Traveling with young kids requires imaginative toys and activities for them to play with. Yes, the DVD is an easy source for entertainment, but of course we want to find that a wonderful engaging activity they will love! There are many cool toys that provide that fabulous entertainment while traveling. Today’s What’s out there Wednesday‘s highlight is Wikki Stix.
These moldable stix can be used for car or air travel and they are such fun for little hands. They are inexpensive, stick anywhere, and no mess! I also love that they are reusable–it’s easy for kids to take apart their creations and create new ones. You might even have your older ones {or yourself} helping your little ones as they will enjoy them too.
Wikki Stix’s Official Video:
Ideas I like in this video:
-Writing your name with Wikki Stix
-Sticking the stix to the car window for creations {not in the video, but it made me think about it}
-Creating bracelets, rings, or necklaces
-Using a white board to make fun characters or pictures
Other ideas:
-Look outside your window as your drive or around you in a plane, challenge your child to create what she sees. “Look at that tree, could you make a tree with your stix?” or use reverse psychology, “I bet you can’t make a flower with your stix.” And of course, when she figures it out, congratulate her on “tricking you” and that the creation is amazing 
-Remember the dry erase board post? You could use that board as a surface for the Wikki Stix creations and then wipe clean for use later with the dry-erase crayons. With the white and black sides, it is the perfect backdrop for day and night pictures. Double duty!
"Pretzel land in the dark"
-For smaller children, you could also take a piece of paper (like from their binder) and write their name, numbers, or a squiggly path and your child has to trace them with the Wikki Stix.
-Have an adult or an older child help if needed to demonstrate an easy necklace to make and then have the younger child take over. One easy idea was one from the video: a chain link necklace.
-Issue a challenge! Can you build a high building with your wikki stix? How about a cup?
-Take pictures! If you get your camera out, all kinds of inspired creations may result just to get a picture of them.
-Hole punch Alphabet cards in the upper corner and attach them to a ring. Practice letters by pressing Wikki Stix onto the card, and then easily flip to practice the next one. No lost cards can fall this way in the car or plane.
-Use Wikki Stix to complete a dot to dot picture you have previously printed out, or in a published book filled with them. These stix stick particularly well to wipe-off activity books.
Forming letters
A few cautions:
1. Since Wikki Stix are basically yarn coated in wax, the wax could potentially melt in a hot car on a hot day.
2. Allow toddlers to use with supervision, and give an explanation that they are not candy {since they are brightly colored and feel sticky} and should not be eaten, only played with.
3. Bring along a tupperware or ziploc bag to store them in. Depending on where and when they are used, they should eventually be thrown away as they may collect dust or other particles.
Want to make your own? Check out these links for ideas:
http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/sticky-sticks/
http://bethany.preciousinfants.com/2008/02/05/homemade-wikki-stix.aspx
Wikki Stix are a wonderful toy for creative, independent play wherever you are traveling. We grab our tupperware of them for anytime we will be waiting in a small space, even in the carpool lane at school.
You can find Wikki Stix at most teacher stores, and online. It is also listed in this site’s online store for your convenience.
This post is linked up with Tip Junkie:
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