Travelling with children can be very daunting but there are many things that you can do to make things easier.
We have been doing a lot of long distance driving recently and I have come up with a couple of things to keep Bob entertained. I thought I would share my ideas with you in the hope that they might be of some help.
Here are my 10 top tips for travelling with children.
1) Wear Comfortable Clothing
As adults long journeys are much more enjoyable if you are wearing comfortable clothing so I always dress Bob in comfortable clothing when travelling. Skirts are impractical if your child is in a car seat for a while as the 5 point harness means that their skirt needs moving out of the way. If we are travelling by car or by plane I usually dress Bob in leggings and a t shirt or if we are travelling at night I let her wear her pyjamas.
2) Play Fun Travel Games
Bob loves to play games whilst we are travelling. After we had exhausted I Spy we invented some games of our own. One of Bob’s favourites is the song game. You have to hum or la a tune and everyone has to guess what it is. At first Bob wasn’t very good at this. She used to sing random notes and I don’t think she even knew what she was singing. It was hilarious. Now she hums actually songs so the game is easier to play but not as funny.
I have made up some other games which Bob loves. If I can make up a rhyme for it she will play it. We play, ‘I hear with my little ear, something that sounds like…’ and ‘I can see a rainbow all around me but which is the colour I’m going to see? This colour begins with…’
When travelling by car it is good to have a break. Stretching your legs and having a toilet break helps to make long journeys more bearable.
5) Pack The Snacks
I always make sure I have lots of snacks and treats when we are going on a long journey.
I try to keep it healthy as I don’t want to add a sugar rush to the equation but if Bob is getting fed up and all else fails I bring out the sweeties.
Snacks have also been known to develop into a game. One of Bob’s favourite travel games is, ‘How many mini cheddars can I fit in my mouth’. 🙂
6) Take Baby Wipes
Even though Bob no longer wears nappies we still use lots of baby wipes! They are great to have with you when you are travelling. They are a quick and easy way to wash hands and faces before and after food and they are also good to have to hand in case Bob can’t make it to the next official toilet.
7) Travel At Sleep Time
If it works with your travel plans you could leave at a time when your child would normally sleep. This worked really well for us on a trip to Devon. We left home at about 7pm and my daughter slept the whole way.
8) Activities
I have some great travel cards that I bought for £3.99. The come with a dry wipe marker and they have various games and activities and they are perfect for car journeys. These would also by good if you are travelling by plane but you could also take sticker books and crayons then as you could then use the fun little table.
9) Sing A Long
Bob loves singing along to her Disney Princess CD. I quite like it too but sometimes I am not allowed. She says, ‘Ssshhh Mummy, just me.’ A sing a long is a great way to pass some time, especially if you are allowed to join in.
10) Portable DVD Player
If all else fails putting a film on is a great way to entertain children for a good hour. If we are going on a long journey I get Bob to choose some DVDs. She usually choose 3 or 4 but then likes to watch the same one on loop. I get terrible de ja vu!
I love that Bob will just eat a whole pepper!!
Great tips! We always travel with a pack lunch for each boys, tablets fully charged, colouring books and a spare set of clothes at arms reach for those little accidents x
Love these tips. We don’t drive but most would work on a train too 🙂 thanks for sharing. I’ve carried baby wipes with me since having my eldest 14 years ago. They have endless uses 🙂
I still use them for everything and my daughter is 4. Think they’ll be around for life! x