Correction:

The article about new travel toys and apps said the BrainQuest app, which is free for iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone, costs $2.99 for each grade level’s worth of content. Nook users can access free content, which is the same as that available for iOS devices, by clicking on the paid app and selecting “free trial version.” The full app costs $2.99 per grade level.

Best new travel toys and apps

School’s out and you’re dying to get to the beach, the mountains or Grandma’s house. But getting there can seem as long as the school year. Don’t wait for Mom or Dad to dream up ways to entertain you. As you make your packing list, jot down a few of the toys, games and apps on the next pages. Promise that you will play quietly and take turns with your little brother. (So hard, we know.) Your parents know that a few distractions will go a long way toward making the trip enjoyable for the whole family.

→So turn the page for our picks of the best travel toys, games and apps.

All toys are available at Amazon.com unless otherwise noted.
Android app available at Google Play and Amazon.com

Star Wars building set with planet

Lego. Ages 6 to 10. $9.99.

For the kid who loves to build, three new Lego sets have just enough pieces to be interesting but not overwhelming in the car or plane. The TIE Interceptor, Sebulba’s Podracer and Naboo Starfighter come with a standard-size figure, a small ship and a platform for the two. The 56- to 80-piece sets store neatly inside a planet — or a mini Death Star — that can be hung from the ceiling of your room after the trip.

Mini Mouth
Thinkfun. Age 8 and older.
Two or more players. $9.99.

Fans of Scrabble and Boggle will like this word game, which is small enough to fit in your pocket. Flip two to five of the 26 tiles, and the first person to make a word with all of them wins those tiles. (Thankfully, you don’t have to use all the letters if you turn over two tricky ones: Q and X words, anyone?) The player with the most tiles wins. This game could work on an airplane tray or a lap desk in the car.

My Friendship Bracelet Maker

Crorey Creations. Age 6 and older. $16.98. Available at
www.toysrus.com and www.hearthsong.com. (Slightly
larger version $19.99 at Michaels craft stores.)

Crafty kids will love this travel container for creating those colorful bracelets. There’s a clip at the top for holding one end of the bracelet and several pegs at the other to keep the threads from getting tangled. A drawer below holds 10 colors of thread. And instructions are provided for those who have never made a friendship bracelet.

Spot It! On the Road

BlueOrange. Age 7 and older.
Two to eight players. $12.99.

What’s a car ride without the classic game of I Spy? This version, the latest in a series of Spot It games, is packaged in a little tin with pictures of things commonly seen out the car window. Flip a card from the pile, and the first one to spot it wins that card.

IQ Fit

Smart Games. Age 6 and older. $9.99. Available at Barstons Child’s Play stores in Washington, Rockville, McLean and Arlington. Also online at www.smarttangoes.com.

You might have played a similar game called IQ Twist, but this one has an added challenge: The pieces are three-dimensional. So when you pick a challenge and place a few colored pieces in the slots according to a picture, it’s no easy feat to finish the puzzle. The compact game offers 120 challenges — from starter to wizard levels — and the tremendous satisfaction of being able to stump your parents.

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