TRAVELLING with kids this Easter doesn’t have to be an ordeal if you prepare for every eventuality.
Simple things, such as a family music playlist and some new treats, can make all the difference.
Get kids off devices by following these top tipsCredit: SolStock
Liat Hughes Joshi, parenting coach and author of How To Unplug Your Child, said: “It’s tempting to hand over a screen for the journey, but there are plenty of offline activities when you’re travelling.”
Here, we reveal some of Liat’s top tips to ensure stress-free travels.
1. IF travelling by car, leave enough time to take some leg-stretcher breaks to help little ones burn off excess energy. It doesn’t need to be a service station — check online for parks, pubs with gardens or National Trust-type places near motorway junctions. Try the Extra Mile Guide ( venues.theextramile.guide ) for suggestions of child-friendly places to explore.
2. CHILDREN’S audiobooks or funny podcasts are brilliant for car trips and the whole family can enjoy them.
3. MAKING sure your child is comfortable enough to have a nap might make a big difference to their mood later on, so pack a couple of neck pillows and their favourite soft blanket so they’re warm.
4. IF you’re travelling with younger kids, ensure you’ve packed a day bag that is easily grabbable with spare clothes, just in case.
5. FOR toddlers, assemble an activity bag with a range of small toys (but not so small they’ll constantly fall on the floor!) they can rummage in. Plastic figures, sticker books, crayons, right, paper, a pack of cards, simple — choose things that normally keep them well-occupied at home.
6. CREATE a travel bingo sheet for long journeys with things to spot out of the window for your child to mark off. Use pictures for the youngest children: can they see a red car, blue lorry, police car? For older kids, you could give fewer points for common sightings and more for rarer ones.
7. SWAP seats if possible. If on a long car journey, sometimes just switching positions can change the atmosphere. Dad sitting in the back and Mum driving for a while might be enough to give everyone a reset.
8. THE old ones are the best, but with a twist — turn that classic memory game “I went to the shops and bought” into something that appeals to your child’s interests. For example, “I went to the concert and heard . . .” or “I went to the shopping centre and bought . . .” And take turns to choose the theme of the next round.
9. AT airports and stations task your children with helping to find your way — “first to spot gate 5” and so on.
10. IF travelling by train or plane, ask if they have activity booklets for kids. TransPennine Express has just launched a special activity booklet for children travelling on their trains, packed with puzzles and tick charts for children to spot and learn about the cities they pass through.
11. A GAME of “would you rather” can be played any time, anywhere and with pretty much all ages. Go with the silly or the serious. Would you rather be a cat or a dog? Live in a treehouse or a castle? Would you rather be the fastest runner or the cleverest person in the world?
12. THE word association game is good value for children over the age of four. Players say the first word that comes to mind in response to the previous word. For example, you might begin with the word “dog” then the next person says “bark” and the next says “tree” and so on.
- See liathughesjoshi.co.uk .
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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