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Snack and Play Travel Tray, pictured flat (Scarborough photo)

Since the summer vacation season is fast approaching, you may want to think about some gear that can make things more comfy for the kids in your minivan (or whatever hauler you use!)

The friendly proprietors at Family Travel Gear have all sorts of ideas for you, plus the time-saving advantage of shopping in your jammies or at any hour of the day or night.  This is a family-owned company with "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and a generous returns policy. You can shop by age range or travel method (car or plane.)

The company generously sent me one of their favorites, the Snack and Play Travel Tray, to try out for myself.  Since my kids are a little old for the product, I enlisted my busy neighbor Sylvia to check it out.  She has a 2 year-old and a 4 year-old.

The tray is great for holding snacks in place; the two-inch foam sides keep those stray Cheerios or Goldfish from heading to the floorboards or down onto the seat.  It's also very good for little readers, because big picture books can be propped up on the tray to ease page-turning.  The tray can be rolled or folded, so it doesn't get in the way when stored in between uses. 

Sylvia had less success with using the tray as a drawing surface.  The soft foam tray section tended to collapse if the crayon pressure was too great.  If you use it that way, I'd recommend the thickest, stiffest cardboard-backed drawing pad, to give your little artist's scribbles some more support.  The lip is great for keeping crayons and markers from rolling all over the place. Her kids didn't use the side mesh pockets, but FTG owner Linda Walsh says her kids stuff things into them all the time.

For a picture of the tray in action, click back to the product page here.

 Other Family Travel Gear items that I'd recommend include a backseat organizer, the stroller tote and most definitely the trunk organizer (no need to have those jumper cables, washer fluid containers and extra bungee cords all flying around the trunk.)

Thanks FTG, for the chance to try one of your products!

Technorati tags: travel, family travel, car organizers, family travel gear