if you could take 1 thing on holiday(for dc) to save your sanity what would it be?

[ash6605]

hi,I know there are a few threads atm about taking babies on holiday,so have got a few ideas from those already.We go away at Easter to Majorca with ds 11,dd 7 and 13mth old ds.we go to the same hotel every year so know what to expect with regards to the room,food etc,our older two use the kids clubs alot.Was going to pack a UV tent for baby to play in/sleep for when we are by the pool and wanted to get some ideas of things to take for him to play with? also anything else i need to remember to take? tia x

Felt tips/pencils. I have a set of mini pens which lives in my bag on holidays - older DC can always be entertained (some paper is handy too, obviously, but that is easier to find)

check-pens and paper! Im thinking he may eat them but at least his nappies will be colourful

OK, so I sort of meant for the other two...

For 13mo I seem to remember the single most played-with, portable, well-loved, versatile toy being a set of stacking cups. They can be buckets, drums, rattle (with added stone) and even, occasionally, could be stacked.

yes stacking cups,brill idea! was also debating on an Aquamat? not sure how heavy they are tho,anyone?

Bump, anymore suggestions please :)

When ds was that age we went on first trip abroad. Before hand I went to local £ shop and bought loads of plastic tat. Cars that you pull back, wee hair brush, plastic balls with holes ob that I threaded onto a shoe lace, stacking cups. Basically allsorts of random bits. Put them into a cloth wash bag, along with an old mobile phone, a couple of pegs, and a few bits that I found lying round the house.

Kept ds amused for hours.

We take a few playmobil people wherever we go. They have kept dd (now age 6) busy for about 3 years now!

A nanny

Sorry - just noticed that you want ideas for things to keep your youngest one busy.

Packet of balloons.

the episode of dora we paid (about 2 quid) to put on dh's iphone has saved our sanity many times!

for an 11 month old you NEED to take stacking cups, great for in bath, beach etc etc. Also for that age we've enjoyed having a small inflatable paddling pool which has been great for baths. And blow up beach ball. Otherwise at under a year just the usual board books and shaky toys really. UV tents are great but do practise putting up and down as the one we borrowed did my head in!!!

and just remembered we took an earlier version of this to S France for dd to play with when she was 8 months, good fun!

small paddling pool that you can then fill with water, leave by your sun lounger under a sun shade and fill with water from the pool. Put 13 month old in said pool, add a watering can, small bucket, plastic cups etc and voila! One child entertained and kept cool.

We took a ball, books he'd never seen before (think it was peekaboo books), things that made a great noise when you shake them and just oads of bits that he didn't get to see before we went away.

mckenzie, you're on my wave length!

forgot about watering can, we take them too! oh and bubbles! we like the small battery operated ones like this as they can use by themselves before they can blow!

Tea set - DD is 6 and we still take one for her.

au pair

You can get mini aqua mats. I've got an In The Night Garden set for DD (18mo) and am hoping they will keep her entertained during the flight.

Definitely second the stacking cups - ours went on every holiday for at least 5 years. Then some got lost. They have been in the bath in Normandy, on the beach in Sardinia, in the pool in Italy, in the Sandpit in the south of France. And I didn't even buy them! They were an ELC hand me down from my sister. Take up no room in luggage and can also be used for washing hair. Bargain!