Preschoolers: Tricks and Kicks
Magnets If you'll be waiting someplace with a table -- like a restaurant -- take along a magnet (swipe one off your fridge) and a bunch of paper clips. Magnetize one paper clip by rubbing the magnet against it a bunch of times in the same direction. Have your kid see how many paper clips he can pick up in a chain without dropping any.

Tricks of the Eye If your kid doesn't have a wise-guy uncle who has exposed him to these tricks, now is the perfect time to share the joy. Floating Hot Dog: Point the tips of your index fingers together until they almost meet. Bring them closer to your eyes until it appears that a hot dog is suspended in the air between them. Hole in the Hand: Roll up a piece of paper and look through it with one eye. With both eyes, focus on a distant object. Now hold your other hand right next to the rolled-up paper. You'll see a hole in your hand.

Preschoolers: Phone Home
If you've got a chatty preschooler and a cell-phone plan with lots of minutes, take advantage of the waiting time and let your kid catch Grandma up on all the latest news. If you have a chatty preschooler but don't have lots of cell-phone minutes, there is a small window of time during which many preschoolers are perfectly content chatting on an old cell phone without a battery. Enjoy -- until they figure it out.

Preschoolers: How Big?
Whip out a plastic retractable tape measure and your young surveyor can get the measure of the land ... and the leg ... and the arm. When that gets dull, challenge your kid to a "guess how many inches" contest with your child's head. All kids love to have their head measured.

8 Things to Have On Hand
* Emergency lollipop. Even if your kids don't normally get to indulge.
* Favorite book. The one they always beg for. The one you're sort of sick of reading.
* Bandages. For your child to play doctor and tend to your boo-boos, or just to decorate himself with.
* Travel-size Magna Doodle. Or Etch A Sketch.
* Notepad and crayons. Can't do without 'em.
* Audio story. Whether it's delivered by a CD or an MP3, a story is a lifesaver for a very long wait.
* Deck of cards. Have your kid make up a card trick or two.
* Sticky notes. Doodle on them, make a flip book, or arrange them on a table in a cool design.

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