Our family is constantly on-the-go and in the family van. Our toddler and preschooler spend a lot of time on the sidelines of the events of their older siblings (piano lessons, sports games, etc.) They are usually digging through my purse for a pen and an old receipt so that they can draw something or are whining because they are bored. Needless to say, I was immediately intrigued when I heard about the ZoomKit Portable Table where my child could sit and eat a snack properly or do a puzzle or color to pass their time waiting more productively.

The ZoomKit system is a portable table that can stand alone or fit in most car seats, boosters and strollers. It has a plastic container that fits into the table top that can hold your child’s special things for your day out and about. Ours usually had a couple pictures books, a puzzle, and a toy car or two. It fits over their lap and they can play and eat at their little table in the car, on the beach, or anywhere really. It also has a cup holder and another small compartment. It retails for $49.95.

In addition to the ZoomKit system, there are additional purchase kits that can fit into the compartment on the ZoomKit portable table. I had the opportunity to try both the ZoomSnack and the ZoomArt kits, which retail for $19.95 each. The ZoomSnack has three compartments for their food in a bento type box with a tethered spoon that it doesn’t get dropped or lost. The ZoomArt kit includes a small dry erase “board” (cardboard with dry-erase material on it) dry-erase activity book, 5 dry erase markers, eraser, 5 crayons, several sheets of stickers and a coloring book.

The ZoomKit has been a blessing to my children. We have used it in our car and at many events and keep the base in the car for easy access. My little kids now spend time coloring and playing during all the hustle and bustle of our busy homeschool life. It is nice to be able to have the kits organized and ready to go for our various outings. The ZoomSnack is perfect for accommodating different snack foods and keeping the crumbs in the tray and the food separated. It washes up very easily and I loved the tethered spoon so that it didn’t get dirty falling to the ground. The ZoomArt has just enough “fun” to entertain but not to make a huge mess.

In a vehicle, I would say it fits my preschooler better in her booster seat than it does my toddler in his car seat. It comes up a little high on him to where it is a little hard for him to maneuver his arms/elbows where he needs them. He enjoys it nonetheless and makes it work though. When using it on the ground, this does not seem to be an issue.

Overall, it’s a handy little gadget to have. It’s well made and durable and will last the long haul. I can see us using it for sick days in bed, when we go camping, and on our next road trip in addition to our weekly outings. This is a keeper!

-Product review by Audrey Tolle, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March, 2017