As we all know, travelling with toddlers can be tricky and it is not only about choosing the right place to spend your holidays but also about planning the trip to your holiday destination. I think all of us have had bad experiences traveling with toddlers and many of us have probably thought at least once that it actually makes more sense to stay at home.
Every time my family travels – and we travel quite a lot, my husband ends up saying that this was the last time we travelled for a long time. Until we do it again…
It´s all about planning ahead and bringing the right stuff along so our little ones stay entertained and happy as long as possible. Will it ever be like travelling without kids? The answer is no but it definitely should be fun and a nice family experience as those precious moments away from home together with our tiny people will surely never come back.
Here comes a list of few things that I tend to bring along each time we take a longer trip in the car or catch a plane:
1.) Let them pack and bring their own little suitcase
If they are already old enough let them bring their own little suitcase with favourite toys and little books, which will make them all excited about going somewhere else and will keep them busy while you try to pack your own things.
2.) New little toys
I tend to browse the web few weeks before we go for new little and simple toys and ideas to bring on a trip. I keep them in a safe place so they don’t get discovered before. Things that have worked magic are sticker books and we especially love the ones from Usborne.
3.) New books
I usually also bring along one or two new books on our trips, which I know my kids will like. Once at the travel destination those work great for sleeping time as well.
4.) Balloons
When my first son was born, a good friend of mine recommended to always have a balloon in my bag when travelling. She is the master of travelling and has managed several times to go alone with 2 active boys to Australia and she was right, balloons are highly entertaining and don´t take away space from your luggage.
5.) Take sufficient breaks
If we travel by car I try to plan on several small stops and if possible even something that is fun and that the kids are looking forward to, such as a small visit to a wildlife park on the way if it is possible or a lunch break at a child-friendly place with playground.
If we are travelling by plane I try to walk around with them now and then and most of the times they even find another little friend to play along a bit or they simply make friends with the hopefully friendly stewardess.
6.) Plan trips around their nap time
If it is possible I try to plan on our trips around their nap time. Right now my daughter sleeps around noon and this is the time I tend to start the trip in the car or try to be on the plane so that she will sleep for a while so the journey gets shorter for her.
7.) Bring new, favourite and/or “forbidden” snacks
Always perfect to entertain and kill some time are snacks. I tend to bring healthy and fun snacks and also for emergencies a few snacks that I usually don´t offer much or at all so it will be like a “special treat” which keeps them entertained and happy.
8.) “I see, I see, what you don’t see”
With slightly older kids that know their colours an all time classic simple game is “I see, I see, what you don’t see” where one person would say “I see, I see, what you don’t see and it is e.g. blue (always a colour)” and the other person starts guessing and naming things that are blue until he or she finds it and then you switch.
My son and I have spent already quite some time playing this game in the car or anywhere where we had to kill some time and it is fun and easy.
9.) Bring mess free colouring books
I love to bring colouring books that work with water pens as they are mess free plus the books dry out and can be used over and over.
10.) Extras
I always bring a bit more of everything as stuff happens while one travels. Extra diapers, extra wipes, extra snacks, additional clothes, anything extra I can think of. Last time we travelled we managed to miss our flight to Italy and had to spend 5 hours at the airport and keep the kids in the holiday mood. So I was very thankful to have thought about packing the “extras”. It made a big difference!
Happy travelling!
This blog post was written for Sevenoaks Mums.