Travel Tips for Tots to Teens

The summer holidays have arrived! Some schools have already broken up for the school holidays and the rest have little more than a week to go. Summer often means getting out and about with your family so we thought these top travel tips for tots to teens might be useful.

Plan and Plan Some More
It doesn’t matter if you are travelling abroad or two hours down the motorway to visit family, you need to have plan A and B firmly in place because travelling with children is anything but predictable. Make sure that you know your route, that you have packed for all eventualities (i.e. snacks and drinks if you break down/your flight is delayed) and have plenty to keep everyone occupied.

Set off at a time that will cause the least angst for little travellers and those who are easily bored, as well keeping an eye on the travel news in advance to avoid unexpected delays due to accidents or roadworks.

A Pushchair
At home your little one might be more than happy toddling around on their own two feet. If, however you are going somewhere unfamiliar, are going to be exploring new areas and spending all day away from your base, a cheap and cheerful stroller which folds up might be a good thing to have around. This is a particularly good idea if your little one has only recently stopped using their pushchair/stroller full-time.

Food Concerns
If you are a parent of a child with any kind of food allergy or intolerance you’ll already appreciate the importance, and often the difficulty of eating away/away from home. Speak to your accommodation in advance in the same way you would mention the difficulty to the family. Communication and understanding is key.  It pays to travel with some food stuffs that are completely safe for your young one, in case you are held up/are struggling to find something that suits their dietary requirements.

Keep Everyone Happy and Occupied
Travelling can be daunting for little ones and deadly dull (apparently) for the older children. Pack a variety of distractions and diversions, from in-car DVD players (ok in short bursts), fun travel games, new music, joke books, snacks and more. Making sure everyone has something to do to pass the time makes the journey much less stressful for everyone (and you’ll hear fewer instances of “are we nearly there yet”.

Let Children Document Their Summer Travels
Whether you spend the summer travelling around your local area, exploring new things and having adventures or are abroad for a time, scrapbooking can be a great way for children of all ages to capture those memories. Disposable cameras are fun for candid shots (although you still need to pay for film processing), while digital pics work brilliantly. Save tickets, receipts, brochures, pressed flowers and more.

The scrapbooking offers children an opportunity to use their imagination when putting things together, and you have proof for your child’s teacher when they tell them that all they did all summer was watch TV (trust us, it happens).

What are your top tips for travelling with tots to teens?

Birthday Party Top Tips

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If the idea of organising and running a birthday party for your little ones makes your blood run cold you certainly aren't the only one. Getting it right is important and because of this parties have become a source of pressure and stress instead of fun. Have a look at our list of tips, tricks and ideas to help you get it right, keep it simple, cost effective and most of all enjoyable (without any need for pulling your hair out!). 

Keep it Simple 

Little ones don't need a huge extravaganza with professional photographers, bright lights and the works. They need friends, colours, music, food and fun. Resist the urge to go big and bold as at the end of the day your children won't benefit any more from this type of party and your nerves and bank account certainly won't. 

Pick a Theme 

For extra fun choose a theme that will suit the party goers and use that to theme games, decorations, party bags and more. It doesn't have to be another superhero or Frozen theme either. The Hungry Caterpillar would make a wonderfully colourful theme for example. Have a look on Pinterest for party theme inspiration. 

Have a Schedule 

Have a plan and stick to it. If the party is for example two an a half hours long include segments for people arriving / free play, entertainment / games, eating and more play / activities.  

Top tip: Organise anything that involves running and jumping before food and quieter, less active activities for afterwards as otherwise there will always be one child who has eaten too much, gets too excited and then is sick! 

Top "quiet time" activities could be anything from art and crafts, beading, Lego building etc to watching a Scooby Doo or Frozen DVD! 

Food 

Again, keep it simple. Sandwiches, chopped up cheese, fruit, sausages and cake (either a big birthday cake or buns) is more than enough. Also remember to have enough juice and milk in for thirsty party goers. Paper plates and cups are ideal for cleaning up however if they will all be sitting at a table or having a floor picnic then normal plates and beakers should be just fine. 

Top tip: Remember to ask the parents of anyone invited whether they have any intolerances or allergies in advance.  

Rope in Helpers 

Do you have older children, friends or people that owe you money? Rope them in to help keep everything on schedule, to run the games and to generally be on hand for keeping everything going smoothly. 

Party Bags 

Again there is no need to pay out ridiculous amounts of money for party bags. Instead consider how many items you will actually need, the ages of the attendees and whether you have a theme. Pencil toppers, crayons or chalks, a slice of cake or a wrapped cupcake, bubbles and similar small but very fun items work perfectly. 

Check out our range of fun pencil toppers!

At the end of the day the party is all about your little one enjoying themselves so if you've got that organised then nothing else matters. 

Making New Friends (Parents and Children!)

Helping little ones make friends, to form bonds, have fun, learn to share and interact with children is just one of the very many ways that parents help their little ones develop. Unless you are surrounded by friends with little ones already meeting other children and parents (we can all do with some adult conversation from time to time!) can be harder than it sounds. 

If you are looking to meet other parents and children these are all great places to start: 

Netmums, Facebook and Similar Online Resources While Netmums is a website it also serves as a fantastic resource for local information. Users have access to local pages and news and some areas operate a Netmums meet-up group where parents and their little ones can get together and socialise.

Facebook is an incredibly popular social media site which often advertises local mum and dad groups, children's activities and more as well as local meet-ups.

*As with any meetings arranged over the internet though make sure it is in a suitable public place etc.  

Playdates Playdates are a great way to spend time with others, inside or outside of the house, to entertain the little ones, encourage nice play, sharing, communication and of course enjoy some adult conversation. If the weather is nice pack up drinks and snacks and head to the park or similar;  the fresh air is good for everyone. 

NCT The National Childbirth Trust is a membership group which offers everything from antenatal classes to advice and support and even Nearly New Sales. They also offer members an opportunity to get to know other parents in a variety of ways. If this sounds like something you think you could benefit from get in touch with your local branch for more information or visit the main website. 

Toddler Groups Most areas have a number of parent and baby, toddler groups, toy libraries and similar on offer. Your health visitor, community boards and other parents with be able to point you in the right direction. Most are free, some may charge a pound a time or similar to cover the cost of the room / hall and any coffee, tea, juice and biscuits. These are great places to visit for an hour, to meet other parents and children. 

Classes There are a great number of infant and toddler classes dotted around, from baby signing to gym or dance and more. There is a fee for all of these and they all offer different experiences and help develop certain skills so you have plenty to choose from. These classes are also great for meeting other mums, dads and children. 

Nursery or a Childminder If you are concerned about your little one not spending enough time with other children perhaps a regular session or two with a nursery or a childminder could be beneficial? All childminders and nurseries are Ofsted registered and of course you may visit the settings for a look around before deciding. Again there is a cost for this however if you feel your child could benefit from regular time outside of the house and away from you with other children this could be an option. 

Set Up Your Own If you feel there isn't a suitable group for children and parents to get together set one up! Perhaps you would like to arrange a Netmums meeting or an independent and informal local group? The chances are that if you are struggling to find a suitable place for you and your little ones to meet and interact with others, that there are plenty more who feel the same.

Easter Holiday Fun Ideas

It doesn't seem like two minutes since the February half term ended and yet in a few more weeks many of you will be bringing nursery bags and school PE kits home once more for the Easter holidays. 

The beauty of the Easter holidays is that with a longer stretch of time off (22 days including weekends for many of our local schools) we as parents have more days to play with so when it comes to organising activities, days out and more there's no worry about having to cram everything in. 

If you are looking for inspiration on what to do this Easter we have a few ideas for you. 

Get Out and About 

If the weather is kind this Easter spend as much time as possible enjoying the great outdoors as a family. Go to local parks, roll down hills (with or without your painted hard-boiled Easter eggs), walk through forests (have a look at the Forestry Commission website for some brilliant safe and well maintained woodland walks in your area) and generally use the time to stretch your legs and let the kids blow off some steam. 

Planned Trips and Events 

Over Easter, especially over the long Easter weekend there are often a great number of fairs, markets, special events and more run in your local area, the key is knowing how to find them. Look at community noticeboards (online and around your local area), use Facebook local pages, the tourist information centres, ask other parents and generally keep your eyes open.  

In addition to the often free or cheap local events that run why not take the opportunity these Easter holidays offer and explore local museums, English Heritage sites or perhaps look up what the National Trust has in your area? 

Art and Crafts 

As much as we'd like to assume that during the holidays that the sun will shine and that we'll be surrounded by beautiful spring sights there is always the chance that we'll be covered in snow or stuck indoors thanks to fierce April Showers. If this is the case don't despair as there are plenty of entertaining ways to get through the holidays without hearing "But I'm bored". 

 Art and craft is a great activity and something that can be enjoyed at any age. Minecraft paper craft for older children, beadwork, painting, chalks, working around a theme such as a place or topic (as well as traditional Easter crafts) are all great examples.  

Here at Dotty Hippo for example we offer a number of art and craft activities for over the holidays including scrapbooking for kids, magnetic mosaics and even colour in comic books.  

This is a great time to introduce your children to new ways to enjoy their creativity. 

Playdates 

Having friends over is a great way for kids to spend their time (especially if there are dens to make or activities planned). Playdates also give parents a chance to sit down and talk with adults during the holidays. Try and organise one session at your house and one at someone else's if you can. 

The Library 

Libraries are very child friendly these days with large colourful areas dedicated to young readers of all abilities and the library often run their own holiday events. Call or visit your library to see what they have available (on top of the lure of row upon row of fabulous books of course). 

Plan Nothing at All 

Having new and exciting things to do, places to go and people to see over Easter is great however sometimes just playing and relaxing is needed. After a busy half term the children are unlikely to protest at the odd pj day, movie afternoon or spending the morning just enjoying playing with their toys. This gives them a chance to unwind and rest before they go back to school again. 

Whatever you have planned for the soon-approaching holidays we wish you a fabulous time.