Anyone have any top tips to traveling with children?

[OctaviaZest]

What are you top tips for traveling with children? What can I do the night before, while traveling and on the way home?

Many Thanks,

You don't say if you are on plane or in car. Plenty of stickers, small snacks that need unwrapping, pipe cleaners, story CDs if in car, presents on the hour every hour to reward good behaviour. Ipad for when all other ideas have stopped working!

It really depends on your travel. For flying, if it is early morning we sleep at the airport now, less stress as it is normally 1 1/2 hour drive plus without rush hour.

I take lots of snacks, a couple of new books, charity shops or library, and a magazine or sticker book. Cheap pens and a pad of paper. Then the ipad with movies and headphones.

For the car, DD gets car sick when she reads so lots of story tapes and games like I spy. She learned to be bored though. She is allowed teddies in the car and she normally tells them stories. We are NT members and if there is a park or anything on route while driving in the UK we stop for a break and a run around.

A new toy/book/sticker book for the journey home. Lots of snacks. Stories on iPod or whatever that you don't mind listening too either (loads of classics for free if you google - we listened to Wind in the Willows read by Bernard Cribbins this summer). Lots of breaks.

Night before - get them involved with packing but then check and filter. Set them a limit on how many cuddly toys they can bring each (although you may still get stowaways! We did). Tell them the sooner they go to sleep the sooner it will be holiday day. Tell them if they don't shut up soon, Mummy will be too tired to take them on holiday tomorrow. Resign yourself to everyone being exhausted for the journey.

I agree I think it's always good to bring books, favorite toy. The check list will be one I'll try.

This will come in handy on friday, thank you.

x

Depends on age of child, what they enjoy and mode of travel etc. It also definitely pays to be organised and put plenty of thought it into it. I also kept hold of everything and gave them it in dribs and drabs. When ours were younger I would get lots of sticker books (the dressing up sticker ones worked for my little girl and my little boy liked history, flags or football), story books, lots of mini treat snacks, drinks, unmessy craft things, coloured pens, blank paper, comics etc. As they got older its IPAD but I still vary it with playing cards, books, still coloured pens paper and last year a few kids ours met had loom bands etc.