This tiny tote by Kiva is just 4 1/2-inches by 2 3/4-inches when closed, but it unzips to a 755 cubic-inch bag capable of holding all of those things you didn’t think you needed but bought anyway. It’s also perfect for use as a reusable grocery bag — clip it to your purse strap, and you’ll always have it when you need it!

$9.95 at Mori Luggage & Gift. 
 

If you tend to pack too many shoes, then Onesoles by Quick Change Artist is perfect for you. These comfortable casual shoes come with interchangeable “toppers” so you can change the look of your shoes to match your outfit. A single pair of shoe soles can be topped to look like strappy sandles, simple slip-ons, or buckle-accented wedges.
 
Shoe soles, $74.95; “toppers” $9.95 to $24.95 at PackingLight.net.

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The old-school felt board gets updated for today’s kid-on-the-go by the folks at Manhattan Toy. This 31-piece set includes four themes — royalty, under the sea, fairy garden, and family room — and all the floppy felt pieces pack into pockets of the handled case (which doubles as the feltboard itself).

$29.95 at Genius Babies. 

Need more gift ideas? Check out our slideshow featuring 10 great gifts for preschoolers!

Plane Quiet Platinum noise-reducing headphones won’t silence the chatty guy in the next seat, but it will reduce ambient noise and make it possible for you to listen to your iPod more easily. These cost much less than the classic Boise ones, and they also fold flat for storage.

$99.95 at ProTravelGear.com.

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Wake up to a view of your loved ones with this smart travel alarm clock and digital picture frame combo. It holds 60 pictures that you can scroll through or wach like a slideshow; the alarm clock has a date and temperature display, 12- or 24-hour format, and that all-important “snooze” feature.

 
$39.85 at Magellan’s.

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Remember those origami fortune tellers you made as a kid, the ones that you could open and close with your fingertips? Cahootie is a way cooler version of those notebook-paper creations, with sturdy, reusable stickers instead of scribbled-on silliness, and questions much more interesting and clever than the ones you came up with in grade school. There are six smart versions available — from political trivia to birthday wishes — and they make a great gift for hard-to-buy-for tweens. They cost about $6 each and you can find them at many toy stores and online at Growing Tree Toys.

I’m a gadget lover who balks a bit at the latest in tiny technology — why are those little things so darn expensive? — but this MP3 player has won my frugal heart. SanDisk’s cool little MP3 player, the Sansa Fuze , one-ups the practically microscopic iPod Nano in a few big ways: It has a built-in digital FM radio; it plays all sorts of audio formats, not just those from iTunes; and it costs less than Apple’s ubiquitous device. Its 1.9-inch color screen is remarkably clear, and the eight-gigabyte model shown here holds up to 2,000 songs and has a battery that will let you play music for an entire day or video for five hours. Need to store even more? Additional memory cards are sold separately.

8GB model, $129.99 (2GB models are about $80, and 4GB ones are $100) at RadioShack .

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare, and it actually happened to me a few weeks ago: You’re in a crowded area and, all of a sudden, you can’t find your child.

Little kids wander off all the time; having your home phone number memorized doesn’t help if you’re on vacation and, even if you’re near home, who knows if your child will remember it if she’s panicked? These “Lost and Found” temporary tattoos from Tattoos with a Purpose could be a lifesaver. Apply the decal to your child’s skin; when it’s dry, write your information on it using the included pen. Unlike a note (which can get lost) or an ID bracelet (which can be removed), the temporary tattoos last for three to five days and are easy for your child to refer to if she needs to. A travel kit of six tattoos, plus a pen and everything you need to apply and remove the tattoos, cost $9.99 at tattooswithapurpose.com or by calling 800-357-1521. Other versions — for people with Autism, for example — are available as well.

I hate having to fish around for the cracker-encrusted buckles and straps on my kids’ car seats; I wish I had discovered Buckle-Pals by Little Bumble Baby ages ago. The special hooks and loops keep the seat straps in plain, easy-to-access sight; the Cling ‘N Go style is great for infant seats, strollers, and even high chairs, while the Handy Hooks version fits convertible car seats and all sorts of high chairs, even old-fashioned wooden ones. Buckle-Pals cost about $8.50 per set at Babysupermarket.com; for a list of other stores, visit Little Bumble Baby.

This cute little creature sports a set of lovely string legs with vinyl caps that hold eight crayons, making it great for coloring on-the-go. We love using this at home, too, because my toddler can’t get the crayons out easily (though I can) and they don’t roll off the table while he’s working on his latest masterpiece. The ColorPals caterpillar is actually quite cuddly and the stretchy loop on the back slips over my kids’ wrist, which he thinks is the coolest thing ever. $12.95 each at buycolorpals.com.