Summer holidays are right around the corner so I’ve asked Laine, Mum of 2, experienced traveller and founder of Ickle Kids, to share her tips for travelling with kids. Laine’s didn’t stop travelling when she became a mother, instead she found ways to continue to travel with her family. That’s what Ickle Kids is all about. It was borne out the desire to keep her young children entertained when her family were out and about. Call it a one-stop-travel-toy shop. Meet the family.
When I was 21, I was lucky enough to travel to the United States with my older sister. After hopping from city to city, I caught something I knew I was never going to get rid of: the travel bug. After years of care free travel, first as a singleton, then married without kids, my husband and I had our delicious boys. We were faced with “do we travel with our kids?” or “wait for our retirement to travel?” It was a no-brainer — especially since my hubby is British and his family are all in England — so we travel extensively with our boys.
Here are my top travel tips based on my own experiences of travelling with kids throughout each milestone:
Infants
Bath Toys:It’s good to take bath toys with you to your destination to help with routine whilst you’re away. Have you thought about using bath toys as travel toys? For example: bath books and bath squirts are great to play with in the car and the bath.
Travel Tip: Tie ribbons to rattles, toys and books and attach to the car or aeroplane seat. This way, if the child drops the item, you can easily find it via the ribbon instead of hurting your back looking for it underneath car or plane seats.
Toddlers
Puppets: Toddlers love puppets! And they can be used in a variety of ways. Here are a few ideas:
* Tell stories.
* Role play.
* Puppets can ask the toddler questions. For example:
– Where are they going?
– What will you do when they get there?
– What do they see out the window?
Balloons: Our family always carry Balloons around with us… everywhere! Balloons are easy and light to pack and are always entertaining. They are perfect to play in a park to break up a long car trip or to bring a little fun during an airport during a stopover.
Travel Tip: If a toddler is frustrated or tired with travelling, puppets are a great distraction tool. The sillier the voice, the better the response!
Pre-Schoolers
Kids Activity Packs: You can surprise your pre-schoolers with their own customised activity pack. On top of your usual items of crayons and colouring books, try finding some unique travel toys that will engage them for a longer period of time. Travel friendly toys like Hide and Seek Pirates, Sticker Play Scenes and Pull the String are great to add to travel packs.
Travel Tip: Keep a bag of travel toys hidden to use as a “back up”. Gift wrapping these travel toys are perfect for distracting them, rewarding good behaviour or to mark the half-way point of the trip.
School Aged Kids
Media: As a parent, I know hand held games and portable DVD players can be useful when travelling with kids. However, I do believe kids need a break from this. School aged kids, given a choice, may prefer to spend most, if not all their time on these items. Why not save gadgets for a period of “quiet time” during the trip?
Journals: Writing a journal is a great way to get kids involved in family trips. Collect tickets, maps, postcards and brochures from places on the trip and encourage them write about their experiences.
Travel Tip: Buy a nice journal for your school-aged child. This also makes a great “show and tell” piece for school.
Travelling with our kids during each milestone has been both fantastic and challenging. We are thrilled our kids have caught the “travel bug” too!
What are your top tips to entertain your kids whilst travelling?
Special Offer
To help you get ready for Christmas and the holiday season, Laine is offering Be A Fun Mum readers 10% off storewide. As a bonus, if you spend over $60 you will receive a FREE stocking filler.
To claim the discount enter this code at the checkout: BFM10
Offer valid until Friday 26th November.
My Picks
We are going on holidays after Christmas so I’m getting the activity packs ready now. I’ve put together some of my favourite products from Ickle Kids. Just click on the picture to take a closer look.
Left to right:
Spot It Travel Game $7.99 ** Pull the Sring Game $29.99 ** Wooden Toys From $1.99
Camelot Junior Game $37.99 ** Fire Engine Sticker Play Scene $8.99 ** Road Block Game $32.99
Be A Fun Mum Links
External Links
Writing with Kids: Interview with Australian Author Sue Walker
15 Comments
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November 15, 2010 at 7:41 am[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Be A Fun Mum and Kelly Long Burstow, Be A Fun Mum. Be A Fun Mum said: The Summer Holidays are coming… I've asked Laine, experienced traveller and Mum of 2 from ickle Kids – Activity… http://fb.me/NZ6OUc2d […]
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
November 15, 2010 at 7:57 amSo Laine: Do you have a horror travel story to share? Or a really positive one?
ickle Kids
November 15, 2010 at 7:05 pmGood question Kelly!
We’ve been really lucky – we haven’t had a real horror story to date (*phew*!). But we did have a flight where we couldn’t settle our youngest (who was 18 months at the time) for what seemed to be an eternity! It was only for about 20 minutes … but they were the longest 20 minutes! Being stuck in a confined space and other passengers looking on intensly watching you’re “parenting skills” with a screaming child was pretty stressful!
My husband and I took it in turns to try and help soothe him – we changed seats, moved to the back of the plane to get a bit more room etc. He was over tired and we just had to ride it out until he fell asleep. Poor thing. We were exhausted by the end of it too!
My tip in that situation – remember, you’re not going to see these people again! Also, most passengers would have been there and done that and understand. So try and stay calm.
BookChook
November 15, 2010 at 2:23 pmThe wooden toys are so cute!
I loved Laine’s travel ideas, especially the one about balloons. A little bag of craft supplies like pencils, markers, paper, stickers, tiny booklets, stamps, pipe cleaners is ideal too.
ickle Kids
November 16, 2010 at 12:16 pm@BookChook,
Thanks for your kind comments! I’m glad you found the travel tips useful.
I agree, craft supplies always go down well too! Thanks for sharing!
Nicole
November 15, 2010 at 6:30 pmgreat ideas
ickle Kids
November 16, 2010 at 9:05 amThanks Nicole, I’m glad you found our travel tips useful!
Katherine
November 15, 2010 at 7:59 pmOmgsh, my parents sooo needed to read this when i was little! Such great ideas!
K xx
ickle Kids
November 16, 2010 at 9:08 am@Katherine,
How funny Katherine! No doubt our kids will have tips for us when they get older too!
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catheran coopers
December 20, 2017 at 11:31 amwith my children in the car on a road trip we would make a bingo before we get in the car and if you see it while were driving you cross it off.