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TRAVELLING WITH KIDS
Pointers from Family Travel, the most extensive UK resource on travel with children.

Checklists

As with packing in general, how much you need to take will depend on your childcare style. Taking the minimum however requires more nerve than some people feel like mustering. The information below are for you to pick as much as suits.

For All Children

  • Layered clothing.
  • At least one change of clothes in case of accidents. This is more likely the younger the child but can also apply to older children who suffer motion sickness. Make sure it's all simple as you may be working in a confined space.
  • At least one clean top for adults as the accidents can affect them too. A unisex one will mean that it can be used by either parent.
  • Wet wipes/wet flannel in plastic bag for hand washing, and other cleaning. Note that unless you have tested them, wet wipes can cause a skin reaction on sensitive skin.
  • Small packs of tissues.
  • Kitchen roll or alternative eg damp J cloth for spills.
  • The minimum toiletries for arrival in case luggage is lost and, if there will be a pool, swimsuits.
  • An activity such as a soft ball. A soft juggling type is particularly useful as if dropped it doesn't roll.
  • Books. Good books even for toddlers have the quality of a good poem, bearing countless re-readings - which is what you will probably be looking at. Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, and Roald Dahl titles are obvious examples but if you want some more good ideas for up to ‘adventurous readers of 12 upwards', invest in a copy of the annual 100 Best Books, an annual pick of the best paperback fiction for children published in the preceding year, selected and reviewed by the Young Book Trust, Book House, www.booktrust.org.uk.
  • A soft toy or two or other ‘friend'. It can be wise to set a numerical limit on this if the child is involved in the choosing. If your child has one failsafe comforter try to include a spare just in case the first is lost.
  • A favourite toy you know will last for a significant length of play time.
  • Other toys if you feel the effort of carrying them will pay off.
  • A blanket, cushion or other item for extra comfort.
  • Safety pins - for holding all manner of things together.
  • Food and drink.

For Babies:

  • Bottles and bibs.
  • Transport - buggy, sling or backpack, plus a canopy against sun and/or rain cover. Also blanket or sheet (depending on temperatures) for covering up, even when just arriving. The canopy may need extending with a further sheet or muslin or may even need lining against fierce sun. A hat in addition is recommended. Those in a sling or backpack could be protected by the carrying adult bearing a large umbrella or one of the purpose- designed backpack covers.
  • Preferred teething relief product
  • A couple of books will suffice - they will read them over and over again though you might like a change.
  • Aim to be inventive with the items to hand, lifting arm rests, investigating in-flight magazines, pockets etc and finding items like pieces of paper to insert. This will cut down on items you have to carry.
  • Possibly a wrist or sock rattle.
  • More nappies than you think you are going to need plus cleaning stuff and nappy cream, bags for the discarded ones and something to change on. A folding changing mat will offer some padding but it is possible to improvise with plain plastic sheeting.

For Toddlers:

  • Transport - buggy or backpack plus a canopy against sun and/or rain cover and blanket or sheet (depending on temperatures) for covering up, even on arrival. The canopy may need extending with a further sheet or muslin or may even need lining against fierce sun. A hat in addition is recommended. Those in a sling or backpack could be protected by the carrying adult bearing a large umbrella or one of the purpose- designed backpack covers.
  • Bottles or training mugs, spoons, and bibs.
  • A selection of toys. Older children can be allocated their own portable case/backpack to be opened at intervals for them to pick the next toy.
  • Nappies as above.
  • A wide-necked vacuum flask to fill with hot water if you want to heat babyfood jars (by immersion).

For Preschoolers

  • Training mugs (even if no longer necessary they keep things much drier), spoons, and bibs.
  • A potty if you are at the training stage and/or trained but still can't hold out for long. If you will be travelling very much you could invest in the Tommee Tippee travel potty which can be set up from a fold flat carrier and contains a scented disposable liner, the sealable Posh Potty, or a portable travel seat.
  • A bag/backpack/small case for the child to carry with non-essential supplies and toys/drawing material.
  • If not yet walking strongly, a buggy.

For Older Children:

  • The child's own bag/backpack for carrying your choice of the list below. If only carrying tissues, notebook and pens, cards, and small toy, a bumbag would be less easily forgotten and might be more appropriate.
  • A game or games.
  • Drawing material.
  • If you will have access to fresh batteries when required, personal tape or CD players. They are reported to work well with children from around three and do give parents some peace. However, they can be addictive and if you are hoping for your child to notice much of your surroundings you might like to start out with specified limitations on use - for example only on long drives. Note however that Walkmans may not be permitted on board aeroplanes because of the potential for radio interference. For younger children a child's model with easy controls would be an idea and are built for knocks. Note that if you provide one Walkman per child you may still face squabbles over the tapes. If you are only buying one Walkman you can get an adapter for two children to listen simultaneously with potential for squabbles over the choice of tape….
  • Travel Nintendo/new game or other electronic option such as Space Invaders, electronic Monopoly and Electronic Trivial Pursuits. Note however that these will probably have to be switched off whenever the seat belt signs are on (which includes during take-off and landing) and ‘on the captain's instruction'. Again, if worried about overuse, set rules beforehand.
  • Instruction books on anything from how to read palms to how to draw cartoon figures, depending on your children's probable interests.
  • A notepad.
  • Earplugs - if your child has difficulty sleeping with noise.
  • Eyemasks - if your child has difficulty sleeping with light.
  • A treat, for example a much-longed for toy/book/other item at the start of a particularly long and tedious journey. This obviously works better for children beyond toddlerhood who have reached the stage of coveting potential possessions.

In the Air

  • Enough food, and most importantly drink, to cover you for unexpected delays both on the ground and on board the aircraft. If flying in the US , remember that flights of less than three hours are unlikely to provide more than a drink and nuts. If you are taking connecting flights you will therefore almost certainly need to take food and drink of your own. Taking the right food is particularly important with babies in case the baby meals are inappropriate or there are more babies on board than calculated
  • Blankets to protect against fierce air conditioning and for in-flight sleeps.
  • Dense fabric for covering any bassinet from light.
  • Suitable material eg fleece for the child to lie on even if you do get a bassinet you may not get any bedding.
  • Bottle or trainer cups for drinks. Preventing spills is particularly useful in the confined space.
  • Transport between checking in and boarding. Most airlines will allow pushchairs to the gate. However, a backpack or sling may be handier as it leaves both hands free for locating tickets and boarding passes plus carrying bags.
  • If you use aromatherapy, lavender oil may help sleeping on long-haul flights or if suffering from jetlag on arrival.  

By Car

  • A blind to protect against sun. A piece of fabric wedged into the top of the window will substitute.
  • A First Aid kit in the glove compartment is not vital but might make things easier if someone does have a small accident.
  • Cushions, especially neck supports of appropriate size can make life a little less uncomfortable for those too big for child car seats.
  • A container for children's toys/entertainment. There are purpose-designed options.
  • An easily accessible bag with children's items. Depending on the season and location consider wet weather gear, wellington boots, hats and gloves, swim suits and towels.
  • For a baby eye-catching Wimmer Ferguson items might be a way of giving them something more interesting to look at than a seat back.
  • A plastic box with lid or plastic bag, preferably strong and zip lock, makes a receptacle for any sick.




Food & Drink

Eating can be a useful distraction on a tedious journey. It can also be soothing so it is useful to make sure that there is some comfort food, whether formula, milk, or something more solid.

Drink is particularly important, especially flying long-haul. In fact, because of the dry air you may find that when flying there comes a point where children stop eating and just want liquid.

Babies

  • Plenty of formula and/or breastfeeding particularly on planes where they need to swallow to prevent ear pain on take off and landing. If using formula sachets or pre-measured quantities are best as you may run out of ready-made bottles or packs unless it is only a short trip.
  • Jars of babyfood can be helpful for those on early solids. Take a thermos of hot water to heat by immersion if you doubt being able to find anyone to do it for you. Alternatively there are bottle warmers which can be plugged into the car cigarette lighter or you can get an insulated sleeve of crystals which start to heat up when you squeeze them. On the other hand, if you can persuade your child to take food and drink cold or at room temperature you will save yourself a lot of extra work plus the possible trouble of carting this extra gear.
  • Bibs and other items for cleaning up mess. Disposable bibs can be helpful.

Older Children

  • A full picnic is useful, plus extra drink and food for snacks during the journey plus delays. This is sensible even on board a ferry or train if it will be busy. Your own food will be cheaper and almost certainly better than anything you may buy or be given. The on board options may also turn out to be unsuitable for your children and/or run out.
  • Avoid sweet and salty foods which create more thirst, and dilute juice and avoid sweet drinks for the same reason. Avoiding sugar will also limit the bursts of energy which are not helpful in children who have to sit for any length of time.
  • Ideally avoid foods which crumble or drip. Useful options are therefore crunchy like carrot, cucumber and celery sticks or solid like bagels, pretzels, breadsticks, pitta bread, and cheese (Parmesan, though expensive, can be a real favourite). Dryish fruits like apples (if rubbed with lemon after cutting they won't go black) or dried fruits like raisins are also useful.
  • Small items like baby sandwiches take longer to eat and pass the time.
  • Little packets for nibbles/treats are useful, as are the little boxes of raisins.
  • Crackers/biscuits are good if travel sickness is likely.

The Practicalities

  • Beware of drinks containers that don't re-seal. No small child will finish a can in one go and they may not finish off even a juice carton (notoriously likely to squirt if squeezed). You will need either somewhere to dispose of container and contents, or be willing to finish it yourself. A better bet are the small screw top plastic bottles and/or beakers with lids which can be sealed. A few small bottles are more easily carried than one large one. Carry out leak checks on any containers of liquid and for optimum dryness, carry in sealed plastic bags.
  • Deep frozen cartons of liquid such as milk stay fresh in a cool bag for at least 24 hours but are difficult once opened. If you will want smaller quantities a screw top plastic bottle is invaluable for transferring the contents of the cartons.
  • A cool bag and cool pack may be useful at the destination and might be worth using as one of your hand luggage bags if flying.



Entertainment

Keeping your children happy en route to your holiday is almost as integral to parental contentment as entertaining them once they arrive. How much you need for this depends on what your children are used to. Some have grown up to play with no more than whatever is to hand - cup, spoon, airline ticket and that's it. Others require a carry-on suitcase of material to keep them busy. If your children need fairly consistent distraction, the rough estimate is to go for one toy per hour of flight.

In addition to books you can try: 

Games Without Equipment
There are countless games to pass the time which can be fun to play and don't rely on carrying more stuff.

  • I Spy - playable with a phonic sound rather than a letter name from as soon as children start learning to read and write.
  • Scissors, Paper, Stone - even pretty young children can grasp this one and enjoy the ease with which they can beat adults.
  • 20 Questions - someone thinks of a person or object and the rest of those present try to work out what or who this is in just 20 questions to which the answer can be only either yes or no.
  • Animal, Vegetable, Mineral - again one person picks an object and the others have to work out what it is by asking only questions to which the answer can be only either yes or no.
  • Granny Went to Market and She Bought ... a game in which each player adds another object to those purchased by the fictional granny and repeats all those listed by all players before him. Popular with children whose better memories usually mean they trounce adults.
  • The Minister's Cat - players take turns to describe the cat with adjectives beginning with the letter a, b, c etc, losing a life if they have to move on to a new letter.
  • Motorway Snap - one player picks a colour and model of car. The next person to see one the same shouts snap and scores one point.
  • Collecting each person chooses, say, red cars, and keeps their own tally of how many have been seen.
  • You can also invent games like discovering what everyone can see in the clouds, counting the luggage being loaded on to the plane etc.
  • Also useful are any tongue twisters you can bring to mind. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper… The Leith police dismisseth us… She sells seashells on the seashore, etc.
  • Pencil and paper can often be useful for simple games starting with noughts and crosses and including hangman and even battleships if someone is willing to draw up the grid.
  • If somewhere truly foreign you can compete to see who can spot the most sights you would never see at home (bike carrying five people for example) - though you will need an external arbiter if you want a winner.

Toys

If you want to be able to travel easily, the ideal is to encourage your child/children to play imaginatively with items to hand, such as blankets, cushions, paper, etc. However, given that most Western children are accustomed to purpose-designed toys, you will probably have to take at least a couple of these, sometimes more.

If you pick something you think would be played with at home as well you will have a greater chance of the item being used on the holiday, as well as during the boredom of transit. Toddlers often prefer the familiarity of favourites but for older children it can a good idea to treat appropriate purchases like stocking fillers, buying options when you see them and producing them on the day as a surprise.

Avoid:

  • Toys with bits which will get lost down the side of seats, in the sand etc.
  • Noisy toys, both for your sake and to avoid irritable encounters with other adults
  • Large toys as these will add to your transport difficulties.
  • Anything which involves a lot of banging/pressure such as a stamping kit. The jerking and thudding can irritate other passengers, particularly if carried out for example on an airplane seat back table.

Worth considering are:

  • Hand or finger puppets. Can be invaluable from around three and a half up.
  • Toys with plenty of moving parts (but not noises or bits which come off which will inevitably get lost)
  • Toys with suction cups so that they will not slide on tables.
  • Felt picture toys because can be re-used endlessly and the pieces are less likely to disappear.
  • A much-requested toy, if suitable. A Barbie would be an example. With luck the fulfilment of the dream will ensure rapt absorption.
  • Wimmer-Ferguson images for baby stimulation. Options include fabric mats which can be attached to the back of car seats and contain recognition activities with noises and mirrored objects. They roll up into portable bags.
  • A car mobile, one of the best probably from Wimmer Ferguson consisting of a multi-coloured tape to run from one side of the car to another and hooks for you to attach your own choice of objects to it.
  • Magnetic boards with options from architectural design to words and letters, plus games.

Games to Buy

  • A pack of cards. With older children holidays can be the time to teach whist, bridge or any of your favourite games. From about five years you can teach them patience. Take a book if you can't remember many games and consider taking small patience cards which require less space than the standard ones.
  • Magnetic versions of classic games like draughts, backgammon and chess, plus simpler options like snakes and ladders, ludo etc, may all be useful but you need them to be large enough for the pieces to be easily handled by children, but still not too heavy to carry easily. You also need to ensure that the pack allows the pieces to be stored easily and safely. This does not always appear to be the case. Note that if your children are at all likely to fidget a lot while playing, despite the magnets, these games are not yet suitable as vital counters etc will get lost under seats etc. 
  • Packs with several games in one. These seem good value but are generally too small and are produced by lesser known manufacturers so stocks come and go.

Drawing Material

This is invaluable. Children can use it to doodle, to reassure themselves with drawings of their favourite objects, or to draw what they see around them, both on the trip and for example ‘copying' works in art galleries. Ideal is a clipboard for drawing or paper pad with card back. Avoid felt-tips unless washable. If not they can cause expensive damage to soft furnishings etc. Unless your children remember to put the tops back on they will also dry out. Crayons will not be good in excessive heat, for example in the sun on a car seat, as they melt. Old-fashioned pencils are best and Berol produces a range which does not need sharpening.

New colouring in and join the dots books can be a good treat for long trips.

An alternative suitable from around three-plus is a ‘magic' pen and drawing board (Etch-a-Sketch and other brands). Each sketch is erased by turning a knob - a problem of course if the child wants to conserve a work as particularly valuable.

Keeping them Busy - Craft Sets/Sticker Books/Activity Books

Get them involved in doing something - whether creating a friendship bracelet, solving puzzles, or shifting stickers from page to page and there's a reasonable chance of some peace.

You will probably need two or more of these if only to get you to your holiday destination and back. If you think they will be successful it may well be worth investing in more - they can keep children busy waiting for meals in restaurants for example. As well as the options mentioned above consider:

  • Material for cats cradle
  • Pipe cleaners or Wikki Stiks for non messy modelling.
  • Although holidays are not the time for study, a child just learning to read for example might enjoy a ‘workbook' connected to letters and sounds as these generally involve lots of colouring in as well.

Quizzes

A good way of getting everyone involved, though you have to make sure you pick one which everyone is capable of.



Tapes

Tapes are invaluable travel entertainment for children. However, unless you are relying on Walkmans, for the sake of parents' sanity it is wise to invest in those which bear multiple listenings. This broadly means avoiding computerised music and saccharine singing voices. As a rough rule of thumb, unless you know it's good, you are best avoiding any tape produced by a large company. Most rely on young children being too inexperienced to be critical.

 Smaller producers are far more likely to be genuinely interested in introducing children to the real pleasures of music and to have devoted thought and energy to the most fun ways of doing that. Note that some children's tapes are relentlessly up-beat. If you are going to be spending much time with them you will need a range of tempos, if only to massage the general atmosphere.

Alternatives

Older children may want the latest hits. If parents want classical you could attempt a compromise with Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens, Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev, and The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten. Which of these you like will in part depend on your choice of narrator. There should be options in most classical music departments. In the same place you will find compilations of classical music for children such as EMI Classics' Fantasy disc featuring Debussy, Holst, Mussorgsky, Mendelssohn, Ravel and Dukas' the Sorcerer's Apprentice. Potentially successful with ballet fans are Tchaikovsky works like Nutcracker. There is also baroque music specifically marketed for playing to babies and children (often gratingly saccharine), or you could go for one of the Greatest Classical Hits volumes produced by the likes of Classic FM, or a round-up of themes used in TV advertisements.

The argument against playing adult music to young children is that the complexity of the music is too much for them and this seems to be particularly true if it is loud and in the least discordant. Old-fashioned harmony however usually goes down OK, especially with singing and you might have to look at musicians ranging from Ry Cooder to Suzanne Vega. Don McLean, The Corrs and The Seekers have also variously been cited as popular with young children.

Folk music with clear tunes, voice and relatively simple instrumentation is also worth considering, even if you don't normally listen to folk. (Even if you hate it, it's a world better than most children's tapes.)

Story Tapes

Story Tapes are mainly aimed at children of 4+ but can work well with younger ones, particularly if they are already used to the idea. Good stories for older children will keep the whole family entertained for hours. Cover to Cover's Treasure Island goes on for seven and is reported a particular success on long journeys. This can be a good way of introducing children to the classics but if you do want the real thing, check that it is unabridged.

Note that storytelling tapes need truly talented readers and really good stories, not TV spinoffs. Even so, they don't offer the repeat mileage of good music.