Summer 2012: 10 great family travel gadgets

LittleLife's new Animal Wheelie Duffles, in Ladybird and Turtle designs, will delight your little ones and nurture a sense of responsibility. The 20-litre bag has a zip top and telescopic handle; £39.99 (littlelife.co.uk).

A pack of coloured pens always creates a handy diversion but choose carefully. Crayola Flip Top Markers wash off skin and clothes – and you've got a fair chance of hanging on to their tops; £2.99 (crayola.co.uk).

Keep the mozzies away with Kids Bugsox from Careplus. They are impregnated with insect repellent and come in adult sizes too; £13.99 for two pairs, adult sizes £15.99 (careplus.eu).

Heading to London, Paris, New York, or Rome? Get the kids exploring before they get there with Lonely Planet's new fact-filled books for young adventurers, Not for Parents: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know; £9.99 (lonelyplanet.com).

Trunki's new backpack that turns into a booster seat, BoostApak, is hand-luggage approved and sure to save on car hire costs too; £44.99 (trunki.com).

The new Mirano designer bag from PacaPod cleverly combines baby bag, cool bag, and changing mat in its cunning three-in-one system. Available in Navy and Chalk; £95 (pacapod.com).

For impromptu games in the great outdoors, pack the Aerobie Pro Ring 13". It's the furthest thrown object, at more than 400 metres, according to Guinness World Records. Now there's a challenge; £12 (cotswoldoutdoor.com).

If you don't mind little fingers fiddling with your precious iPhone, Toca Kitchen Monsters is the latest app to download from the hit Toca Boca series of digital toys. In this new game, Toca Boca's kitchen is in uproar thanks to two monsters – it's time to feed them and clean up the mess; free (tocaboca.com).

The reasons to use a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife are too numerous to mention – you'll probably work your way through them all on your travels. Just don't put it in carry-on luggage if you're flying; £15.35 (swisstool.co.uk).

For the style-setting girl in your family, KoolSun's Soft Touch Shrugs both protect against the sun and look good on the beach; £12 to £14 (koolsun.co.uk).