Travel Activities For Babies And Toddlers

Taking your children on a long car ride or flight can be an exhausting experience, for both of you. Take the obvious comforting things like the favourite blanket, soft toy, small books, toys, colouring books, puzzles that they are familiar with, also any food or drinks needed.

These ideas and activities may help keep them amused and entertained when they get restless.

Babies

• Usually babies lives revolve around food, nappy changes, sleeping & crying, when you are travelling you will need to be ready to cope with all these things to keep them comfortable.
• Take some familiar things like a blanket or soft toys, pacifiers, also pack a few toys that will distract them when crying. If the crying is persistent it’s time for a break, baby may need a feed, a change  of the nappy and check for rashes, also lay them down flat for a short time to let them stretch or give them a big cuddle and hopefully baby will settle and have a sleep.
• Older babies maybe amused with games like Peek-a-boo, singing. or a noisy toy, play some music and have a few different new toys for variety.

Toddlers

• Buy some inexpensive toys from bargain stores, games and other activity items and wrap them like gifts. When you stop for fuel, rest or meals, let each of them open a gift. It works well, especially when stopped at places where they don’t want to leave. They don’t get their gift until they got back in the car.
• Cheap stickers are good, they come in many types they are great for kids to make pictures and stories in a scribble pad. I have seen kids having fun with band aids especially the character ones like the ‘Wiggles’ , the band aids take a while to unwrap and then they stick them on themselves, sure worth a try.
• Let your kids do a picture diary for a trip, they get to write and draw things they see that are interesting and also take photos when stopped for a break. Keep them interested in doing it each day, it will have them constantly looking for ideas to add to their diary.
• To keep their belongings together tie a backpack to the back of front seat or use a backseat organiser, everything will be easy to reach and not spread all over the floor.
• Use ziplock bags to keep snacks in for each day and person, also use ziplock bags to wrap toys up in and play pass the parcel.

Have you found any other ways to keep babies & toddlers amused while travelling?

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