Fun, Fido, first aid

By Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff, 05/18/02

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Help them get the big picture

To defuse the inevitable "Are we there yet?"’ during your next long trip, Hasbro offers another childhood favorite in travel-game form. The Travel Lite-brite is the same light-up picture maker many of us enjoyed as children, but transformed for use in transit. The 160 red, green, blue, and purple light-up pegs have a special storage drawer (so they don’t end up all over the place, though note that it is recommended for children 4 and older). It runs on two C batteries (not included) and costs $8 to $12, depending on the retailer. You can find it at many toy stores, and at www.yellowloop.com; www.etoys.com; and www.kbtoys.com.

A little first aid, anywhere

This 4-inch-wide first-aid kit is tiny enough to take anywhere, and perfect for stowing in your car. The steel case holds a set of tweezers, assorted bandages, antiseptic wipes, a small sewing kit, pain reliever, and several other necessities for taking care of everything from splinters to bumps to headaches. The Pocket-Medic First Aid Kit costs $15 at Restoration Hardware store (800-762-1005; www.restorationhardware.com).

Keep your pug out of the potato salad

If you like to take your pup along when you picnic, this anchor can keep your outing from going to the ..... well, you know. Clip Fido (on his cable) to the 27-pound, vinyl-coated, cast-iron weight, put it on the ground somewhere away from the chicken salad, and he will have plenty of room to roam. Use one anchor for every 50 canine pounds; link two or more together for larger pets. The anchor comes with 3- and 10-foot cables (or, use your own). It costs $59.95 and is available through the Plow & Hearth catalog (800-494-7544; www.plowandhearth.com).

Lylah M. Alphonse’s e-mail address is lalphonse@globe.com.