8The perfect antidote to "Are we there yet " Once kids get their hands on the travel-inspired projects in Origami On-The-Go, hours will fly by. Origami in itself is such an absorbing activity; add to it the pleasures of using vibrant custom papers to create unexpected animals and planes and cultural treasures, and the combination is a lifesaver (for parents), entertainment (for kids), and a great learning experience (good for parents and kids).

Margaret Van Sicklen, the "origami swami" who's known for her clear, easy-to-follow instructions and clever designs, creates 40 projects with a globe-trotting theme--Stunt Plane, Rainforest Turtle, Samurai Helmet, Mummy, Dachshund Chopstick Rest, Tiny Scrap Book, Nantucket Swordfish, Chinese Opera Hat. The folds are geared to children as young as eight, and range from the playful, Pig Finger Puppet, to the practical, Souvenir Wallet, to the beautiful, a Peacock--the kind a traveler might find strutting on the grounds of the Taj Mahal. Paper for the projects is included in the back of the book: 100 sheets of colorful, custom-designed origami pages, each tied in to the projects, plus two pages of stickers.

Along the way kids learn much about the world: how to convert dollars to euros and the names of original currency; the Seven Natural Wonders; essential words in different languages; latitude and longitude; all about the chatty, intelligent crows of Russia and Australia's fuzzy koala bears--inspiration to make one of your own.