Kids presents abroad

[Fifiona291]

Hi, we are travelling abroad this Christmas with children aged 1 and 6. I am not sure what to pack for them for their Christmas presents. Any suggestions?

Small presents for 6yo:
Kidizoom watch
Toniebox or Yoto player
Tamagotchi
Top Trumps cards
Travel versions of board games

Whenever we've done Christmas abroad (as a parent and as a child) we would take extra checked luggage so you can take all the usual gifts including from Father Christmas. This works so long as you're not getting them a bike of something. You could consider using a courier depending on cost and destination.

My 18mo will be getting:

• car transporter and cars
• pull along toy dog
• book
• bath toy (boat)
• box of Duplo
• then stocking presents which will include things like stickers, crayons, balloons, bubbles, snacks, matchbox cars

All of the above will comfortable fit in a hand luggage size suitcase. I can't help with ideas for a 6yo, my eldest is only 3.5yo. But he'll be getting much the same in his stocking. I honestly reckon one full size checked bag will do the trick.

I would only take a variety of small presents ie a Christmas Stocking. Let them have any big presents when you get back.
Buy the one year old a set of stacking beakers. Will keep them happy for hours
for the 6 yr oldl:
colouring pencils, paper, colouring book
a couple of new reading books
maybe a few little cars
simple craft activities
play dough
travel games

It depends whether follow the Father
Christmas tradition to some extent. If you do for the 6 year old small stuff Christmas Day. A stocking to the holiday home but Father Christmas has delivered bigger things at home. But at home you must wrap them and leave them where the beared bloke would leave them . They need to go in and find the presents. The 1 year old doesn't need anything really. But a couple of things in each house to keep the 'magic' for the 6 year old.

I spent a few years travelling with DS just before Christmas. We didn't really have to think about transporting presents back as DS and I would fly and DH would come by car and we would all travel back together . I ordered things to be delivered to the Christmas house. So we could have bulky Christmas gifts at Christmas. Then we had to go back to Italy and Bafana the witch had delivered more stuff. Which had to be wrapped and left at the last minute in the house. This is why I know presents have to be wrapped and left.

The thing he loved the most in all of this was arriving at the airport and having a few wrapped Christmas things to open as we were waiting for the plane. I did this for years.

Don't get stressed about it all. Give then the best time you can but bear in mind at 6 and 1 they really won't remember any of it.

Books for the 6 year old?

Normally an initially unpopular present here which ends up being interesting far longer than anything else.

We did it for the first time last year when we went to Morocco. We had already given our DH that it was either holiday or presents, he choose holiday but we still wanted to do some santa bits.

He was 5 and we got him the following:

• Thick fleece pj's (for the flight home)
• pants (we packed less for him in the case)
• socks (thick ones for the flight home)
• small lego sets (we do lego cars on the sunlounger and race them so these were great)
• activity books
• clothes
• toiletries
• books

He is 6 this year and will do something similar. We would have 2 bigger presents waiting for him at home too

I wouldn't bring all gifts, especially not if I have to use a courier or send things in advance, that's a fuss you don't really need as you also have to sort it out for the return journey.

We looked into it but then decided not to go to see family abroad over Christmas because of this but when we planned it one year we thought of taking just the stocking and one small gift, suitable to be used on holiday.

That was supposed to be:
books
travel board game
arts kit/colouring
something to wear
a Playmobil carry along castle with some figures.

The rest would then be at home waiting under the tree.