Best kids toys for taking on holidays

[GraciousPiglet]

I have 2DS who are 4.5 and 7.5. we are taking them abroad for the first time ever at half term. We have rented a villa in Spain. It's part of a smallish group of villas with a shared small play area and pool.

Usually we do uk holidays and pack the car high. They would normally take a Tupperware full of Lego, a few books, some card games, soft toys etc. We end up with a bag full of toys as they need something to do when we are at the house in the mornings or the evenings.

We are going to be really limited with what we can take at half term though so not sure what to take.

We will absolutely be taking ipads and Nintendo's but we will probably be in the villa a fair bit and I don't want them on devices constantly. I wouldn't mind if it was just for the holiday but my eldest has ADD and we need very strict rules re screen time and he will struggle when we get back if he has free reign over the holiday.

Does anyone have any ideas for top small toys we can take for them to keep them occupied for a few hours at a time?

So far I'm thinking a few small books, ipads, a pencil case with some colourings and a small box of Lego. But that's all I have 😬

I'm panicking slightly but it'll be fine, right?

My kids are 3, 6 & 8. No tech at home so no tech on holiday either.

I always get each child had a new fiction/story book and a new colouring/activity/sticker type book. Sometimes I buy them a new Lego/duplo kit too.

I get them to pack selected toys of their own in their hand luggage - 3yo took some paw patrol pups, 6yo took some playmobil, 8yo took some Sylvanians.

I pack a pencil case, lots of blank paper, books and a few card games (as well as a normal pack of cards, our favourites are Mimiq and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza).

They’ve never, ever been bored on holiday. You really don’t need much. But we do get through quite a few books!

Sorry by no tech I mean no consoles or tablets! I do let them watch TV. We had a family film night one night on our most recent holiday.

I've always let mine take whatever they can fit in their backpacks. usually a load of random shite

Pick up some pool / water toys when you are there, bucket and spade if near a beach. You won't need much else.

Ahh @TimeForGouter we love Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.

My youngest is still a little young to read his own books and play games like that with his brother. It's an awkward age.

We let them fill their bags for our last holiday and they didn't touch the stuff they put in there. It was just random tat from around the house 🤣.

I like the idea of buying them each a Lego model, I could even do that at the airport which would save on bag space.

And yes @nearlyspringyay we plan to raid the supermarket on the way for water things! Maybe we can let them get a few cheap toys there too.

Do they like magazines? They could each pick one out at the airport too.
Also Uno, I forgot Uno... I find 4 is old enough for all those sorts of games as long as a parent is involved. Similar for books, it's only my oldest who can read to herself but they will all curl up with me for hours if I start reading something out loud! Series like How to Train Your Dragon manage to grab the full spectrum of my lot's ages.

Top trumps
Pack of cards
Dobble
Colouring/sticker book/puzzle book
Pool inflatable
Beach ball.

uno and snakes &? ladders both popular with ours, I can’t imagine taking Lego would be calming with all those small pieces! Ours also get new novel and colouring book but a note pad and pencils and small small cuddly toys are popular with ours.

Toy cars
Small army figures (not much at the tiny shop) but you could do different action figures.
Balloons

Magnetic travel games.

Lego is the only thing my kids will calmly play with... I don't mind if a few bits get lost.

Unfortunately they both dislike all ball games, otherwise we'd just pick up a cheap football.

Great ideas though, they would LOVE the army men so will do that!

Best thing I took when we went on holiday was a fold up pvc car mat and small freezer bag with some toy cars. I don't mean the massive roll up car mats, this was a small plastic one that folded up flat to the size of a paper back book. It was brilliant as DS 4 just made traffic jams in the hotel room like he always does at home!

Matchbox/hot wheels cars. That was our life when DS1 was that age and now DS2 loves them too. They don't take up much space and can be driven everywhere.

Remember if you're flying nerf guns/water guns can't be taken in hand luggage.

Would your youngest like a Busy Book? I used to take them on holiday for Ds1 which liked imaginative play, as they had a lot of play value.

Uno is a must, ordinary cards too (we backpacked a lot with ours so space was incredibly tight) I took the a6 sized puzzle books and colouring books too plus a blow up ball typically. No smartphones then so we played a lot of uno

@GraciousPiglet mine played cards from 3, 4.5 isn't too young but you need patience

I'm sure he could play cards but he is a very active boy and so wouldn't sit for long at all.

I guess really I'm asking for ideas of things they can do independently. At the moment they wake at 6:30 most days and either watch TV or play Lego/magnetic tiles/Playmobil until 7:30 ish when it's breakfast. They do the same on holiday really but by 8:30 am they are generally clawing at the walls to get out even if it's just into the garden. Once outside they are fine and don't need anything particular to occupy them.

I'm worried if they are up at 6:30 when we are away it's a LONG time to occupy them until 9/10am when we are ready to go out. My husband and I want a break too so getting up at 7am to play uno isn't high up on our list of things we want to do on holiday 🤣. Sure in the late morning/evening but it's the LONG morning hours I'm really thinking about. The pool can't be used before 10am and I suspect using the play area before 9 will be very frowned upon. Maybe we will just have to fall back on ipads and screens for a few hours each morning. It just feels excessive though.

I guess I'll let them just pick up a few bits and hope for the best. Maybe they will like Spanish TV!

Wilco's fake Lego looks good.

We had some of the Wilko Lego and I don't rate it TBH, it's hard to get the pieces together and I actually managed to snap one in half trying to get it on. It also breaks if you step on it.

Dobble has been a massive hit for mine since they were quite small. It’s compact and really easy to play. We still take it on holiday with us now and the dc are 10, 16 and 17 😂
the other thing we used to do was give them 10 euro each and let them loose in one of those crappy shops that sell everything, they got left behind usually but were fun for a couple of weeks. If they didn’t break before then!

Like someone else suggested, magnetic travel games are good. We used to have a few like Snakes & Ladders, Hangman, Ludo.

Something else we used to do was buy a few cheap tiny stocking filler type toys like pocket microscope, expanding ball, stretchy man Some of them cost pennies but they'd get loads of fun out of them as they were new and different.

Ooops , looks like I cocked up those links!

Following with interest as I struggle entertaining DS (5) without screens when we have to travel light.

Most of my ideas have been mentioned but I also strongly recommend a Yoto Mini. We have the full size version but the mini is obviously more portable. Took the Yoto away with us recently (UK break, travelled by car so space wasn't an issue) and DS happily listened to it for ages one morning. The best thing about Yotos is that they can operate them independently. I'm sure there are other options for listening to audio content too.

Hi, most of the things mentioned are things that I would of suggested however not sure if your children are still into jigsaws, putting them into sandwich bags or something similar, they are my saviour, also threading beads or threading laces/boards to stop them rolling about the plane, activity books, card games that are small like snap, happy families and dominoes? My kids also like sequin art kits and also like the kits that you stick sequins onto a polystyrene animal, nice and lightweight and keeps them happy for hours.

Also, I'm interested where you have booked if you don't mind sharing?I'd be very interested in this as a busy hotel is not my idea of fun plus my wee ones do not cope well out of their routine so wouldn't get any benefit of the activities at night.

I absolutely would let them get up and play with screens while on holiday!!!

You will be with them all day doing activities/outdoors/then playing uni whathave you. A couple of hours playing on a game that keeps them happy and settled and gives you more of a slower start into the day while on holiday is absolutely fine!!!