First holiday with 2 and 4 yo. Tips please!

[Dogmum20]

I don’t know if I’m posting in the correct place, apologies if not.
We’re heading away on our first holiday abroad with two little ones (2 and 4), and would love some handy hints/tips/life hacks, anything you can offer that has made your holidays easier.
For context, it’s an all inclusive resort, we’re all in one room.

Any hints for first time holidayers with children please 😊

Same colour swimwear for the dc. Easy to keep watch! And not blue... Cheap buggy for the small dc. If not for both.

Are you flying? Or going by car/train?

@PollyPut we are flying! Eek!

If your 2yo is the type who can nap anywhere, then take a pop up UV beach tent and they can nap on the beach/by the pool which saves you having to go back to the room.

@Dogmum20 well if you're flying then the most challenging part can be getting through airport security without loosing anything or holding up the q. After that, everything seems fairly simple.

Last time I went through there was a very expensive 9 year old's coat that had been left in the trays after the security scanner.

I'd suggest:
-Make sure the bottom of the buggy is empty and ready to fold to go through the airport scanner
-Make sure you are ready to go through the scanners as best you can be (you will need your hands for the children). So no awkward metal belts or coins in pockets. Have the valuables incl phones in a closed bag ready to go through the scanner.
-Make sure you are adhering to the limit of 100ml for liquids in the cabin. that includes suncreams (so pack any big bottles in the hold or buy tiny ones if you are traveling hand luggage only. You can buy tiny ones after security)
-Don't take metal toddler cutlery in the cabin. Only plastic. Unless you want to want to wait to have your bag searched
-Use factor 50 SPF on the children. Not 30. Reapply regularly (especially if having rubbed their face due to tiredness/washed face after eating/swimming)
-Have spare sun hats for the children as they always blow off/disappear. Use the hats. Make sure they like the hats so they will wear them (take them shopping to choose one before the holiday perhaps?)
-You can take empty water bottles through security and fill them once through security. Do this as soon as you are through as there may not be many water fountains. Definitely make sure you are taking plenty of water on the flight.
-Big tote-type bags for the plane - the sort you can throw coats, sandwiches, books, whatever is normally in the bottom of the buggy and everything else in to keep your hands free to hold your children's hand
-Take lots of snacks for the journey from home. there is food at the airport but it's expensive and if you get delayed you might not have time to buy it.

Books/puzzles for the flight. or choose one at the airport, there is usually a good selection. Colouring pens/pencils.

Make sure you have travel insurance and have declared any medical visits. Also make sure you have GHICs for everyone in the family (it's free to apply)

@PollyPut wow thank you so much for all of that! That’s incredibly helpful. I didn’t think about cutlery, I may not take any. Good thinking on cabin bags, I won’t use a suitcase as that’s a nightmare to get anything in and out of!
You’re so helpful, thank you! ☺️

Don't stress too much about food and routine. It's a new environment with lots going on. If all they eat is ice cream and chips for a day, so be it. It won't kill them and try again for a healthier day the next day. Same with late bedtimes.

I found packing Dr Beckmanns travel wash super helpful- can use it to hand wash clothes in your sink, if the children get through more outfits than you were expecting them too.

I often find british kids overwhelmed in the sun and on holidays. (I am originally from a hot country and live in England).

So rash vests, sun cream, lots of water and liquid and keep them out of the sun during lunchtime like the locals do! they can have a nap ideally and then stay up late for kids disco and entertainment.

don’t do too much on the first days and plan a ton of activities and expeditions. Just chill by the pool or beach. Take sand toys unless you want to spend €40 in the gift shop.

As other said don’t fret the meals. There might be an amazing buffet but your kid will still just eat chips or white pasta. It’s your holiday too so enjoy.

take a small emergency kit eg calpol, something for diarrhoea, sunburn etc. I have needed calpol at 3am and was glad ro have it handy.

Make sure your room has a balcony so you can sit and chat when the kids sleep. I usually go to sleep at the same time anyway so never need that 😂😂

Don't stress about holding up security we have all been there with the buggy and a screaming toddler. You can order baby milk etc to collect at boots after security we took an empty cabin size pull along to fill with it saves your luggage allowance for baby things. Buy any inflatables you want before you travel, we had puddle jumpers which were so much better than swim vests.

Not environmental friendly but I used to buy small new plastic toys to hand out at intervals on the plane.

It gets easier DS is 10 now and will have his own hand luggage with sweets and to much screen time

What are puddle jumpers?

Like a life vest but with attached arm band things, we found they didn't ride up like a life vest and didn't tip DS forward. We got ours in the US but they are on eBay and Amazon now.

plastic cutlery would be fine as it won't be picked up by the scanner (and therefore won't delay you). It's the metal to minimise through scanners if you don't want delays of having bags searched.

Possibly I wasn't as clear as I could have been re cabin bags. If you don't have hold allowance then I'd take one cabin suitcase and one expandable tote type bag to throw everything in and out of - at least to held with getting through security. obviously increase numbers as appropriate per person travelling. Having bags you can pull is easier than carrying them (if you have enough hands free to pull them). Hand luggage allowance is (I think) usually a small suitcase and one other bag per person. Airlines tend to be fairly sympathetic to a parent with two small children having quite a large second bag to get things in and out of in the airport/plane.

If you plan to put cases in the hold then you have more options - but still want to make sure you have the right number of cases to pull as you have hands free to pull them.

Agree with the PPs who mentioned rash vests, keeping small children out of the sun lunchtime/early afternoon, taking calpol (make sure it's under 100ml if going hand luggage) and other essential first aid items like plasters and antiseptic

You lot are amazing! Thank you!
great tips on taking inflatables and sand toys! If we have space in the suitcase, we will definitely do this!
I have never heard of rash vests or puddle jumpers so I’ll have a bit of a Google!

Thanks for the reminder on chilling out about food and staying up late, I need to remember we are on holiday!

Would anyone take those leads (for want of a better word) for my youngest who has a tendency to run off? Or would it get annoying around the wrist in the heat?

Thanks! 😊

If you've got loads of suitcases get some luggage straps, sit the small ones on top of the large and strap the small one to the extended handle of the large, so you can pull 2 suitcases with one hand. Hope that makes sense. Have a think about who is carrying what so you make sure you have enough hands free!

Loads and loads of snacks for the plane.

Lots of nappies for the plane, the pressure can do strange things to them, we've had a few poonamis although yours are older.

Don't expect to do any sightseeing - seriously

Make a master packing list on the computer of everything you could want on any holiday. Save a copy for each trip and tweak it.

Mosquito stickers for clothes/pram

You could go for little life back pack as rains try Facebook market place

Number 1 thing for me is Protective UV cover for the buggy. I hardly ever seen anyone with them but they protect ur little one from the sun and can help make it a little darker inside for naps so a win win! The one we had was mesh so little one cld see out but also had another layer that u cld pull down to make it dark. Probably one of the best products I've bought.

We have never been burned using soltan from boots. There is a roller ball one for the kids but I actually also got a kids big spray one last year and it was fab.

Sun hat that comes over the back of the neck. Usually in a swimsuit type fabric so they can wear it in the pool. I usually get mine from next. Also uv swim wear. At that age my little one was out nappies so always go for a 2 piece. Again next have great pants and t shirt uv protected sets. Sunglasses too and crocs or similar. My 2 love their crocs and great around the pool.

Snacks for the plane, sticker books from home bargains. Tablet downloaded with some things they like to watch and headphones.

Chewy sweets for landing (lots of them) mine done a whole packet in 10mins between them and we then had another 20mins to go for landing but both crying about sore ears 😭

Calpol and ibuprofen. I usually take one on the plane too incase someone is feeling unwell.

Little toys for in the pool. I usually take some little wind up toys, fishing net and little plastic fishes etc but u can usually buy some when there.

I usually take some snacks from home in my case too just some little treat bag size like haribo. Keeps them happy at the entertainment without having to end up spending a fortune and they are tiny.

Ah yes thanks. I have seen those at Decathlon.