Tips & things you found handy on your summer hols.....

[papaya]

.....a few holidays ago i saw a couple with a young toddler, they had took a small paddling pool with them, filled with a little water, made a triangle shape with 3 loungers...the little one was merrily playing in the paddling pool in the 'safety' triangle with a parasol over it, whilst the parents sunbathed on the loungers....

Any tips like this, or tips for things you found really handy that you took with you would be very much appreciated. Its my first summer hol with DD in May....tia

So far on my list.....

• arm bands!

Take talc to the beach with you. It makes getting sand off really easy.

Nightlights

I don't know how old your dd is but I always used to forgot the bath mat that stops them slipping in the bath. It's even more important if they are covered in sun cream because it makes them so slippy!

Also, make sure you have a really good beach bag/backpack so you can fit everything in one bag rather than trying to juggle lots of bags and children.

Message withdrawn

Food that doesn't need refrigation such as pots of custard, rice pudding or those soya yoghurts.

Also breadsticks as they don't need an airtight container.

A pack of emergency safety gadgets from Boots - particularly two big foam "horseshoe" shaped things which have done everything from wedge open slammable finger-pinching doors to pad edges of sharp glass coffee tables

Mosquito plug-ins

Calpol

How old will she be, will you be flying.

If you are flying and she has her own seat. Her own back pack with things she likes to do, drawing books pencils, pencil sharpner. Pack snacks in her bag and a couple of drinks.

You can usually buy things like sun tents buckets spades when you get there,saves space.

Unltrasun factor 28, apply in the morning and thats it for the day. Fantastic stuff. It contains filters for both UVA and UVB.

Sunhat

she will be 16 mo, me and DH will be flying too

So she won't have her own seat then, make sure you and have stuff for her to play with in your hand luggage.
Take pegs and some washing line, that way you can rinse swimming stuff and t shirts etc and hang them on the balcony (sp) to dry.
Invest in a uv suit too some shoes for the beach, incase she doesn't like the sand.

Sunsuit was a brilliant investment for DS when we went abroad when he was 11m -can wash it out every night and dries really quickly.

A different toy/book/plaything for every hour of your journey (although actually DS at this age just played with the pull-down tray, flirted with all the other passengers and only briefly played with any of the toys), full change of clothes in your hand luggage. Bubbles are always good to take along for amusment in boring departure lounges.

Full time nanny.

If flying give her a lolly to suck on take-off on same principle as a boiled sweet but safer for a 16 mo.

If you are going east keep her on English time, if poss. When we went to France DS and DD woke up and went to sleep at the same time but it was really (ie in French time) an hour later. A slight lie-in and able to eat out in the evenings.

It you arrive night time have PJ's etc in hand luggage that way you don't have open cases up.

Stacking cups - take up no space, but hours of fun!

What about one of those portable highchairs like This or This

Mini playdough - Woolworths often have it - comes in a tube with lots of little tubs. Great on the plane and in the early mornings (no noise!!). Favourite book to read at bed time.

Ask to keep pushchair until just before boarding. (both ways)

Those squashy plastic bags that squeeze your luggage so you can compress her familiar cot bedlinen. Dd always sleeps better on her own pillow.
Triangular coloured pencils as they don't roll everywhere, if she likes "currying"
Nurofen sachets as well as calpol
Dioralyte sachets - hopefully not needed, but if you are going somewhere where you are some distance from a pharmacy/don't speak the language well, they are a lightweight, reassuring standby

bump

This is really useful! We are taking DD on her first holiday in May too.

baby monitor. We spent the first day there traisping aroudn lookign for a baby monitor in spain (virtually impossible) then ended up aying 110 euros for one that would have only cost £35 here. It was very useful tho. We could even go to the pool in the evening and jsut left the monitor on the balcony.

Appropriate travel power adaptors for all your baby gadgets...

While we're being super-practical:

• passport
• the right cover of health insurance
• a whole pack of babywipes (including as part of your toybag: for some reason table- & window-wiping = hours of fun)

Battery-powered nightlight has been incredibly useful too - especially on a sleeper train where the usual nightlight was too bright & total darkness meant howls of terror.