I took part in my first ever twitter party in which I co-hosted last week. I was a bit nervous at first, but the fast pace of it all and all the tips that flooded in I needn’t have been. I tweeted my top tips for taking children on holiday whether it be by plane, train or automobile and joined in with all the others. It was great fun and I picked up a lot of tips. If you missed the twitter party, you missed out a lot of fun, but you can follow the hashtag #MatalanSummerTips.
My top tips are make a list for all the essentials you need and make sure they are packed. Clothes, underwear, etc if you forget any of those, they can be bought home or abroad. If you are flying with a baby, did you know that you can order in your baby’s formula if formula feeding and baby food if using that for weaning at Boots in the airport in advance? I only found this out recently and think it’s a great idea. No more worrying about getting through security with pre-made bottles or opening cartons, etc.
Another on my essential list is a portable black out blind. It folds small and the hooks you hang it on can be re-used again and again. This is great I feel for any child’s room. You don’t want them up at the crack of dawn and cranky for the rest of the day. I take this with my even when we go on caravan holidays in the UK and it’s served us well. I wouldn’t go anywhere without it.
Don’t forget to pack lots of snacks for children when travelling and water. It can be expensive having to purchase it at service stations, etc and snacks can keep them occupied. And plan plenty of time for piddle stops, you know how often these adorable little creatures have to go potty.
When travelling by car I’d recommend packing some fun things for the kids to do. Portable dvd players are great for longer journeys and get the kids involved in picking out there favourites. Colouring books with crayons are a mess free way for some fun. I picked up a great trip on this and that was to tie the crayons together so they don’t fall on the floor and get lost. Genius! I used to get sticker books for car journey, until I spent a few hours trying to scrape said stickers off the windows. Never again. Although they are good for little ones. Car games are great as are creating some maps for them to follow along the way. If you have little ones who get car sick, I keep carrier bags, a Halloween bucket and wipes to hand for those times. You’d be amazed at how good those plastic Halloween buckets are. Gross but true.
Here are some of my favourite top Holiday tips from the twitter feed:-
@LondonBirdLucy- Another tip, Buy medicines here i.e. Alka seltzer, paracetamol, for just in case. Can be really costly abroad. #MatalanSummerTips
Having bought medicines abroad I found this to be the case.
@lyndac1234 yes i let my daughter bring a friend along they get to go and do their own things #MatalanSummerTips and get away from the oldies
Not always feasible when you have several children, but this is something I remember doing when I was younger.
@Keynko just enjoy the time together you don’t have to spend a fortune to make memories! #MatalanSummerTips
Great tip and so true.
@betht1979 no ones ever too old for the beach! There’s always something for everyone 🙂 kite flying,swimming,sand castles #MatalanSummerTips
Everyone loves the beach and kite flying.
@PurpleWinner #MatalanSummerTips pack suitcases downstairs. Safer than dragging a heavy case down the stairs.
Now this one I need to remember, nothing worse than having to struggle with a heavy suitcase down the stairs.
@lyndac1234 Matalan when going on a day out freeze some water/juice bottles to take then
all day long your going to have cold drinks #MatalanSummerTips
Good tip.
And my favourite one of all.
+Faded Seaside Mama if possible, pack the grandparents for added entertainment for kids. They never misbehave when they’re about! #MatalanSummerTips
What are your tops tips for travelling with children? Where are you off to this year?
This post is protected under copyright. SusankMann 2009 – 2014