Making Travelling With Children Stress Free

Holidays are often one of the rare spells of quality time that families get to spend together.  Memories of trips to the beach, ice creams after dinner and bombing into the pool are what family holidays are all about (and that’s just dad.)  However, if you don’t make steps to plan holidays with young kids carefully things may not turn out so rosy so here are a few simple ways of making sure your holiday and travelling with children is a success.

Protecting Your Kids from the Sun

You’ve looked forward to lazing on your sun lounger and relaxing for months now but how can you make sure the kids aren’t getting frazzled while you’re soaking up the sunshine?  Here is a rundown of the best kids sun creams according to a recent survey…

BOOTS SOLTAN KIDS MOISTURISING SUNCARE LOTION WITH WASP AND INSECT REPELLENT 10/10

‘This one has an easy to apply formulation, pleasant smell and excellent UVB (SPF50) and UVA (five-star) rating. It’s also the only one in our test to contain a wasp and insect repellent.

‘The sweet smell of some sunscreens may attract insects so this seems a great idea. Good price, and both the UVA and UVB are high.’

NIVEA SUN CHILDREN’S SUN SPRAY 9/10

‘This spray was my 12-year-old’s favourite. It’s easy to apply, and the lotion is pale green so you can see which areas are covered.

‘This rubs in easily and has a light, pleasant fragrance. The SPF (50+) is excellent and it has a four-star UVA rating, which is very good.’

NIVEA SUN CHILDREN’S SUN SPRAY 9/10

‘This spray was my 12-year-old’s favourite. It’s easy to apply, and the lotion is pale green so you can see which areas are covered.

‘This rubs in easily and has a light, pleasant fragrance. The SPF (50+) is excellent and it has a four-star UVA rating, which is very good.’

Tip:  As an additional precaution we recommend UV sun suits for young children.  These give up to a maximum of SPF 50 sun protection, they are easy to get off and on and they are great for kids that like to be in the water all day.  These normally retail at around £25 and you can get them in most large stores.

Keeping Kids Occupied on the Plane

Travelling with children isn’t always straight forward and we have all been on a flight with young kids (your own or someone else’s) that get bored to death after 5 minutes of the flight and begin to misbehave.  How can you avoid it being your child that sits kicking the seat in front for 3 hours straight?  Here are a few tips…

1. Pack plenty of things to keep your child entertained.  Books, colouring books and crayons, sticker books, (quiet) toys and portable DVD players are all good for passing the time.  Some airlines have kids entertainment on the TV channels so check this as well.  The novelty of watching a mini TV should keep them happy!
2. Make sure you bring equipment to comfort your kids if they are tired.  Bringing their favourite teddy bear, comfort blanket or pillow can make a big difference.  Even if it’s not a night flight, they may doze off if they feel comfortable.
3. Bring snacks!  Make sure you have plenty of liquids to keep the children hydrated and bring some tasty snacks with you too.  Remember not to load the kids up with sugar or you will have no chance of them sitting still!
4. If your child is old enough you can play interactive games like ‘I Spy.’  Get them to spot things in the in flight magazine or in the aeroplane.  Remember other passengers may not want to partake in this game too though and keep your voices to an acceptable level!

The Best Toys to Take on Holiday

Even if you have taken your children on a magical trip to Disney World they will still ‘get bored’ and want something to play with.  Children often like to take their favourite toys from home away with them which is fine, but give them a fixed number of toys they can take otherwise your suitcase could end up full before you’ve even picked out your holiday clothes.

For younger kids dolls and figures are generally good choices as Barbie and Ken can go for a swim in the pool and they are also pretty difficult to break.  Inflatable toys for the pool are brilliant and you can buy these in most resorts so that you don’t have to drag them with you from home.  Kids will spend hours in the pool but if you’re going anywhere near the beach don’t forget the old family favourite like a bucket and spade or bat and ball games.  You can always make an impressive boat from sand if all else fails!

We have a great selection of family friendly villas so start planning your fun-filled holiday now!