Gift Ideas for Traveling Families: 2012 edition

If you're buying for a traveling family this Christmas, here are a few gift ideas that perhaps you haven't thought about.

For the traveling mom:

• Canvas Prints: Pick out a favorite vacation photo or two and get canvas prints made. I love these because they don't need a frame. I have a few up in our house and they not only make pretty wall or mantel decor, but it is so fun to be surrounded by memories of great trips. If you want to make this a surprise, at Printcopia you can print directly from social media outlets like Facebook and Instagram.

For the traveling (and camping!) dad:

• Coghlan's Fire Lighters: We love to camp, and my husband is often tasked with the gritty job of starting the camp fire. This usually comes after he has unloaded our car of heavy bags and camping supplies, put up our tent, and done a gazillion other tasks. So we fell in love with these fire starters from Coghlan's. They light up just like a match and make great kindling. A perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite outdoorsman.

For the traveling preschooler:

• Think felt! Bored with the usual traveling entertainment like books, crayons and magna doodles? This year, I'm adding some felt toys to Big Arrow's travel toy arsenal. Isn't this such a portable way to play with Mr. Potato Head? (Because you already know he loves Mr. Potato Head.) This one is available at ThatGirlsCrafts on Etsy.

Source: etsy.com via Nicole on Pinterest

For the traveling baby:

• A pacifier clip: Big Arrow wasn't a pacifier kid, but Little Arrow loves having his pacifier handy, especially when we're traveling. Fortunately, a friend gave us a pacifier clip, which is particularly handy in the car and on a plane. (Plus, it doubles as a toy.) But this one, from the SimplyEverydayMe shop on Etsy, is almost too cute to pass up.

Source: etsy.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Looking for more ideas? Compiling some of my favorite travel gifts is becoming a bit of a tradition. Here are some other posts with additional suggestions:

• My 2011 Gift Ideas for Traveling Families post
• Nature-inspired gift ideas for kids
• Must-haves for camping with a toddler
• Toys for babies and preschoolers
• Locally-made gifts for traveling with kids

Disclosure: I was provided with a canvas print from Printcopia for this post. All opinions and gift ideas are my own.