As a Mum of 4, I can say I've bought my fair share of things over the years to keep my children entertained whilst travelling.
Some have been flops, but we've had many hits!
Whether its a long car journey, short flight to Europe or a long haul destination, there are more products than ever on the market to keep your little one's occupied, both whilst travelling and also when on holiday.
From experience I've found packing a range of things keeps boredom to a minimum.
Travelling with children can be a stressful experience, especially if you're not prepared. However, with some careful planning and creativity it can be a breeze.
Things like work books, colouring, stickers and story books are perfect as not only do they take up little space, they can keep them occupied from pre-longed periods of time.
To keep maximum interest in what you've brought I'd recommend making up a surprise bag, so that everything is fresh and new.
Travel sized games are also another essential we pack, especially if we're doing a Eurocamp style holiday. We've built up quite a collection of these and they don't have to be bulky. Card games are great for travelling.
Of course, we aren't immune from the influence of tech and so we always travel with a kids tablet and headphones with some pre-downloaded films from Netflix and new games loaded on to pass the time.
This travel play tray features a protective case for a tablet, pockets either side for books and paper. There's a pocket for a drinks bottle and crayons and then a dry wipe table top.
There's a strap to fasten the table in place and prevent items being dropped from outside the area.
Orchard Games have been an absolute favourite with my kids so I had to include one.
They're well designed and high quality, plus very reasonably priced. This Little Bug Bingo is suitable for the youngest of players and will provide fun for years to come.
This particular one is recommended for ages 3-6 years
This educational resource includes a pen to fill with water, allowing your child to paint the cards over and over again, mess free.
The set includes 26 cards, 2 ring for packing the cards on the go and 2 water brushes.
Available in a variety of designs including vehicles, animals, dinosaurs, insects and space, these sticker books feature 88 3D re-useable stickers. The books expand to create a large scene and provide endless hours of play.
This activity book is designed for ages 4-8 years and has 60+ activities within it to stave off boredom whilst travelling.
If you had the full sized version of this as a child, you'll know how fun Spirograph is. This travel version is the classic way to create countless amazing designs on the go!
Use the handy storage compartment for keeping your wheels, pens, and paper safe whilst you travel.
The set comes with the travel spirograph tool, 6 wheels, 2 pens, a 24 page drawing pad and a handy design guide.
This LCD drawing tablet is an innovative and user-friendly device that features a simple design with a lock button to prevent accidental clearing and a erase button to start fresh.
Easy to use, it encourages kids to develop their writing skills and imagination, whilst being compact enough for travelling.
These were a personal favourite of mine as a child, spot the items around a theme and tick them off! Fun to keep children engaged and leaning at the same time.
This particular version features 120 things to find within the airport.
My daughter has one of these and it's been great for her. It's fast and has a decent sized screen and battery life. Best of all it's robust and comes with a 2 year worry-free guarantee.
You can still download all the apps required such as Netflix under adult supervision.
Perfect for game play and movies.
With any tablet, it's always best to have headphones too- for your sake and that of other passengers!
These safe volume headphones mean that the maximum volume a child can listen at is 85dBA, protecting little ears.
This card game is designed for children aged 5+. Everyone takes turns guessing answers to funny, silly and challenging questions and dilemmas.
A super easy and fun game for children and families to play together. It requires a minimum of 2 players.
The game includes 500 questions- no two games are ever the same. Each game takes 15-30 minutes to play.
Now I know what you're thinking, these aren't products to keep your children entertained. However, mine loved having their own luggage when travelling. Having a special place to keep all their things for the journey and wheeling it through the airport all by themselves.
I'm sure they loved the novelty and the rummaging around in their bags as much as the activities themselves.
This super cute set features a cabin case and matching backpack. There are various sets to choose from too.
Compact for travel, this foldable bucket and spade set saves space in luggage and beach bags.
I can't tell you how many bucket and spade sets we've bought abroad and then given away as there's no way we're bringing something so bulky back.
Making sandcastles on the beach provides hours of fun for any age, even adults.
This 20 piece weighted pool set is great for building water confidence. We always take pool toys like these on our holidays.
My children love diving down and collecting them back up for hours on end.
We always loose a few, but with a set of 20 you'll have plenty here to keep you going.
This kids camera is both a digital camera and an instant print camera for kids which allows them to take colour images, record 1080p HD videos and print black and white photos.
The camera comes with 3 rolls of paper and additional rolls are cheap to re-purchase.
My daughter has taken hers on many holidays and keeps the photos for her scrapbook which makes great memories for them.
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This amazing resource designed by 'Build a Break' is perfect for keeping your little ones entertained during your travels, with activities catered to a variety of ages from pre-schoolers to teens.
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