Not only are IOUs the cheapest gift they could find, but a welcome one, especially when we're traveling over the holidays. Maybe they'd owe me an extra two hours of sleep one morning. Maybe the two older ones could promise an afternoon on the highway when I pick the radio station. Okay, maybe I'm getting greedy. Just ask the family travel experts.
Funny socks are always welcome, too.
So is something to write about your adventures. Every traveler, no matter what age, would like a personal travel journal, especially when it's hand-made just for them, suggests Kurt Kutay, whose company Wildland Adventures sends many families on exotic trips. All you need is a blank hard-back notebook, pictures and maps of the upcoming trip. The headlamps that backpackers and climbers use to keep their hands free will keep the kids happy, says American Wilderness Experience's Dave Wiggins. Some of the ideas are silly enough to work, especially with younger kids.