All Inclusive with a toddler - tips please

[HamptonsBasket]

Hi all, I am taking my nearly 2 yo DS on his first holiday abroad this summer (Greek Islands). The resort looks very nice and has a lot to offer which is age appropriate for him and I'm sure he'll enjoy himself. I am not a resort holiday person, but it seemed easy enough to book it for our first trip abroad together.

Any tips please as to what to take for him? Do you normally bring lots of toys and books with you? Beach toys? Anything necessary or helpful that you've learnt to pack through your own experiences? Beach towels (there's a private beach, as well as a couple of pools, pool towels are included)?

Also, how do people deal with e.g.: morning/evening milk for young children? Is tap water ok to drink for him there? Shall I bring some small tupperware boxes to pack up fruit at breakfast for him to snack on? He loves fruit and apparently snacks will be available all day, but I don't really know how child friendly they will be.

So many little questions! I don't intend to overpressure, I'd just really like to relax a bit when we're there, so any tips will be appreciated!

Thank you in advance.

*overprepare, not overpressure, sorry - autocorrect has gone wrong

We've done a few holidays with DS almost 2 now, my top tip is to bring a Tupperware to steal bits from breakfast and then some fairy liquid to wash it out!

My little boy will spend literally hours filling an emptying a little watering can I bought from Amazon for about £3 and I've found that other kids often have various pool toys so it's good to have something of your own so that they aren't trying to get everyone else's!

Where in Greece?

Also I never give him tap water (haven't been to Greece though so not sure if ok there) I always stick to bottled. Sorry don't bother with milk so not sure on that

Get yourself one of those baby/ toddler seat floats- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intex-56587EU-Deluxe-Float-Multicoloured/dp/B004FEEQSO/ref=asc_df_B004FEEQSO/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=215328844946&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4671912449270697992&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007133&hvtargid=pla-381891175653&th=1

ours got so much use!

I'm a huge fan of taking some beach toys as it usually means you don't have the same as everyone and it's easier to keep an eye on it! Pus you can play from day 1 rather than looking for somewhere to buy something (and being massively over charged) We sometimes gift them on if we are short of space.

I like to pick up some snacks at the airport like fruit pouches etc as mine are often a bit picky the first few days and appreciate something familiar. I'm an over packer but I do tend to take a fairly well stocked first aid kit (including Calpol and rehydration salts because I think it can be really stressful having a poorly little one and not knowing how/where to get medicine)

I tend to pack a few well loved toys for the hotel room and a bedtime book and teddy. Just seems to make bedtime smoother.

Have a lovely time. Even when you've not been a resort person in the past the ease can really appeal with little ones

When we took DD at that age she wasn't bothered for morning milk but liked some before bed. Luckily she would take UHT so we got cartons of that.

We asked the hotel for evening milk and took our own bottle to use. I used to wash it out in the bathroom sink. Take a pushchair to dinner and something to keep him entertained because he might be too tired for evening meal. I used to try and get him to nap as late as I could so he was able to stay up a bit more. We used to give him food from the snack bar at 4.30ish and then if he didn't have at later it didn't matter. Definitely take some toys he can play with at the pool/beach. Own towel is very useful and I like to have a towel cape for him to wear when he gets out the pool.

Your responses are so helpful! Thanks so much!

Do you buy Calpol at the airport (it's over 100ml, isn't it) or pack it up in your hold luggage?

UHT milk is definitely an option, we will have a small fridge in the room - I was thinking whether to pop out to a local shop and get some. He does like it first thing in the morning before breakfast and still sips on it or has cereal before bed.

Emergency Weetabix if he's starving in the evening/not fussed on the food? Is this a step too far? 😄

Shall I request a cot or take our travel cot?

Do people take a small first aid kit? What's in it?

We're going to Corfu. I have read to take anti-mosquito sprays/gels, they're on the list.

My daughter loved the digger and the bucket and spade were bought her, used them both on the beach and in the pool.
A rubber ring for the pool
I take calpol and ibuprofen in hand luggage just case.
In the case in took duplo blocked for in the room plus those magnetic tiles. Can also go to the pool with you for when a sun break is needed.
Poncho towel, she'll fall asleep in it on the lounger.
Sunglasses, great for out and about but again help her sleep on the sunlounger

I always take kids plasters, never took my travel cot, always used a hotel one but took her favourite blanket, emergency cereal always a good idea 😄

What does everyone do about nappies as well, please? He'll be toilet trained after the holiday, so we're still in nappies. Really don't want to take too many with me, but equally, I'm not sure how easy it will be to find a shop that sells them in the right size nearby.

We took some yoghurt pouches from aldi that don't need to be in the fridge (I think it's called baby breakfast). It's for weaning babies really but a really helpful snack to have if they don't like the food or get a bit hangry.

I packed 3x the number of days we'd be away, plus another handful in a nappy bag for the plane. Don't forget the swim nappies as well!

Calpol I've packed in the plane bag before for a teething baby, they investigated it briefly at the security bit but were fine for it to go through (as medicine).

Never had a problem with the travel cot provided by a hotel, although I pack our baby sleeping bags to use in them for familiarity.

I make sure we have plenty of snacks for the travel as you can get unexpected delays but whilst at the hotel we were usually all stuffed. I found my toddler eats loads at mealtime buffets because you can give them such a variety on a plate to snack on and there is usually lots of fruit.

A lanyard , then clip small toys onto it then clip the lanyard to the sun lounger / buggy / plane tray etc . Never drop the toys .
Take your own small inflatable items for the pool.
Take lots of stickers
Aqua doodles

Take your own pillow case , they will like the softness and smell of home , just pop over the hotel pillow
Hotel travel cots are fine but their own pillow case helps

Bear in mind that breakfast might not open until 8am. If your DC wakes at 6am, those two hours can pass very slowly! Take some toys for them to play with quietly in your room and consider taking some breakfast type food too. We took a box of Cheerios on holiday for years and the DC would have a bowl of dry Cheerios at 6.30 and happily tuck into the breakfast buffet 90 mins later. In the evenings, we did what a PP suggested and gave them snacks at their normal tea time and then popped them in the pushchair in the evening
Take a little paddling pool (or buy one out there). You can then have it on your terrace (if on the ground floor), by the pool, on the beach.
Be really strict with who is actually in charge of your DS not only by the pool or on the beach but whenever he has access to the pool or sea. We used to do a slightly over the top thing of "DH you are now in charge of the DC" and DH had to reply "I am in charge of the DC".
I'd never done anything like an AI holiday before having DC so had no experience of the kiddie discos or anything like that but our DC loved them and they became a real highlight of the holiday.
How messy a eater is your DS? Does he wear a bib with sleeves at home? If so, take it on holiday! Perhaps take a lot of t-shirts anyway. As you're in a restaurant, there's no having breakfast in your PJs and chucking them in the wash or thinking "spag bol - might as well eat that without a top on and just have a bath afterwards". On one holiday, by about day 4 DC2 had entirely run out of clean clothes!

Never took mine to an all inclusive as toddlers, but travelled plenty-

Yes, take a snack box and take from the breakfast buffet. Fruit, pastries, rolls etc

Calpol/Nurofen sachets are good for travelling. I still have them in my bags even though the kids are older.

Just buy beach toys there. Often there are random inflatables/buckets left by other families.

Yes, take a box of Weetabix.

I also always went against the grain and got the kids onto local time ASAP. Many people disagree with this though.

I always take disposable bibs! Can get them on amazon. Plus some vanish stain stuff so any stains arent waiting til you get home. A couple of his own cups, spoon and fork if he doesnt use adult sized ones at home

Get x2 tots bots swim nappies - saves so much space compared to disposables and no waste.

I take small snack tubs filled with snacks for journey, then can refill with something locally.

calpol sell sachets. Take those instead as can then take some in hand luggage as well. Germolene for cuts or on bites.

milk, the odd time we stayed in hotel with Ds 18-24 months when he had cows milk before bed, I just took bottle or cup to hotel bar or restaurant and asked them to fill with milk.

You can get Calpol in 5ml sachets so you have some to take on the plane, just in case.
https://www.boots.com/calpol-sugar-free-suspension-strawberry-flavour-2-months-12x5ml-sachets-10043981

If you’re in the UK, tap water is actually better for children than bottled water. Bottled water contains concentrations of minerals that are too high for small children. Bottled water is also dreadful for the environment.

Brilliant stuff.

My DS is now at the stage of complete refusal to wear any bibs at all, he would throw a tantrum and then not eat anything because he wants to be like us. Zero interest in his high chair too, he sits on adult size chairs. We do exactly that, allow him to eat in the morning in his pjs or vest, then change him. Same with any meals later if he's not in nursery. So yes, I will need to be that parent who takes lots of spare clothes for him and Vanish for sure! I am therefore considerate in how much other stuff I need to take for him.

His cutlery and plate are on the list. Pillowcase is an interesting one, he's still in sleeping bags and doesn't have his own bedding, however this will change before we go.

Plane suggestions duly noted. Haven't thought about these yet as I find it a bit daunting, flight is at 6am and I think this might not be a great time for him but that was the only option available.

Do you get much use from a booster seat at all? He still tolerates it, thinking about restaurants now.

@EggBlanket sorry, to be clear he does have tap water at home in the UK, just bottled on holiday!

Definitely don’t take your own travel cot. And taking sheets is is overkill. These resorts are designed to cater for families with small kids.