is Spanish-owned and features Italian-style clothing that is to die for. Of course I bought stuff for me at both places, but with Maya in tow, it was a bit tough to focus! Speaking of Maya, we picked up some adorable things for her at Zara kids. (Unfortunately in New York Zara only sells for adults.) Tomorrow it is Easter here and everything shuts down – but fortunately we are having lunch at The Ivy – which should be great for people-watching!

So I’m packing for our annual trip to visit family in London, and I am thinking about what to bring for Maya, age 5, to play with on the plane. It has to be something that she can do by herself and won’t be too messy. It occurs to me that this Princess Dress-Up Doll playset is the perfect thing. It includes enough stuff – three different scenes and enough outfits and accessories to keep her busy for (most of) the 7 hour flight – plus all of the pieces are magnets so hopefully they won’t fall all over the floor. When she gets tired, we can just throw everything in the tin and save for later! You’ll find this and many other great gifts for travel at GIFT HERO.