Boeings and Busses!
With Spring Break/March Break on the horizon, we have come up with 15 of our top tips for travelling with tots.
Let us know what you think, and feel free to add your own on facebook. We'd love to hear them! 1. Distribute each person’s essentials among all your suitcases, rather than having each suitcase solely dedicated to one person. This way, if one piece of luggage gets lost, you won’t have one family member without any supplies.
2. Bring along versatile toys that can be played with in many different ways. You can find a list of some of the travel toys we offer here.
3. Consider bringing along your child’s favourite pillow case. It’s small, and can make an unfamiliar sleeping environment seem more like home.
4. If you are flying, carry empty stainless steel water bottles in your carry on luggage. You can always fill them up at a water fountain once you have passed the security screening area.
5. In addition to music, bring along books and stories on CD. They are great for long car trips, especially if your kids are used to watching DVDs in the car, and you rent a vehicle without a dvd player. We love Jim Weiss.
6. Pack a small first aid kit with medications that you know are safe for your child. It can be hard to find the types that you are used to in a foreign country, and even if you are staying closer to home you don’t want to have to try and find a 24 hour drug store at 2:00am in an unfamiliar city. Make sure you bring along an appropriate dosing devise too, and check to make sure that you have enough of any prescriptions you may need to last you through the duration of the trip. Trust us on this one, Darla once had to get her sister to send her a prescription by FedEx when she ran out it while in the Caribbean!
7. Request a hotel room with a fridge. You can keep milk, formula, and fruit fresh that way, and if you buy a box of cereal at the grocery store, you will have the supplies you need for easy and inexpensive breakfasts or snacks. You can also pick up breakfast at the grocery store if you are on the road. Many have wonderful bakery sections, and you can buy muffins and fruit there for much less than going out to breakfast.
8. If you have toddlers, consider bringing basic child proofing supplies such as door locks with you, especially if you are staying in the home of someone that does not have young children.
9. If you are taking a road trip with older children, give them maps to follow along with so that they can see where you are. It’s a great opportunity to develop geography skills, and it may help with the “are we there yets” too. For preschoolers, consider creating a paper chain, and allowing your child to remove one link after every hour of the drive, every 100 kms travelled etc.
10.If you will be staying in an environment that is unfamiliar to your child, be sure to pack a nightlight or flashlight to make it easier for kids to find their way to the washroom in the night. We have some cute, child friendly ones here. A flashlight also allows family members sharing a room to read or play games while others sleep.
11.If you are visiting friends or family who your kids may not see often, show them pictures and tell them stories about the people you are going to visit before you go.
12.Buy each child a small whiteboard. They are perfect whether you are flying or driving. Kids can use them to draw, write messages, play games like tick tack toe (window crayons work fantastically on them, and are mess free), and they can attach magnetic play sets to them too.
13. If you are taking your preschool child on a flight for the first time he or she can remember, try role playing about the airport process before you go. That way, your child will be prepared for things like taking off her shoes at security, allowing her teddy bear to go through the scanner etc.
14. Baby wipes are great to pack, regardless of how old your kids are. You can clean anything from sticky hands to bathroom taps with them. If you do have babies and small children, make sure you have a change of clothes handy in your carry-on luggage or a place in the car that is easily accessible too. Accidents happen!
15. If you are traveling to a place where a different language is spoken, learn a few simple words like “thank you” and “hello” in advance with your children. It’s a great learning opportunity, and they’ll feel proud of their ability to converse a bit with people there too. Similarly, if you are traveling to a place where the foods might be unfamiliar and your children are a bit older, research and test out a few of the recipes with them before you go. They will have a better idea of what to expect when they get there, and you can have fun comparing how authentic your recipe is too.
For some amazing Travel Toys and Games please visit our fabulous toy store!
Have a wonderful time, whether you are away for a day or traveling a distance!
Beary Truly Yours,
Theodore Bear on behalf of all of Ape 2 Zebra
2. Bring along versatile toys that can be played with in many different ways. You can find a list of some of the travel toys we offer here.
3. Consider bringing along your child’s favourite pillow case. It’s small, and can make an unfamiliar sleeping environment seem more like home.
4. If you are flying, carry empty stainless steel water bottles in your carry on luggage. You can always fill them up at a water fountain once you have passed the security screening area.
5. In addition to music, bring along books and stories on CD. They are great for long car trips, especially if your kids are used to watching DVDs in the car, and you rent a vehicle without a dvd player. We love Jim Weiss.
6. Pack a small first aid kit with medications that you know are safe for your child. It can be hard to find the types that you are used to in a foreign country, and even if you are staying closer to home you don’t want to have to try and find a 24 hour drug store at 2:00am in an unfamiliar city. Make sure you bring along an appropriate dosing devise too, and check to make sure that you have enough of any prescriptions you may need to last you through the duration of the trip. Trust us on this one, Darla once had to get her sister to send her a prescription by FedEx when she ran out it while in the Caribbean!
7. Request a hotel room with a fridge. You can keep milk, formula, and fruit fresh that way, and if you buy a box of cereal at the grocery store, you will have the supplies you need for easy and inexpensive breakfasts or snacks. You can also pick up breakfast at the grocery store if you are on the road. Many have wonderful bakery sections, and you can buy muffins and fruit there for much less than going out to breakfast.
8. If you have toddlers, consider bringing basic child proofing supplies such as door locks with you, especially if you are staying in the home of someone that does not have young children.
9. If you are taking a road trip with older children, give them maps to follow along with so that they can see where you are. It’s a great opportunity to develop geography skills, and it may help with the “are we there yets” too. For preschoolers, consider creating a paper chain, and allowing your child to remove one link after every hour of the drive, every 100 kms travelled etc.
10.If you will be staying in an environment that is unfamiliar to your child, be sure to pack a nightlight or flashlight to make it easier for kids to find their way to the washroom in the night. We have some cute, child friendly ones here. A flashlight also allows family members sharing a room to read or play games while others sleep.
11.If you are visiting friends or family who your kids may not see often, show them pictures and tell them stories about the people you are going to visit before you go.
12.Buy each child a small whiteboard. They are perfect whether you are flying or driving. Kids can use them to draw, write messages, play games like tick tack toe (window crayons work fantastically on them, and are mess free), and they can attach magnetic play sets to them too.
13. If you are taking your preschool child on a flight for the first time he or she can remember, try role playing about the airport process before you go. That way, your child will be prepared for things like taking off her shoes at security, allowing her teddy bear to go through the scanner etc.
14. Baby wipes are great to pack, regardless of how old your kids are. You can clean anything from sticky hands to bathroom taps with them. If you do have babies and small children, make sure you have a change of clothes handy in your carry-on luggage or a place in the car that is easily accessible too. Accidents happen!
15. If you are traveling to a place where a different language is spoken, learn a few simple words like “thank you” and “hello” in advance with your children. It’s a great learning opportunity, and they’ll feel proud of their ability to converse a bit with people there too. Similarly, if you are traveling to a place where the foods might be unfamiliar and your children are a bit older, research and test out a few of the recipes with them before you go. They will have a better idea of what to expect when they get there, and you can have fun comparing how authentic your recipe is too.
For some amazing Travel Toys and Games please visit our fabulous toy store!
Have a wonderful time, whether you are away for a day or traveling a distance!
Beary Truly Yours,
Theodore Bear on behalf of all of Ape 2 Zebra
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