Traveling can be difficult. It’s hard for little people to be off schedule and in an environment they are not use to without toys & stuff to do. Having familiar toys & activities helps. It could turns into a nightmare quick and your sweet kiddo is acting up because they are bored. And let’s be real. Their tends to be a lot of sitting around and visiting. Their is only so much a kiddo can take without having toys and things to do.
Packing can be so much fun but yet stressful at the same time! Create a Vacation Toy pack for flights, vacation, visiting family or restaurants . I have a basic pack that I leave packed and it’s ready to go. I also take it with me to restaurants when we go out to dinner. It takes a little time to get it together but it is worth it. I keep it packed up so when we head out of town it is one less thing for me to do. And every so often I switch out the toys. I have found this to be a lifesaver.
What to put in it…
First thing first. Start with a 5×7 little bag. I use a mesh bag.
Some Ideas…
Pick a few items. You don’t need everything I listed… Balance is key. Don’t bring too many toys it can get hard to keep track of. Just enough for down time, AM’s when getting ready, evenings, etc.!
For the flight…
The trick for flights is “small” items, a variety of them, pull out 1 item at a time. Small coloring books, animals, princesses, puzzle, seek & find activities, sticker book, books, and games, new movies or shows on an iPad. If you can pull out something “new” for the flight there then something for the flight back that keeps things exciting. It can be a dollar store find nothing huge or overly expensive.
For Staying with Someone…
This one can be tricky… depending if you can drive or had to fly.
Drive…
I used toys that we had extra of and bought an extra set of WASHABLE crayons, markers color wonder ones are great too, & watercolor paint, legos, animals, puzzle, sticker book, trucks & cars, dolls, pony’s, princesses, or Barbie, books, movies or games on the iPad. Also, bring some outdoor toys too. It’s a great way to break up the time and get moving to get your kiddos energy out. Sidewalk chalk, outdoor ball, bike or trick scooter, kite, bubbles, etc.
For Hotels…
I used toys that we had extra of and bought an extra set of WASHABLE crayons, markers color wonder ones are great too, & watercolor, Legos, baby doll, water & sand toys, coloring books, water color paint, play doh, animals, puzzle, sticker book, trucks & cars, dolls or Barbie, books, and any other toys. Check to see it there is a playground at the hotel. If not, conference area. (Check out our previous post Tag-A-Long for more about hotels).
It’s best to be prepared.
Tootles…
These are a great idea. I have used them too for all three of my children. Recently a restaurant we went to had these plastic pipe cleaner like straws. They were a cross between pipe cleaners and waxed string. Sounds odd but the kids had a great time making different shapes and models with them.
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Thank you! And thanks for stopping by!
Love it! I don’t know that I’d be brave enough to give my kids markers – washable or not!
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Yeah. It can get interesting. Yesterday, I started dinner and he was drawing at the table. I took my eyes off him for a second to chop garlic. And he decided to draw all over his face. He said he was superman. It’s never dull but it washes off and he love markers. Thanks for stopping by!