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Actress Brenda Song and her actor husband Macaulay Culkin are about to show their two sons—ages 3 and 4—around Manhattan for the first time, and it’s bringing out all the feels. “I want my kids to see the Rockefeller tree and the magic of New York City, especially during the holidays,” shares Song. The trip, which aligns with Culkin’s Home Alone screening tour, is one of the reasons Song has teamed up to celebrate the launch of the Citi / AAdvantage Globe card, a new credit card that elevates travel with access to premium perks. “When I’m traveling with my kids, I didn’t realize all the benefits that I wasn’t taking advantage of,” says Song (some advantages like securing four Admirals Club Globe passes come to mind).
Luckily, Song has one part of flying cross-country down: keeping her little ones entertained. With only a few weeks left for holiday shopping, her favorite gifts for kids (err, really their parents) are all geared toward making travel easier. Here are her top recs.
A Building Set That’s Not a Pain to Clean Up
We love Magna-Tiles so much. Because the tin is magnetic itself, they don’t move, so they can play with them on a plane and it’s all contained. We love bringing them to dinner because my boys love to build.
A Card Game for the Whole Family
My four-year-old loves card games (his favorites right now are Old Maid, Go Fish, and Slap Jack). Even Mac and I are the old people that go to dinner and play Gin Rummy at the table.
A Break from iPad Entertainment
When we travel, yes, we have the iPads, but it’s our last resort. I want my kids to be a little bored because I want them to use their imagination.
A Little Bit of Homework (But Make It Fun)
I want my kids to understand it’s all not fun and games. When they get home from preschool, I always make them do 10 minutes of a worksheet or sit down and read. My son and I will sometimes race each other to finish a page in these writing books to make it fun.
An Easy Way to Avoid Germs and Major Messes
I always feel like I’m wiping everything down when we fly, so when I found this tray I was so thrilled. It just rolls up and you can throw it in your bag or the washing machine.
A Moment of Quiet
You can plug these headphones into their TV console or iPad but they’re also noise-canceling. We bring them to amusement parks for when the rides are a little too loud, or we’ll use them during take off and landing.
A Hydration Companion
The Yetis are the one thing I carry with me all the time, whether it’s to a restaurant or when we’re traveling. When they’re empty at the airport, I’ll fill them up with their favorite drink so I don’t have to worry about things spilling.
A Snack Box They Can Be in Charge Of
Everything is about trying to make snacking fun. This tray has all these compartments that open up and the boys get to choose what they want. I’m really big on them being independent.